Senior Controls Engineer: Lead Automation & Robotics

Coats Company

Northern (KY)

Hybrid

USD 85,000 - 110,000

Full time

10 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Retirement matching

Job summary

The Coats Company is seeking a Controls Engineer to lead design, programming, integration, and continuous improvement of automation and controls systems across our facility. You will own the full lifecycle of automation on welding, cutting, CNC, powder coating, and assembly lines, working with diverse PLCs and robotics to drive uptime and safety.

Responsibilities include developing control panels, safety circuits, and networking, performing risk assessments, and mentoring technicians.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Controls Engineering, or related field, or equivalent hands‑on experience.
5+ years of experience in industrial controls engineering within a manufacturing environment.
Hands‑on programming experience with multiple major PLC platforms.
Experience integrating and programming industrial robots and/or collaborative robots in a production setting.

Responsibilities

Design, program, and commission PLC, HMI, and robot control systems for new and existing production equipment.
Lead integration of industrial robots and cobots into manufacturing cells with end‑of‑arm tooling coordination, safety zoning, and cycle‑time optimization.
Program, troubleshoot, and maintain controls across welding machines, laser/plasma cutting systems, CNC saws, and powder coating lines.
PLC logic, HMI screens, and robot programs across major platforms (e.g., Allen‑Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens, Mitsubishi, ABB, Fanuc, KUKA).
Design and specify control panels, I/O architecture, safety circuits, and networking for new installations and retrofits.
Perform risk assessments and ensure controls and robotic systems comply with applicable safety standards.
Lead root‑cause troubleshooting of controls‑related downtime; drive corrective actions; partner with CI/Maintenance/Production to improve automation.
Manage automation projects from concept through commissioning, including budgeting, vendor coordination, and documentation.
Create and maintain electrical schematics, controls documentation, and standard work for controls systems.