Senior Controls Engineer

PEAK Technical Services Inc.; Wilmington (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

PEAK Technical Services Inc. seeks a Senior Controls Engineer to lead design, integration, and support of electrical control systems in manufacturing environments.

You will apply controls principles to improve safety, quality, reliability, productivity, and cost-efficiency while collaborating with manufacturing, process engineering, maintenance, IT, and suppliers. The role involves guiding complex automation initiatives, establishing technical direction, managing risk, mentoring other engineers,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• 4 years of relevant controls, automation, equipment, or manufacturing engineering experience.
• Hands-on experience developing, programming, testing, and commissioning PLC, HMI, and/or SCADA applications for industrial equipment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and support of advanced PLC, HMI, SCADA, motion, vision, instrumentation, and safety control systems.
• Serve as the controls technical lead for capital projects, equipment upgrades, retrofits, and commissioning activities.
• Develop and maintain controls software and architectures using Beckhoff TwinCAT and Allen-Bradley.
• Lead troubleshooting and resolution of complex equipment, process, and controls issues affecting safety, quality, reliability, and productivity.
• Partner with manufacturing, process, maintenance, IT, and engineering teams to identify and implement process and equipment improvements.
• Develop functional specifications, design standards, testing strategies, and technical documentation to ensure maintainable and scalable solutions.
• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and guidance to engineers, technicians, integrators, and equipment suppliers.
• Drive measurable improvements in process capability, reliability, safety, OEE, and lifecycle cost through innovative controls solutions.
• Evaluate technical risks and lead feasibility, validation, and technology-transfer efforts for new manufacturing systems.
• Support controls standardization and share best practices across manufacturing sites.

Skills

Ladder logic

Structured text

Electrical drawings interpretation

Process automation

Safety standards knowledge

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline

Tools

Beckhoff TwinCAT

Allen-Bradley ControlLogix/Studio 5000

Siemens

Omron

SCADA

AutoCAD Electrical

MES

PI Data Historian

Python

MATLAB

C#

VB.NET

Job description

#Eng-IT-01 Job Summary

The Senior Controls Engineer is responsible for developing, integrating, supporting, and enhancing electrical control and automation systems used in manufacturing. This role applies controls engineering principles to enhance safety, quality, equipment reliability, process capability, productivity, and cost-efficiency. The engineer will collaborate with various teams, including manufacturing, process engineering, maintenance, IT, and equipment suppliers, to deliver safe, reliable, maintainable, and sustainable automation solutions.

As a senior technical resource, this position involves leading complex manufacturing automation systems and major engineering initiatives. Responsibilities include establishing technical direction, managing technical risk, mentoring other engineers, and contributing to controls standards and long-term automation strategies.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and support of advanced PLC, HMI, SCADA, motion, vision, instrumentation, and safety control systems.


• Serve as the controls technical lead for capital projects, equipment upgrades, retrofits, and commissioning activities.


• Develop and maintain controls software and architectures using platforms such as Beckhoff TwinCAT and Allen-Bradley.


• Lead troubleshooting and resolution of complex equipment, process, and controls issues affecting safety, quality, reliability, and productivity.


• Partner with manufacturing, process, maintenance, IT, and engineering teams to identify and implement process and equipment improvements.


• Develop functional specifications, design standards, testing strategies, and technical documentation to ensure maintainable and scalable solutions.


• Provide technical leadership, mentoring, and guidance to engineers, technicians, integrators, and equipment suppliers.


• Drive measurable improvements in process capability, reliability, safety, OEE, and lifecycle cost through innovative controls solutions.


• Evaluate technical risks and lead feasibility, validation, and technology-transfer efforts for new manufacturing systems.


• Support controls standardization and share best practices across manufacturing sites.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Engineering Technology, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related technical discipline.


• 4 years of relevant controls, automation, equipment, or manufacturing engineering experience.


• Hands-on experience developing, programming, testing, and commissioning PLC, HMI, and/or SCADA applications for industrial equipment.

Desired Technical Skills

• Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT, Allen-Bradley ControlLogix/Studio 5000, Siemens, Omron, or similar industrial control platforms.


• Ability to program in both ladder logic and structured text.


• Experience with SCADA, motion control, servo systems, machine vision, robotics, and control‑system integration.


• Ability to interpret electrical drawings, control schematics, and technical documentation.


• Experience using Python, MATLAB, C#, VB.NET, or similar tools for data analysis and automation.


• Experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), PI Data Historian, or similar manufacturing information systems used for production data collection, visualization, reporting, and process analysis.


• Experience with AutoCAD Electrical or similar.


• Knowledge of NFPA, ANSI, IEC, and other applicable industrial safety and electrical standards.


• Knowledge of cable manufacturing process and equipment.

Location and Travel Requirements

The preferred location for this position is Wilmington, NC, with Concord, NC also available. Less than 25% travel is required, primarily within North Carolina, particularly between Wilmington and Concord. Occasional international travel may be required.