Senior Industrial Controls Engineer: Global Automation Leader

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; Michigan; On-site; USD 91,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Wabtec is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer to lead architecture, programming, and deployment of industrial control systems across multiple manufacturing sites. You will design robust architectures, develop standards, and guide capital automation projects to improve safety, quality, and productivity.

You will engage with cross-functional teams, mentor site resources, and drive cybersecurity and compliance while supporting enterprise manufacturing initiatives and technology strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Controls, Automation, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering, or related discipline.
• 7+ years of industrial controls, automation, systems integration, or advanced manufacturing experience.
• Demonstrated leadership of significant controls and capital automation projects.
• Advanced PLC and HMI programming experience with strong knowledge of structured software development practices.
• Strong understanding of machine safety, motion control, robotics integration, industrial networking, instrumentation, and manufacturing processes.
• Experience developing controls architectures, functional specifications, standards, test plans, and commissioning documentation.
• Project leadership, technical mentoring, structured troubleshooting, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to travel as required to support enterprise manufacturing sites.

Responsibilities

• Lead controls projects from concept and architecture through production launch.
• Develop controls architectures, functional specifications, programming standards, and preferred solutions.
• Program, review, and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, motion, safety, and industrial communication applications.
• Lead controls design reviews and verify compliance with technical, safety, maintainability, and cybersecurity requirements.
• Develop capital estimates, controls scopes, test plans, and technical requirements for RFQs.
• Lead/support vendor selection, panel and software reviews, FAT, SAT, commissioning, and startup.
• Diagnose complex controls, network, motion, robotics interface, and manufacturing data issues.
• Optimize existing systems for reliability, cycle time, diagnostics, maintainability, and production performance.
• Identify and replicate successful controls solutions across manufacturing sites.
• Support Automation & Advanced Manufacturing roadmap, governance, and technology strategy.
• Evaluate emerging controls, connectivity, simulation, and AI-enabled manufacturing technologies.
• Mentor site controls resources and provide senior technical leadership during project execution and issue resolution.

Skills

PLC & HMI programming

Machine safety

Motion control

Robotics integration

Industrial networking

Instrumentation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Controls, Automation, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering, or related discipline

Tools

Rockwell Automation (ControlLogix/CompactLogix)

Siemens (TIA Portal, S7, WinCC)

Industrial networks (EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP, OPC UA)

Safety PLCs

Servo drives

Job description

Wabtec is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer to lead architecture, programming, and deployment of industrial control systems across multiple manufacturing sites. You will design robust architectures, develop standards, and guide capital automation projects to improve safety, quality, and productivity.

You will engage with cross-functional teams, mentor site resources, and drive cybersecurity and compliance while supporting enterprise manufacturing initiatives and technology strategy.