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Lead Automation Controls Engineer – Ground-Up PLC/HMI Development

Manufacturing

Germantown, WI

$110,000

Location: Germantown, WI | Schedule: Full-time, on-site with 25%–50% domestic travel | Compensation: Up to $110,000 base salary + profit sharing

Overview

A fast-growing systems integration firm that has doubled its footprint year-over-year is seeking a Lead Automation Controls Engineer to build custom PLC/HMI solutions from the ground up. This is a hands-on role for an engineer who wants full ownership of projects from design through on-site commissioning, working on everything from sortation networks to robotic welding cells and multi-axis servo systems.

What you'll do

  • Architect ground-up PLC programs and HMI interfaces for automated machinery, robotic cells, and sorting systems using Studio 5000 and FactoryTalk View
  • Integrate operator interfaces and build enterprise-level data tracking using Visual Studio, C#, and relational databases
  • Review and validate electrical panel layouts and control schematics in AutoCAD against Bills of Materials (BOMs) and safety standards
  • Set up, calibrate, and troubleshoot EtherNet/IP communications, multi-axis servo drives, machine vision systems, and safety PLCs
  • Serve as the primary technical authority during client field commissioning, supervising installations and executing final system sign-offs

Required qualifications

  • 2+ years of professional experience designing, building, and programming controls software from scratch using Rockwell / Allen-Bradley platforms (Studio 5000 / RSLogix)
  • Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Automation Technology, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related technical discipline
  • Willingness to travel domestically 25%–50% for commissioning, with guaranteed weekend comp days
  • Demonstrated career stability, accountability, and long-term tenure with prior engineering teams
  • Residence within a 45-minute commute of the Greater Milwaukee / Washington County area
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder

Preferred qualifications

  • Hands-on setup of multi-axis servo motion systems or industrial vision platforms (Cognex, Keyence)
  • High-level programming fluency in C#, VB.NET, or SQL database structures
  • Direct experience teaching, programming, or integrating FANUC or similar industrial robotics

Compensation and benefits

  • Up to $110,000 starting base salary, calibrated for Junior, Mid, and Senior experience depth
  • Profit sharing
  • Comprehensive corporate benefits package
  • Guaranteed, immediate comp days for weekend startup work

Why this role

This role offers full ownership of custom automation projects from design through startup, with a strictly enforced travel-balancing policy that guarantees comp time for weekend field work and a zero-bureaucracy engineering culture with direct access to project leadership.

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