Senior Controls Engineer - Field/Automation Lead

Actalent; Lake Orion (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

PTO (2–3 weeks)

Sick pay per state guidelines

Job summary

Actalent is seeking an experienced Controls Engineer to design, program, and commission industrial automation systems in a dynamic service-focused environment. You will own projects from concept through commissioning, work with PLC/ HMI technologies, and mentor junior engineers while collaborating with a multidisciplinary team.

The role balances office engineering with hands-on field work, requiring 30%–65% travel to customer facilities.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years of experience with Siemens and/or Allen-Bradley PLCs in industrial automation applications.
• Minimum 5+ years of experience interpreting electrical diagrams and creating I/O trees from scratch.
• Minimum 5+ years of experience developing and supporting HMI applications for industrial control systems.
• Proven ability to commission devices and systems in the field and verify correct operation.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and modify PLC software for automation systems using Allen-Bradley and Siemens platforms.
• Lead automation projects from concept to completion, including requirements review, control strategy design, software development, testing, and handover.
• Create, configure, and maintain I/O trees based on electrical diagrams.
• Interpret electrical diagrams to design control logic and system architecture.
• Commission devices and systems in the field and adjust for stable performance.
• Debug PLC programs, HMI screens, and control systems to identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Design, develop, and configure HMI applications for operator interfaces and system status visualization.
• Integrate and support vision systems and related automation hardware.
• Collaborate with engineers to plan, coordinate, and execute projects in industrial environments.
• Travel to customer sites ~30% to 65% for commissioning, troubleshooting, and implementation.

Skills

PLC programming

Allen-Bradley

Siemens PLCs

I/O tree design

HMI development

Field commissioning

PLC/HMI debugging

Vision systems

Beckhoff platforms

Industrial control

Travel 30-65%

Cross-functional teamwork

Job description

Actalent is seeking an experienced Controls Engineer to design, program, and commission industrial automation systems in a dynamic service-focused environment. You will own projects from concept through commissioning, work with PLC/ HMI technologies, and mentor junior engineers while collaborating with a multidisciplinary team.

The role balances office engineering with hands-on field work, requiring 30%–65% travel to customer facilities.