Senior Controls Engineer: Precision Automation

Connect Force; Novi (MI); On-site; USD 115,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Connect Force Recruiting is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer for a hands-on role in Farmington Hills, MI. You will design, program, troubleshoot, start up, and optimize advanced industrial machinery, collaborating with mechanical, electrical, software, service, and customer teams.

Candidates should have 6+ years in controls engineering, strong PLC and HMI skills, experience with Siemens platforms, and a track record in machine startups, commissioning, and field service.

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years in controls engineering or related industrial equipment.
• Strong PLC programming and troubleshooting experience.
• Experience with HMI development and machine software support.
• Ability to read electrical schematics and technical documentation.
• Experience with industrial machinery, machine tools, or automation systems.
• Hands-on troubleshooting in shop-floor, build, or field-service environments.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with engineering, service, and production teams.
• Clear communication of technical issues and safety-focused mindset.

Responsibilities

• Develop, modify, troubleshoot, and support PLC and HMI programs.
• Support controls engineering for custom machine builds and upgrades.
• Troubleshoot electrical, software, and machine-control issues during build and startup.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, service, and customer teams.
• Read electrical schematics, controls drawings, and machine layouts.
• Provide startup, debugging, validation, and field commissioning support.
• Maintain safety standards and contribute to process improvements.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI development

Electrical troubleshooting

Reading schematics

Cross-functional collaboration

Safety compliance

Attention to detail

Tools

Siemens PLCs

Siemens HMIs

TIA Portal

Job description

Connect Force Recruiting is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer for a hands-on role in Farmington Hills, MI. You will design, program, troubleshoot, start up, and optimize advanced industrial machinery, collaborating with mechanical, electrical, software, service, and customer teams.

Candidates should have 6+ years in controls engineering, strong PLC and HMI skills, experience with Siemens platforms, and a track record in machine startups, commissioning, and field service.