Senior Controls Engineer – Lead Custom Automation Projects

Mission Design & Automation; Holland Charter Township (MI); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) retirement plan with company"s

Paid time off (PTO) and paid holidays

Overtime pay (time and a half)

Professional development

Company-sponsored events

Access to employee resources

Premium travel pay

Profit-sharing bonuses

Job summary

Mission Design & Automation seeks a Senior Controls Engineer to lead design, implementation, and commissioning of controls systems for custom automation equipment, while collaborating with a team that values craftsmanship, innovation, and continuous improvement.

The role is full-time onsite in Holland, MI, with hours 7:00am–4:00pm, offering ownership from concept through startup and opportunities to mentor junior engineers and shape engineering best practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or equivalent technical experience.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrated experience in machinery debugging.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead custom automation projects from concept through startup, giving ownership of the entire engineering process.
• Mentor developing engineers and help shape the next generation of technical talent.
• Support quoting team through concepts, estimating, and technical planning.
• Collaborate with controls, design, build, and project management teams throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure projects are completed within the quoted scope, timeline, and budget.
• Drive projects forward with minimal supervision and make design decisions.
• Ensure equipment design and program meet internal and external specifications.
• Oversee machine startup, debugging, customer acceptance, and production implementation.
• Document lessons learned and contribute to continuous improvement across projects.
• Work on a wide variety of custom automation challenges to expand skills.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Troubleshooting

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or equivalent technical experience

Tools

AutoCAD

Electrical design

Pneumatic design

PLC programming

HMI development

Robotics

Microsoft Office

Job description

Mission Design & Automation seeks a Senior Controls Engineer to lead design, implementation, and commissioning of controls systems for custom automation equipment, while collaborating with a team that values craftsmanship, innovation, and continuous improvement.

The role is full-time onsite in Holland, MI, with hours 7:00am–4:00pm, offering ownership from concept through startup and opportunities to mentor junior engineers and shape engineering best practices.