Sr. Controls & Electrical Engineer

General Motors Company; Burton (MI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

General Motors Company in Michigan seeks a Senior Controls & Electrical Engineer to lead design, development, integration, commissioning, and optimization of industrial control systems and electrical equipment for manufacturing. You will drive automation projects from concept through production launch and ensure safe, reliable operation.

You will design, program, troubleshoot PLC/HMI and robotics systems, develop schematics and control panels, and coordinate installation, startup, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical or automation engineering or related discipline.
• 5+ years in controls/electrical engineering or industrial automation.
• Experience with PLC programming, HMI systems, robotics, motion control, industrial networks, and machine safety.
• Ability to read and develop electrical schematics and control-system documentation.
• Strong troubleshooting, project-management, communication, and root-cause analysis skills.
• Experience leading technical projects and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to support equipment commissioning and production issues, including travel.

Responsibilities

• Lead controls and electrical engineering activities for new equipment, process improvements, and production launches.
• Design, program, integrate, and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, robotics, motion-control, safety, and industrial-network systems.
• Develop electrical schematics, control panels, I/O documentation, device layouts, and engineering specifications.
• Coordinate equipment installation, startup, commissioning, validation, and production readiness.
• Diagnose complex electrical, controls, instrumentation, and automation issues and implement corrective actions.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to engineers, technicians, and maintenance personnel.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, maintenance, quality, safety, suppliers, and cross-functional engineering teams.
• Ensure compliance with applicable electrical, machine-safety, environmental, and company standards.
• Manage engineering changes, technical documentation, project schedules, budgets, and supplier deliverables.
• Support continuous improvement, downtime reduction, first-time quality, and process capability initiatives.
• Analyze production data and control-system performance to improve reliability and throughput.
• Provide technical leadership during launch, escalation, and root-cause problem-solving activities.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI systems

Robotics

Motion control

Industrial networks

Machine safety

Electrical schematics

Project management

Cross-functional teamwork

Travel flexibility

Education

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering / controls / automation / mechatronics

Tools

Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation

Siemens

FANUC

Job description

Job Description

The role

The Senior Controls & Electrical Engineer leads the design, development, integration, commissioning, and optimization of industrial control systems and electrical equipment. This role supports automation projects from concept through production launch, ensuring safe, reliable, efficient, and compliant operation.

What You'll Do

• Lead controls and electrical engineering activities for new equipment, process improvements, and production launches.
• Design, program, integrate, and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, robotics, motion-control, safety, and industrial-network systems.
• Develop electrical schematics, control panels, I/O documentation, device layouts, and engineering specifications.
• Coordinate equipment installation, startup, commissioning, validation, and production readiness.
• Diagnose complex electrical, controls, instrumentation, and automation issues and implement corrective actions.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to engineers, technicians, and maintenance personnel.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, maintenance, quality, safety, suppliers, and cross-functional engineering teams.
• Ensure compliance with applicable electrical, machine-safety, environmental, and company standards.
• Manage engineering changes, technical documentation, project schedules, budgets, and supplier deliverables.
• Support continuous improvement, downtime reduction, first-time quality, and process capability initiatives.
• Analyze production data and control-system performance to improve reliability and throughput.
• Provide technical leadership during launch, escalation, and root-cause problem-solving activities.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related discipline.
• Typically, 5+ years of experience in controls, electrical engineering, industrial automation, or manufacturing engineering.
• Experience with PLC programming, HMI systems, robotics, motion control, industrial networks, and machine safety.
• Ability to read and develop electrical schematics and control-system documentation.
• Strong troubleshooting, project-management, communication, and root-cause analysis skills.
• Experience leading technical projects and working with cross-functional teams.
• Ability to support equipment commissioning and production issues, including occasional off-shift or travel requirements.

What Can Give You a Competitive Advantage (Preferred Qualifications)

• Professional engineering license or advanced engineering degree.
• Experience with Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation, Siemens, FANUC, or comparable platforms.
• Knowledge of automotive manufacturing processes, Industry 4.0, data collection, and plant-floor systems.
• Experience with electrical power distribution, controls standards, risk assessments, and safety validation.
• Familiarity with AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, or similar design tools.
• Experience mentoring engineers and technicians.

About GM

Our vision is a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion and we embrace the responsibility to lead the change that will make our world better, safer and more equitable for all.

Why Join Us

We believe we all must make a choice every day - individually and collectively - to drive meaningful change through our words, our deeds and our culture. Every day, we want every employee to feel they belong to one General Motors team.

Benefits Overview

From day one, we're looking out for your well-being-at work and at home–so you can focus on realizing your ambitions.

Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)

General Motors is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of unlawful discrimination, but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. We strongly believe that providing an inclusive workplace creates an environment in which our employees can thrive and develop better products for our customers.

All employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to sex, race, color, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, disability, pregnancy or maternity status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran or protected veteran, or any other similarly protected status in accordance with federal, state and local laws.

Accommodations

General Motors offers opportunities to all job seekers including individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to assist with your job search or application for employment, email us or call us at 1-800-865-7580. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.