Senior Controls Engineer- Body Shop

General Motors; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

General Motors is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer for the Body Shop in Lake Orion, MI. You will lead advanced controls engineering for automated welding, material handling, and production systems, serving as the technical authority on PLCs, robotics, and network architecture.

You will drive continuous improvement, mentor engineers across shifts, and coordinate with stakeholders to ensure safety, quality, and throughput objectives are met.

Qualifications

• Advanced programming and troubleshooting of Rockwell/AB ControlLogix in high-volume automotive environments.
• Proficient with FANUC robots including path recovery and fault diagnostics.
• Strong understanding of welding systems, weld controllers, and robotic welding applications.

Responsibilities

• Lead controls engineering strategy for body shop systems.
• Serve as technical authority for PLC/robot/network standards.
• Manage complex electrical and controls projects and capital investments.

Skills

ControlLogix PLCs

FANUC robotics

Electrical schematics

Industrial networks

Safety systems

Root cause analysis

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in EE/Mechatronics

Tools

Rockwell Automation

Ethernet/IP

PLC programming tools

Job description

## Senior Controls Engineer- Body ShopApply: Onsite: Lake Orion, Michigan, United States of America: Full time: Posted Yesterday: JR-202619930**Job Description**This is a 2nd shift opportunityThis job may be eligible for relocation benefitsGM DOES NOT PROVIDE IMMIGRATION-RELATED SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS ROLE. DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS ROLE IF YOU WILL NEED GM IMMIGRATION SPONSORSHIP (e.g., H-1B, TN, STEM OPT, etc.) NOW OR IN THE FUTURE.**Onsite:** This role is categorized as onsite. This means the successful candidate is expected to report to Orion, MI on a full-time basis.**The Role**The Senior Controls Engineer- Body Shop is responsible for providing advanced controls engineering leadership and technical oversight within a highly automated automotive body shop environment. This role serves as a key technical expert supporting robotic welding, material handling, joining technologies, and automated production systems. The position requires a high degree of independent judgment and technical authority to achieve safety, quality, cost, throughput, and launch objectives while ensuring the long-term reliability and maintainability of body shop equipment and controls systems.**What You'll Do*** Lead controls engineering strategy and execution for body shop manufacturing systems* Serve as the technical authority for PLC, robotics, and network architecture standards.* Manage and execute complex electrical and controls projects including new installations, major upgrades, model change activities, throughput improvements, and lifecycle replacements.* Develop and approve cost estimates, investment forecasts, business cases, and appropriation requests for capital projects.* Provide technical mentorship to Controls Engineers, Automation Engineers, and Skilled Trades across multiple shifts.* Lead root cause analysis and resolution of complex equipment and system failures.* Drive continuous improvement initiatives utilizing statistical methods and data-driven decision making.* Coordinate with Manufacturing Engineering, corporate engineering organizations, and suppliers on new model planning, CQPI, sourcing, and equipment validation.* Establish and manage project support plans between plant operations, corporate engineering, and contractor resources.* Represent Engineering in plant leadership meetings and cross-functional business planning activities.* Influence plant-wide goals through Business Plan Deployment and cross-functional alignment.* Support implementation of Global Manufacturing Systems and Quality Network initiatives to improve operational excellence.* Oversee development and adherence to engineering standards, documentation, and best practices.* Develop and monitor project schedules, risk mitigation plans, and execution timelines.* Provide input into plant capital planning and Central Manufacturing Engineering budgets.* Ensure long-term reliability, maintainability, and cost efficiency of manufacturing equipment and infrastructure.* Drive energy efficiency, operational cost reduction, and maximum throughput strategies.* Partner with Plant Training teams to develop and deploy training for new technologies introduced to the facility.* Champion safety as the highest priority, enforcing safe work practices and driving improvements in ergonomics, health, safety, and housekeeping.* Maintain strong working relationships with hourly employees, union leadership, plant management, suppliers, and external support organizations.**Your Skills and Abilities (Required Qualifications)*** Advanced ability to program, troubleshoot, and optimize Rockwell/Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PLC systems in high-volume automotive manufacturing environments.* Advanced troubleshooting and programming experience with FANUC robotic systems, including robot path recovery, fault diagnostics, and production optimization.* Strong understanding of welding systems, weld controllers, weld schedules, and robotic welding applications?* Expert ability to read, interpret, and modify electrical schematic and controls documentation.* Advanced troubleshooting experience with automated body shop manufacturing systems, material handling equipment, and conveyor controls.* Strong knowledge of industrial communication networks including Ethernet/IP, DeviceNet, ControlNet, and integrated robot-to-PLC communication.* Experience supporting safety-rated control systems, robot safety zones, interlocks, and machine safeguarding requirements.* Strong analytical and structured problem-solving capabilities utilizing root cause analysis and data-driven methodologies.* Effective leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams.* Willingness to work 2nd shift* Willingness to support weekend or extended hours during critical production and project phases.**Preferred Qualifications*** Five or more years of experience in automotive body shop, welding, or assembly manufacturing operations.* Experience supporting robotic welding cells, framing systems, underbody/body-side lines, or final body assembly processes.* Experience leading automation strategies, major equipment installations, or large capital projects in a body shop environment.* Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, or equivalent technical experience.* Experience with manufacturing systems integration including (MES, SCADA, data acquisition)* Knowledge of dimensional quality systems, automated measurement technologies, and body build quality requirements.* Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, or supervising engineering and technical teams.* Experience supporting new vehicle launches, tooling integration, and production ramp-up activities