Senior Controls Engineer - Advanced Manufacturing

Wabtec Corporation; Michigan; On-site; USD 91,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Wabtec Corporation is seeking a senior Automation & Advanced Manufacturing controls leader to design, deploy, and optimize industrial control systems across multiple manufacturing sites. You will lead architecture, programming, integration, commissioning, and cybersecurity coordination of PLCs, HMIs, motion control, and robotics interfaces.

You will mentor site controls resources, drive standardization, support capital projects, and advance enterprise manufacturing capabilities with a focus on

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Controls, Automation, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering, or related.
• 7+ years in industrial controls, automation, systems integration, or advanced manufacturing.
• Leadership of significant controls and capital automation projects.
• Advanced PLC and HMI programming with structured software practices.
• Strong machine safety, motion control, robotics, networking, and process knowledge.
• Experience developing architectures, specs, standards, test plans, and commissioning docs.
• Project leadership, mentoring, troubleshooting, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Ability to travel as required to support sites.

Responsibilities

• Lead controls projects from concept through production launch.
• Develop architectures, functional specs, programming standards, and preferred solutions.
• Program, review, and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, motion, safety, and industrial networks.
• Lead design reviews; verify safety, maintainability, and cybersecurity requirements.
• Develop capital estimates, controls scopes, test plans, and RFQ requirements.
• Lead/vendor reviews, FAT, SAT, commissioning, and startup activities.
• Diagnose complex controls, network, motion, robotics interface, and data issues.
• Optimize systems for reliability, cycle time, diagnostics, and performance.
• Replicate successful controls solutions across sites.
• Support Automation & Advanced Manufacturing roadmap and strategy.
• Evaluate emerging controls, connectivity, simulation, and AI-enabled tech.
• Mentor site controls resources and provide senior technical leadership.

Skills

Electrical controls

Controls engineering

Automation

Mechatronics

Computer engineering

Leadership

PLC programming

HMI programming

Industrial networking

Cybersecurity

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Controls/Automation/Mechatronics/CE

Tools

Rockwell ControlLogix

Siemens S7/TIA Portal

FactoryTalk

Studio 5000

WinCC

EtherNet/IP

PROFINET

Modbus TCP

OPC UA

SCADA systems

Job description

Who will you be working with?

You will partner with cross-functional teams across operations, product engineering, maintenance, quality, procurement, information technology (IT), operational technology (OT), environmental health & safety (EHS), and business leadership to deliver reliable manufacturing controls and automation solutions across the global supply chain (GSC) consisting of all business segments.

This role collaborates closely with manufacturing sites, technical specialists, external automation suppliers, original equipment manufacturers, and system integrators to design, deploy, secure, and support controls systems that improve safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost performance.

How will you make a difference?

As part of the Automation & Advanced Manufacturing organization, you will serve as a senior technical leader for industrial controls, supporting multiple manufacturing sites and business units. You will establish robust controls architectures, guide technical decisions, develop standards, and help ensure automation systems are safe, maintainable, scalable, and production-ready.

As a member of the Automation & Advanced Manufacturing team, you will lead and support the architecture, design, programming, integration, commissioning, and optimization of controls systems across a diverse industrial manufacturing environment.

This role combines hands-on controls engineering with enterprise capability development. You will serve as a key technical resource for PLCs, HMIs, motion control, robotics interfaces, industrial networks, machine safety, data connectivity, and automation cybersecurity coordination.

Responsibilities include developing controls concepts and specifications, leading technical reviews, supporting capital project execution, resolving complex system issues, and driving the standardization and replication of successful controls solutions across multiple manufacturing facilities.

What do we want to know about you?

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Controls, Automation, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 7+ years of industrial controls, automation, systems integration, or advanced manufacturing experience.
• Demonstrated leadership of significant controls and capital automation projects.
• Advanced PLC and HMI programming experience with strong knowledge of structured software development practices.
• Strong understanding of machine safety, motion control, robotics integration, industrial networking, instrumentation, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience developing controls architectures, functional specifications, standards, test plans, and commissioning documentation.
• Project leadership, technical mentoring, structured troubleshooting, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to travel as required to support enterprise manufacturing sites.

Preferred Qualifications

• Rockwell Automation ControlLogix/CompactLogix, Studio 5000, FactoryTalk, or equivalent platforms
• Siemens TIA Portal, S7 PLCs, WinCC, or other major industrial controls platforms
• Industrial networks including EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP, OPC UA, and managed switching
• Machine safety PLCs, safety relays, risk-reduction functions, and validation support
• Servo systems, variable-frequency drives, coordinated motion, and precision process control
• Industrial robots, machine vision, automated material handling, and equipment integration
• MES, SCADA, historians, OEE, databases, and manufacturing data collection systems
• FAT, SAT, commissioning, production launch, and lifecycle support
• Lean, Six Sigma, functional safety, networking, or controls platform certification

What will your typical day look like? Responsibilities

• Lead controls projects from concept and architecture through production launch.
• Develop controls architectures, functional specifications, programming standards, and preferred solutions.
• Program, review, and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, motion, safety, and industrial communication applications.
• Lead controls design reviews and verify compliance with technical, safety, maintainability, and cybersecurity requirements.
• Develop capital estimates, controls scopes, test plans, and technical requirements for RFQs.
• Lead/support vendor selection, panel and software reviews, FAT, SAT, commissioning, and startup.
• Diagnose complex controls, network, motion, robotics interface, and manufacturing data issues.
• Optimize existing systems for reliability, cycle time, diagnostics, maintainability, and production performance.
• Identify and replicate successful controls solutions across manufacturing sites.
• Support Automation & Advanced Manufacturing roadmap, governance, and technology strategy.
• Evaluate emerging controls, connectivity, simulation, and AI-enabled manufacturing technologies.
• Mentor site controls resources and provide senior technical leadership during project execution and issue resolution.

Additional Information

Our job titles may span more than one career level. The salary rate for this role is currently $91100-129800. The actual salary offered to a candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors, such as: training, transferable skills, work experience, education, business needs, market demands and work location. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. More information on offered benefits, which include health, welfare, and retirement, are available at mywabtecbenefits.com. Other benefit offerings for this role may include annual bonus, if eligible.

What could you accomplish in a place that puts People First?

At Wabtec, it’s not just about a job – it’s about the impact you make. When our people come together, we’re Expanding the Possible by continuously improving what we do and how we do it - for our clients and each other.

If you’re ready to revolutionize how the world moves for future generations, Wabtec is the place for you.

Who are we?

Wabtec is a leading global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and value-added services for the freight and transit rail sectors. Drawing on more than 150 years of experience, we are leading the way in safety, efficiency, reliability, innovation, and productivity. Whether it’s freight, transit, ports, logistics, mining, industrial, or marine, our expertise, technologies, and people together – are accelerating the future of transportation. With roots that date back to George Westinghouse, Thomas Edison, and Louis Faiveley, Wabtec has always built technologies and implemented solutions for a variety of sectors that are critical to meeting the needs of customers and governments alike.

Our global team of about 30,000 employees worldwide delivers performance that moves the world forward. We’re lifelong learners, obsessed with better. Learn more at www.WabtecCorp.com.

Culture powers us and the possibilities.

We believe the best ideas come from a mix of experiences and backgrounds. At Wabtec, we strive every day to create a place where everyone belongs. We’re building a culture where leadership, inclusion and your unique perspective fuel progress.

We’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome talent of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, including race, gender, age, disability, veteran status and more.

Need accommodation? Just let us know - we’ve got you.