Manufacturing Controls Engineer in Novi

Job DescriptionJob Description

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Automation & Controls Development 

• Design, program, and troubleshoot PLC-based control systems for automated manufacturing equipment. 

• Develop and maintain control logic using platforms such as Rockwell (Allen Bradley), Siemens, or similar PLC systems. 

• Configure HMI / SCADA systems for machine monitoring, diagnostics, and operator interface. 

• Develop and maintain automated production data collection, reporting, and diagnostic tools to support manufacturing performance. 

• Support manufacturing execution systems (MES), production traceability, and automation interfaces between PLCs and enterprise systems. 

• Integrate, troubleshoot, and optimize robotics, vision systems, and automated material handling equipment for high-volume production environments. 

Equipment Integration & Commissioning 

• Lead controls design, installation, and commissioning of new manufacturing equipment. 

• Collaborate with equipment vendors and integrators during factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT). 

• Develop controls standards and documentation for plant automation systems. 

Manufacturing Support 

• Provide technical troubleshooting support for production equipment downtime related to controls, sensors, drives, vision, PLC, robotics, and automation. 

• Work closely with maintenance and production teams to diagnose, resolve, and improve automation system performance.  

• Optimize control strategies to improve cycle time, reliability, and equipment uptime. 

Safety & Compliance 

• Design and validate machine safety systems including safety PLCs, interlocks, emergency stops, and safeguarding systems. 

• Ensure equipment complies with OSHA, NFPA, and relevant machine safety standards. 

• Support high-voltage and lithium-ion manufacturing safety requirements. 

Process Optimization 

• Analyze equipment performance data to identify automation improvements and efficiency gains. 

• Implement process automation improvements to increase throughput and reduce scrap. 

• Support continuous improvement initiatives and plant automation roadmaps. 

• Lead root cause investigations for automation-related production issues and implement sustainable corrective actions. 

Documentation & Standards 

• Support, maintain, and enforce plant automation standards including programming architecture, documentation, naming conventions, and commissioning procedures 

• Maintain detailed documentation including: 

• PLC/HMI code change management revisions 

• Open issues management 

• Automation standardization 

• Electrical schematics redlines 

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education   

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Mechatronics, or Automation Engineering

Experience 

• 5+ years of controls engineering experience in a manufacturing environment 
• Experience supporting automated production lines or industrial equipment 
• Experience with PLC programming, Robotics, and industrial automation systems 

Technical Skills:  

• PLC programming 

• Allen Bradley (Studio 5000 / RSLogix) 

• Siemens (TIA Portal) 

• HMI/SCADA systems 

• Industrial networking (Ethernet/IP, Profinet, IO-link, Modbus, OPC) 

• Servo systems and VFD drives 

• Robotics integration (Fanuc, ABB, Kuka, or similar) 

• Machine vision systems (Keyence, Cognex) 

• Electrical schematics and panel design 

• Industrial sensors and instrumentation 

Experience  

• EV battery, Automotive, Lithium-ion, Semiconductor, or High-tech manufacturing 

• Dry-room or clean-room manufacturing environments 

• High-speed automated production lines 
• Safety PLCs and machine safety standards (ISO 13849 / NFPA) 
• Automation troubleshooting and problem solving 
• Systems integration and commissioning 
• Cross-functional collaboration 
• Continuous improvement mindset 
• Strong technical documentation skills