Provide electrical, controls, automation, and machine-safety engineering support for manufacturing operations and new product launches. This role designs, develops, commissions, and improves control systems and automated equipment to enhance safety, quality, reliability, productivity, and customer satisfaction. The Controls Engineer also leads continuous-improvement initiatives, supports equipment investment and installation, and serves as a technical resource to manufacturing teams and technicians.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Controls and Automation Engineering
- Design, develop, program, and improve PLC, HMI, and SCADA applications for manufacturing equipment and processes.
- Develop and maintain electrical schematics, control-panel layouts, wiring diagrams, system configurations, operating procedures, troubleshooting guides, and training materials.
- Integrate and support sensors, actuators, motors, machine-vision systems, industrial networks, robotics, and related automation technologies.
- Lead automation and digitalization initiatives involving collaborative robots, autonomous mobile robots, Industrial Internet of Things technologies, advanced process analysis, and predictive maintenance.
- Research and implement control-system, processing, and machine-safety best practices consistent with plant standards and control policies.
Equipment Launch, Commissioning, and Support
- Support equipment design reviews, selection, quotation, installation, commissioning, debugging, testing, and production launch activities.
- Coordinate manufacturing technicians, suppliers, contractors, and cross-functional partners during new-equipment installations, upgrades, and product launches.
- Travel to supplier locations as needed for equipment inspections, acceptance testing, installations, and launch support.
- Diagnose control and equipment issues and coordinate maintenance, repairs, calibration, modifications, and restoration of production capability.
- Evaluate and justify new equipment and process investments, coordinate implementation, and support tracking of tooling and appropriation-request expenditures.
Manufacturing Quality and Continuous Improvement
- Analyze engineering specifications and manufacturing processes to create/develop test plans, automated test tools, and verification of equipment.
- Support end-of-line (EOL) test systems and validate product performance against customer requirements.
- Investigate product and process quality issues, identify root causes, and validate corrective actions through documented testing and analysis.
- Plan and perform process studies, design of experiments, capability evaluations, and other technical analyses.
- Partner with manufacturing and product engineering teams to improve equipment safety, quality, capability, utilization, reliability, and cost performance.
- Support new product introductions, current-product changes, and continuous-improvement projects.
Technical Leadership, Documentation, and Safety
- Provide technical direction, training, and support to technicians, manufacturing teams, peers, and new team members.
- Prepare and deliver technical presentations to customers, employees, and management, and coordinate outside contract projects.
- Establish and maintain effective equipment, process, and control-system documentation.
- Develop work procedures that reduce operational risk, train employees on those procedures, and support consistent application.
- Support workplace inspections, incident investigations, root-cause corrective actions, safety meetings, training, and timely closure of identified safety issues.
- Comply with applicable safety standards, industry regulations, company policies, and standard manufacturing practices.
- Participate in cross-functional teams, including Production Teams and AQP Steering Committee activities, to achieve safety, quality, launch, and continuous-improvement objectives.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelor’s degree in Controls Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Automation Engineering, Robotics or related technical field from a four-year college or university.
- 3+ years of experience in Industrial Automation, Controls, or Manufacturing Engineering (Internships or Co-Op experience included).
- Ability to travel with minimal notification may arise for 5-10%.
KEY JOB SKILLS/EXPERIENCE:
- PLC programming and troubleshooting experience with Siemens and/or Allen-Bradley platforms.
- Experience developing or supporting HMI and SCADA applications; Ignition experience preferred.
- Experience with machine-vision systems such as Cognex or Keyence.
- Working knowledge of industrial robots, including Fanuc, ABB, KUKA, or similar platforms.
- Knowledge of electrical circuits, control-panel design, and the ability to read and interpret electrical schematics.
- Knowledge of industrial communication protocols and networks, including Ethernet/IP, Modbus, and Profinet.
- Familiarity with industrial digitalization, IIoT concepts, and data-driven process monitoring.
- Programming or data-query experience using SQL, Python, C++, ladder logic, or comparable languages.
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Effective communication, collaboration, project coordination, and technical-documentation skills.
- Ability to learn and apply new automation, controls, robotics, and manufacturing technologies.
For a listing of Dixon openings:
Pay & Benefits
Annual Salary Range: $ 70,400 - $ 96,800
Benefit info:
Some of the benefits highlights below for all fulltime employees:
- Day 1 Medical Coverage with potential of no monthly premium
- Onsite Health Clinic for employees and dependents (age 14 and over) at no cost
- Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, and Disability Coverage
- Tuition Reimbursement Program after 18 months
- Retirement Savings Plan (401k) with a matching program
- Company paid holidays and vacation starting Day 1
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Internal Use Only: Salary
