Sr. Controls Engineer

General Motors; Spring Hill (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

General Motors in Tennessee seeks an experienced Manufacturing Controls Engineer to own automation and controls at a high-volume plant. You will lead diagnosis, design, and deployment of control systems, mentor staff, and ensure safety, quality, and uptime.

You will collaborate with OEMs, system integrators, and cross-functional teams, applying GM standards and using Rockwell/Siemens platforms. Travel <25% and relocation benefits may be available.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a related discipline; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Five or more years of hands‑on experience with industrial automation, manufacturing controls, or plant-floor systems.
• Demonstrated experience independently owning complex controls problems and leading projects to completion.
• Strong electrical troubleshooting skills, including the ability to read schematics, troubleshoot control panels, and safely test industrial equipment.
• Strong programming, analytical, communication, and technical documentation skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced production environment and make sound decisions under time pressure.
• Ability to lead through influence across multiple functions and manage competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Own the controls performance, reliability, and technical health of assigned manufacturing processes and equipment.
• Lead the diagnosis, containment, root-cause analysis, and permanent resolution of production, quality, safety, and equipment issues.
• Lead controls design and execution for new equipment, process changes, launches, retooling, and continuous-improvement projects from concept through plant acceptance and buyoff.
• Coordinate and provide technical direction to OEMs, system integrators, contractors, and suppliers; manage open issues through closure and verify that deliverables meet plant and GM requirements.
• Apply applicable GM controls, electrical, network, safety, cybersecurity, documentation, and software standards to new and legacy equipment.
• Integrate new technologies and plant-floor systems into existing architectures while protecting production uptime and maintainability.
• Use data-driven problem solving and continuous-improvement methods to improve OEE, downtime, cycle time, scrap, first-time quality, energy use, and operator safety.
• Develop standard work, technical documentation, training materials, backups, and lessons learned to improve repeatability and prevent recurrence.
• Mentor engineers, skilled trades, and cross-functional partners on controls troubleshooting, standards, and best practices.
• Provide production support across shifts, including off-shift, weekend, launch, and major-repair support as required by plant operations.

Skills

Electrical troubleshooting

Reading schematics

Problem solving

Technical documentation

Communication

Mentoring

Data-driven analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Controls engineering

Tools

EPLAN

AutoCAD Electrical

Rockwell ControlLogix

Siemens TIA Portal

FactoryTalk View

Job description

Job Description Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Controls Engineer to serve as a technical owner for automation and controls within a high-volume manufacturing plant. This role applies advanced controls, electrical, networking, and problem-solving expertise to maintain safe, reliable production while leading improvements that affect quality, cost, delivery, responsiveness, and throughput. The successful candidate will work independently with minimal direction, exercise sound judgment on complex production and project issues, and influence decisions across Manufacturing Engineering, Manufacturing, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, IT, suppliers, and OEM partners. The engineer will also serve as a technical resource and mentor for less-experienced engineers and plant personnel.

What You’ll Do

Own the controls performance, reliability, and technical health of assigned manufacturing processes and equipment. Lead the diagnosis, containment, root-cause analysis, and permanent resolution of production, quality, safety, and equipment issues. Lead controls design and execution for new equipment, process changes, launches, retooling, and continuous-improvement projects from concept through plant acceptance and buyoff. Coordinate and provide technical direction to OEMs, system integrators, contractors, and suppliers; manage open issues through closure and verify that deliverables meet plant and GM requirements. Apply applicable GM controls, electrical, network, safety, cybersecurity, documentation, and software standards to new and legacy equipment. Integrate new technologies and plant-floor systems into existing architectures while protecting production uptime and maintainability. Use data-driven problem solving and continuous-improvement methods to improve OEE, downtime, cycle time, scrap, first-time quality, energy use, and operator safety. Develop standard work, technical documentation, training materials, backups, and lessons learned to improve repeatability and prevent recurrence. Mentor engineers, skilled trades, and cross-functional partners on controls troubleshooting, standards, and best practices. Provide production support across shifts, including off-shift, weekend, launch, and major-repair support as required by plant operations.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a related discipline; equivalent relevant experience may be considered. Five or more years of hands‑on experience with industrial automation, manufacturing controls, or plant-floor systems. Demonstrated experience independently owning complex controls problems and leading projects to completion. Strong electrical troubleshooting skills, including the ability to read schematics, troubleshoot control panels, and safely test industrial equipment. Strong programming, analytical, communication, and technical documentation skills. Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced production environment and make sound decisions under time pressure. Ability to lead through influence across multiple functions and manage competing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications / Competitive Edge

Proficiency with industrial networks and protocols, including EtherNet/IP, TCP/IP, PROFINET, and PROFIBUS. Experience with Rockwell ControlLogix or GuardLogix and Siemens S7-300/400 or related Siemens platforms. Experience with Rockwell FactoryTalk View and Siemens TIA Portal. Experience with Siemens G120/S120 drives and Rockwell PowerFlex/Kinetix motion and drive systems. Working knowledge of GM common controls architectures, templates, standards, and plant-floor systems. Experience with electrical design and documentation tools such as EPLAN, AutoCAD Electrical, or equivalent.

GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship, entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form, and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g., H1-B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc).

This role is categorized as onsite. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location on a full-time basis. The selected candidate will be required to travel <25% for this role. This job may be eligible for relocation benefits.

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