Senior Automation Controls Engineer

Jobtailor

Alabama

On-site

USD 85,000 - 120,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

Jobtailor in Alabama is seeking an experienced Industrial Controls Engineer to design, implement, and optimize automated manufacturing systems. You will collaborate with applications engineers on controls architecture from concept to detailed design, and help ensure safe, reliable operation of complex equipment.

The role requires 4+ years of hands-on experience with PLC and HMI programming, electrical drawings, and safety system design.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Controls, or related engineering field.
4+ years of hands-on experience developing or integrating industrial controls and automation systems, including PLC and HMI programming.
Exposure to industrial automation platforms such as robots, conveyors, CNC integration, or process tools.
Ability to interpret and review electrical and mechanical drawings.
Experience with industrial safety system design including safety PLCs and safety-rated circuits.
Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident, or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.
Familiarity with standards IEC 61131, ANSI B11, NFPA 79, RIA R15.06, and functional safety standards (IEC 62061 / ISO 13849) is preferred.
Experience with simulation software for offline programming such as Plant Simulate, Process Simulate, Visual Components, KUKA.Sim, RobotStudio, or similar is preferred.
Experience with machine vision systems is preferred.
Experience building, modifying, or troubleshooting electrical control panels is preferred.
Experience with electrical design for industrial control systems using AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, or similar electrical CAD platforms is preferred.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with applications engineers on conceptual automated manufacturing equipment, contributing controls architecture input from concept through detailed design.
Design and support control system architectures including network topology, I/O distribution, safety systems, and communication protocols.
Participate in the industrial controls and electrical design of bespoke automation systems.
Apply engineering first principles to analyze system behavior, identify root causes, and develop technically sound solutions to novel automation challenges.
Develop offline simulations of automated systems to validate control logic, robot paths, cycle times, and system behavior prior to hardware availability.
Support and execute online debugging and commissioning of PLC, HMI, robot, and similar industrial controls programs.
Integrate auxiliary equipment, machines, and tools into unified control systems.
Work with panel fabricators and field installation teams; provide technical support during system integration and commissioning.
Support and lead factory and site acceptance testing, and contribute to the build, installation, commissioning, and start-up of automated manufacturing systems.
Create controls documentation packages including sequence of operations, I/O lists, network diagrams, and program documentation.