Controls Project Engineer - Lead (Milwaukee, Allen-Bradley PLC, 8+ yrs)

CONTROLS PROJECT ENGINEER

Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee metro) | Full-time, direct hire

Schedule: Salary plus | 45+ hours per week

Pay: $120K+ depending on experience

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

A custom factory automation builder with more than 80 years in business is adding a lead-level Controls Project Engineer. The company designs and builds custom automated assembly, welding, robotic, dispensing and integrated automation systems for manufacturers. This role reports to the Controls Engineering Manager and owns the controls side of assigned projects from concept through field commissioning and warranty.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

- Own control system performance and profitability for assigned projects: electrical, safety, pneumatics, hydraulics, water, welding, lubrication and programming

- Work with PLCs, HMIs, safety controllers, robots, servos, distributed I/O, welders, VFDs, vision, conveyors, material handling, dispensing, industrial networks, pneumatics and hydraulics

- Handle the full controls workflow: concept, risk assessment, design, schematics, component spec, safety evaluation, purchasing support, programming, assembly support, debug, safety validation and field commissioning

- Join progress and planning reviews with project management, mechanical engineering, assembly and service through design, build, start-up, commissioning and warranty

- Flag risk areas, long-lead items and cost impacts early and bring alternatives

- Coordinate vendors, suppliers, outside engineering firms and contract engineers

- Lead, mentor and support internal and contract controls engineers, assembly and service staff

- Drive continuous improvement of controls design and programming standards

WHAT YOU NEED

- 8+ years of custom automated equipment controls design, programming, debug, troubleshooting and support (assembly equipment experience preferred)

- AutoCAD required for controls schematics; AutoCAD Electrical or EPLAN a plus

- Strong electrical design: component spec and sizing, power distribution, load, SCCR and heat calculations, safety circuits, panel layouts, I/O, sensors, VFDs, servos, industrial networks (Ethernet/IP, CIP Safety, ProfiNet, PROFIsafe, IO-Link)

- Safety systems: safe distance calculations, safety categories, performance levels, risk assessment, SISTEMA, safety validation

- PLC and HMI: strong experience required, Allen-Bradley preferred, Siemens a plus

- Programmable safety, servos and VFDs: Allen-Bradley preferred, Siemens a plus

- Robot interface: Fanuc or Yaskawa/Motoman preferred, ABB or KUKA a plus

- Ladder logic strong; structured text, function block, SFC or Python a plus

- Some pneumatics experience required; hydraulics, welding (MIG, TIG, laser, resistance, plasma), lubrication, vision (Keyence, Cognex, DataLogic), SCADA/MES a plus

- Peripherals: RFID, laser marking, pin stampers, barcode readers, measurement systems, leak testers

- Must have served as lead controls engineer coordinating multiple engineers on a project

- Proven project budget and milestone management; direct customer and supplier experience required

- Microsoft Office including Project

- BSEE or similar preferred; related experience considered

BENEFITS

- 401(k) pension plan

- Medical, dental and vision

- Tuition reimbursement

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Engineering office and shop floor at a Milwaukee custom machine build facility, plus field commissioning at customer sites.