Senior Controls Engineer (Automated Distribution)

SanMar- External; United States; Remote; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401k with matching

Life and disability insurance

Paid time off + holidays

Maternity/paternity leave

Pet insurance

Job summary

SanMar- External seeks a Senior Controls Engineer to lead the optimization, maintenance, and expansion of our automated wholesale distribution network. You will be the technical anchor for AMHS in high-volume facilities, ensuring peak efficiency of PLCs, HMIs, and the OT-WMS bridge.

You will design control architectures, write PLC code for Allen-Bradley and Siemens, oversee FAT and on-site startup, and train technicians.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Automation or related field.
• 4+ years in industrial controls engineering; 2+ years in high-volume DCs, e-commerce fulfillment, or logistics hubs.
• Proficiency with Allen-Bradley Studio 5000/Logix or Siemens TIA Portal and industrial networks (EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Modbus).
• Hands-on with barcode scanners, labeling systems, and automated weighing/dimensions checks.
• Experience with AGVs/AMRs preferred.
• SQL/Python or scripting to bridge PLC data to cloud preferred.
• Lean/Six Sigma experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate on architecture of hardware/software control strategies and electrical schematics for control panels.
• Develop and debug PLC code, HMIs, and SCADA; optimize PLCs and HMI/SCADA to maximize throughput.
• Lead deployment of conveyors, high-speed sorters, and AS/RS; support FAT and on-site startup.

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Automation, or a related technical field

Tools

Allen-Bradley Studio 5000/Logix

Siemens TIA Portal

EtherNet/IP

Profinet

Modbus

Job description

What’s the Short Version?

The Senior Controls Engineer leads the optimization, maintenance, and expansion of our automated wholesale distribution network. They are the technical anchor for our high-volume facilities, ensuring our Automated Material Handling Systems (AMHS) operates at peak efficiency. They support and contribute to design, programming, and perform troubleshooting measures for PLCs, industrial networks, and robotic sorting systems while bridging the gap between our operational technology (OT) and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS).

What Will You Be Doing?

• Collaborate on and validate the architecture strategy of hardware and software control strategies, validate and provide input on electrical schematics, and layouts for control panels.
• Collaborate on writing and debugging Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) code, Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs), and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software, configure, and optimize PLCs (Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens) and HMI/SCADA systems to maximize warehouse throughput.
• Lead the technical support, logic tuning, and deployment of conveyors, high-speed sorters, Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS).
• Oversee Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), system validation, and on-site startup troubleshooting.
• Partner with software teams to integrate hardware controls with Warehouse Control Systems (WCS) (Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens) and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) for seamless data flow.
• Act as the Tier-3 escalation point for complex electrical, mechanical, and network faults to minimize critical supply chain downtime.
• Partner with project management teams on automation capital projects from concept through commissioning, including vendor management, budget oversight, and factory acceptance testing (FAT).
• Guide and train multisite maintenance technicians and junior engineers on advanced troubleshooting and automation best practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Comply with all policies and standards.

What Are We Looking For?

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Automation, or a related technical field (equivalent hands-on experience will be considered).
• 4+ years years of experience in industrial controls engineering, with at least 2 years dedicated to high-volume distribution centers, e-commerce fulfillment, or logistics hubs.
• Advanced proficiency with Allen-Bradley (Studio 5000/Logix) or Siemens (TIA Portal), and industrial networks (EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Modbus).
• Hands-on experience with barcode scanners, print-and-apply labeling systems, and automated weight/dimension check zones.
• Experience with Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) or Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) is preferred.
• Knowledge of SQL databases, Python, or scripting languages used to bridge PLC data to the cloud is preferred.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma methodologies is preferred.
• Domestic Travel 50-60%

What’s Our Offer?

Salary Range: You`ll earn between $120,000 - $170,000 annually, depending on experience.

Bonus: You`ll be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus up to 10% of base salary.

Paid Time Off: You`ll accrue paid time off on a bi-weekly basis based on hours worked up to 112 hours per year to start. Employees also receive 8 paid holidays and 1 paid family day off.

Additional Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401k plan and matches $1 for $1 up to 4% of earnings, matched & vested at every pay cycle
• Life insurance
• Short/long-term disability coverage
• Paid maternity/paternity leave
• Pet insurance

What Should You Expect?

Remote: Our standard working hours are 8:00-5:00 PST. Periodic travel may be required. The employee is regularly required to sit for extended periods while working on a computer and participating in virtual and in-person meetings. Frequent use of hands for keyboarding and standard office equipment is required. Occasional standing, walking, and reaching may be needed to attend meetings or collaborate in an office setting. The role requires the ability to perform close visual work on a computer for extended periods. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 10–15 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.