Senior Process Controls Engineer

DISHER; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering firm in Grand Rapids, Michigan is looking for a Senior Process Controls Engineer. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in controls engineering, strong PLC/HMI development skills, and a collaborative mindset. You will design and maintain control solutions in continuous-flow process environments while ensuring compliance with industry standards. Join a company committed to sustainability and innovation in the food sector.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of professional controls engineering experience.
• Strong background in PLC/HMI development, testing, commissioning, and troubleshooting.
• Ability to work through open-ended problems with incomplete requirements.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain PLC/HMI programs for continuous-process systems.
• Ensure compliance with safety, regulatory, and industry standards.
• Participate in system commissioning, field testing, troubleshooting, and optimization.

Skills

PLC/HMI development

Controls engineering

Communication skills

Job description

Senior Process Controls Engineer– Grand Rapids, Michigan

DISHER is currently partnering with a leader in food stabilization in Grand Rapids, MI to fill their Senior Process Controls Engineer position. This role is ideal for someone who understands complex, continuous‑flow process environments and can translate system behavior into stable, reliable, and scalable control solutions.

What it's like to work here

This small machine design company is committed to reducing waste and improving the planet through transforming underused resources into nutritious, profitable materials. They have a strong commitment to their company values: Selflessly Serve, Trail‑Blaze, Direct Honesty, Never Settle, Work Hard Play Hard. All team members are driven by their desire to serve others and create a more sustainable way of living.

What you will get to do

• Design, develop, and maintain PLC/HMI programs for continuous‑process systems
• Integrate flow meters, pressure sensors, temperature probes, valves, VFDs, and proportional control devices into stable control architectures
• Configure and tune PID and advanced feedback loops for optimal performance under varying load, pressure, and temperature conditions
• Design and create full electrical schematics, panel layouts, field wiring diagrams, and bills of material using standard drafting tools
• Provide guidance through panel builds, electrical assembly, device checkout, and field wiring verification
• Collaborate with mechanical, process, and electrical engineering to ensure controls logic aligns with physical system behavior
• Participate in system commissioning, field testing, troubleshooting, and optimization across customer sites
• Generate documentation including control narratives, functional specifications, IO lists, and safety logic
• Support root‑cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives
• Ensure compliance with safety, regulatory, and industry standards

What will make you successful

• Minimum 10 years of professional controls engineering experience
• Strong background with PLC/HMI development, testing, commissioning, and troubleshooting
• Background in process‑driven environments such as brewing, food & beverage, chemicals, wastewater, renewable energy, or similar (strongly preferred, but not strictly required)
• Experience designing or tuning control loops, PID strategies, flow/pressure control, proportional actuation, thermal or mass‑transfer systems
• Ability to work through open‑ended problems with incomplete requirements and build robust control logic that reflects real‑world physics
• Ability to travel to customer sites as needed
• Being a strong communicator who can simplify technical concepts across disciplines
• Must have the current and continuing right to work in the United States of America