Controls Engineer – Automation & Robotics (6 Openings)

Location: Elgin, IL (On-site)

Job Type: Direct Hire | Full-Time

Compensation: $95,000 – $150,000 (up to $160,000 for exceptional experience)

Benefits: Comprehensive benefits starting Day 1 (medical, dental, vision, 401k, stock programs, PTO, holidays)

About the Role

We are expanding our Automation Development team and are seeking Controls Engineers to support the design and build of highly advanced, custom automation and robotic equipment for autonomous vehicle production. This is a hands-on role focused on conceptual, in-house engineered systems—not repetitive builds or catalog automation.

Engineers in this group own projects end-to-end, from early concept and proof-of-principle through programming, debug, factory acceptance testing, and on-site integration. The current flagship project supports a next-generation autonomous vehicle platform, with the first production units already shipped.

This role is ideal for Controls Engineers coming from systems integrators or custom machine builders who enjoy variety, ownership, and technically challenging work.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, program, and debug PLC, HMI/SCADA, robotics, servo, and machine vision systems
• Develop control architectures for custom automation and robotic equipment
• Review electrical schematics and contribute to hardware and network architecture
• Perform system bring-up, debugging, validation, and factory acceptance testing
• Collaborate closely with mechanical engineers, assembly teams, and manufacturing
• Support equipment installation and integration at U.S. manufacturing facilities

Travel

• Typical travel averages 10–25% (historically fluctuates by project)
• Travel is limited to 4 U.S. manufacturing locations (California, Texas, Nevada)

Qualifications

• Experience in custom automation, robotics, or systems integration
• PLC programming experience ( Siemens preferred, Rockwell/Allen-Bradley also acceptable )
• Engineers proficient in Rockwell who are open to transitioning to Siemens are strongly encouraged to apply
• Experience with HMI/SCADA platforms (WinCC, Ignition, FactoryTalk, or similar)
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls, Mechatronics, Automation, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

• Work on fully conceptual, in-house designs with protected intellectual property
• Exposure to cutting-edge autonomous vehicle and robotics technology
• Projects that most automation houses and integrators never get access to
• Strong compensation, Day-1 benefits, and long-term growth potential
• Collaborative engineering culture with high technical standards and visibility