Job Requirements What You will Do:Recognized as the organization's primary Controls Engineering SME, providing technical direction, governance, and decision-making authority for complex automation systems while ensuring engineering excellence, operational reliability, and continuous improvement across the enterprise.
Technical Leadership & Architecture- Serve as the technical authority for controls system architecture, establishing standards, design principles, and best practices across projects and programs.
- Lead the development and review of control system architectures, ensuring scalability, reliability, maintainability, cybersecurity, and compliance with company and industry standards.
- Define and govern reusable engineering frameworks, software libraries, templates, and design methodologies to improve consistency and reduce project risk.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend strategic adoption plans to enhance system performance, lifecycle supportability, and operational efficiency.
Design Reviews & Technical Governance- Chair and participate in formal design reviews, code reviews, risk assessments, and technical audits for complex controls, automation, and integration projects.
- Establish engineering governance processes, ensuring adherence to design standards, documentation requirements, cybersecurity policies, and safety regulations.
- Review and approve critical technical deliverables, including electrical designs, control narratives, PLC/HMI/SCADA software architectures, network topologies, and commissioning plans.
- Identify technical risks early in the project lifecycle and develop mitigation strategies to ensure successful project execution.
SME Consultation & Escalation Support- Act as the highest level of technical escalation for complex system issues, startup challenges, production disruptions, and customer-critical events.
- Lead root cause investigations for significant operational, quality, reliability, or safety incidents and drive implementation of corrective and preventive actions.
- Provide expert guidance to project teams, operations, maintenance, customers, and leadership on complex controls and automation challenges.
- Support field commissioning and troubleshooting efforts for high-impact or technically challenging installations when escalated beyond standard engineering support channels.
Mentoring & Capability Development- Mentor and coach Controls Engineers, System Integrators, and Technicians, fostering technical growth and knowledge transfer across the organization.
- Lead technical training programs, workshops, and lessons-learned reviews to strengthen organizational engineering capabilities.
- Guide engineers in system design, software development, troubleshooting methodologies, and engineering best practices.
- Support technical career development by providing design feedback, peer reviews, and subject matter expertise across multiple projects.
Cross-Functional & Strategic Influence- Partner with engineering leadership to define long-term automation strategies, technical roadmaps, and engineering standards.
- Collaborate with manufacturing, operations, quality, maintenance, IT, and cybersecurity teams to ensure alignment of automation solutions with business objectives.
- Represent the organization as a technical SME during customer meetings, technical reviews, factory acceptance tests (FATs), and industry engagements.
What You Will Bring:Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, Automation Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- 10+ years of experience designing, implementing, commissioning, and supporting industrial automation and control systems.
- Proven expertise with PLC, HMI, SCADA, motion control, industrial networking, and system integration technologies.
- Advanced knowledge of platforms such as Rockwell Automation (Studio 5000, FactoryTalk), Siemens (TIA Portal, WinCC), or equivalent controls technologies.
- Demonstrated experience developing controls architectures, engineering standards, reusable design templates, and best practices across multiple projects or facilities.
- Strong understanding of industrial communication protocols including EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP/IP, OPC UA, and related networking technologies.
- Experience leading design reviews, technical risk assessments, code reviews, and engineering governance activities.
- Proven ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex controls, automation, and integration issues in production, commissioning, or customer environments.
- Experience leading root-cause analysis investigations and implementing sustainable corrective actions.
- Strong understanding of electrical design principles, control panel standards, instrumentation, safety systems, and industrial documentation practices.
- Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and technicians while providing technical leadership across cross-functional teams.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to engineering, operations, maintenance, customers, and leadership teams
Pay Range: $100,000-130,000/year
Compensation decisions are made based on factors including experience, skills, education, and other job-related factors, in accordance with our internal pay structure. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, paid time off, and retirement plan.
Work Requirements:- This role is considered an on-site position located in Grand Rapids, MI
- You must be able to commute to and from the location with your own transportation arrangements to meet the required working hours.
- Ability to work while adhering to PPE requirements.
- Physical ability to navigate around equipment in distribution centers, including bending, crouching, and reaching.
- Comfortable navigating ladders and multi-story steel stairways.
- Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds of tools/equipment.
- Capable of standing and navigating on concrete surfaces for extended periods, including walking long distances.
- Proficiency in utilizing small hand tools for work performed.
- Adaptability to work in various temperature conditions, ranging from freezer to high temperatures, and near hot surfaces and moving equipment.
Travel Requirements:50% of travel is required
Work Experience Preferred Qualifications- Experience with material handling systems, automated warehousing, robotics, AGVs/AMRs, cranes, conveyor systems, or high-speed manufacturing automation.
- Functional Safety expertise, including safety PLCs, machine safeguarding, risk assessments, and applicable standards (ISO 13849, IEC 62061, IEC 61508).
- Knowledge of industrial cybersecurity standards and best practices, including IEC 62443.
- Experience supporting Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), startup, commissioning, and operational readiness activities.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license, TÜV Functional Safety certification, PMP, or other relevant industry certifications.
- Experience serving as the primary technical escalation point for critical operational or customer-impacting issues.
- Demonstrated success influencing engineering strategy, technology roadmaps, and continuous improvement initiatives across an organization.
SME Leadership Attributes- Recognized subject matter expert with the ability to provide technical direction and make sound engineering decisions on complex automation challenges.
- Capable of balancing technical excellence, project execution, operational reliability, and long-term maintainability.
- Passionate about mentoring others, driving engineering standards, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
- Trusted advisor to engineering leadership, project teams, operations, maintenance, and customers on controls and automation strategy.
Benefits • 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Vision insurance
• Short/Long Term Disability
