Senior Controls Engineering Lead – Automation & Mentorship

Connect Force; Canton Charter Township (MI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary incentives

Medical coverage

401(k)

Paid vacation

Career growth

Tech exposure

Leadership support

Job summary

Connect Force in the Metro Detroit area is seeking a Controls Engineering Supervisor to lead a team of controls engineers in designing, programming, and optimizing complex automated machinery. The role combines hands-on engineering with technical leadership in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in industrial automation, PLC/HMI programming, and machine integration within custom machinery settings, with travel as needed for startup and customer

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Automation Engineering, or related field
• 6+ years in controls engineering within manufacturing, automation, or custom machinery environments
• Leadership or project leadership experience within an engineering team
• Experience with PLC programming platforms (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Beckhoff)
• Experience with HMI/SCADA systems and industrial networking
• Understanding of servo systems, motion control, and machine automation
• Ability to read electrical schematics and controls documentation
• Hands-on troubleshooting with automated machinery and production systems
• Occasional travel for machine startup and customer support

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a team of Controls Engineers on automation and machine build projects
• Oversee PLC, HMI, motion control, and industrial automation programming activities
• Assist with project planning, workload coordination, and technical direction for engineering projects
• Support machine commissioning, startup, debugging, and troubleshooting both internally and at customer facilities
• Collaborate with mechanical engineering, manufacturing, service, and project management teams
• Ensure controls systems meet customer specifications, safety standards, and internal quality expectations
• Review electrical schematics, system architecture, and controls documentation
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to machine performance and controls reliability
• Mentor junior engineers and develop technical talent within the department
• Support customer service and field troubleshooting efforts when needed

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Team coordination

Problem solving

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related

Tools

Allen-Bradley

Siemens

Beckhoff

Job description

Connect Force in the Metro Detroit area is seeking a Controls Engineering Supervisor to lead a team of controls engineers in designing, programming, and optimizing complex automated machinery. The role combines hands-on engineering with technical leadership in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in industrial automation, PLC/HMI programming, and machine integration within custom machinery settings, with travel as needed for startup and customer