Senior Controls Engineer (Automated Distribution)

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

Benefits offered by this job

401k plan and matching

Life insurance

Short/long-term disability

Paid maternity/paternity leave

Job summary

SanMar-Internal seeks a Senior Controls Engineer to optimize and expand our automated distribution network. You will anchor technical efforts across AMHS, PLCs, and SCADA, ensuring peak performance and seamless OT/WMS integration.

You will lead PLC/HMI/SCADA tuning, FAT validation, and off-line/onsite startup support while collaborating with software teams on WCS/WMS data flow. Travel to sites is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Automation or related field (hands-on experience considered).
• 4+ years in industrial controls engineering; at least 2 years in high-volume distribution centers or logistics hubs.
• Advanced proficiency with Allen-Bradley or Siemens controllers and industrial networks.
• Experience with barcode scanners, labeling systems, and automated weight/dimension check zones.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate on architecture strategy for hardware/software control strategies and review electrical schematics for control panels.
• Develop and debug PLC code, HMIs, and SCADA; configure and optimize PLCs and HMI/SCADA systems to maximize throughput.
• Lead technical support and deployment of conveyors, high-speed sorters, and ASRS; oversee FAT and on-site startup troubleshooting.
• Integrate hardware controls with WCS/WMS for seamless data flow; bridge OT and IT systems.
• Act as Tier-3 Escalation for electrical/mechanical/network faults to minimize downtime; manage automation capital projects from concept to FAT.
• Guide multisite maintenance teams and junior engineers on advanced troubleshooting.

Skills

PLC programming

Industrial networks

HMI/SCADA

OT/WMS integration

Vendor management

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Automation

Tools

Studio 5000/Logix (Allen-Bradley)

Siemens TIA Portal

EtherNet/IP

Profinet

Modbus

Job description

Senior Controls Engineer (Automated Distribution)

Remote

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:

• 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

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.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in SanMar-Internal ’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.