Senior Controls/Automation Engineer

Senior Controls Engineer

This is a player/coach position reporting directly to the CEO.

An established industrial automation firm is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer / Technical Lead to join its growing team. This role combines hands-on technical leadership with mentoring responsibilities, supporting a team of engineers through full-cycle controls design and implementation for custom automation systems.

The ideal candidate can program from scratch, and is able to integrate software and hardware. If you can program from a sequence of operations and solution design around a brand new piece of equipment, rather than from a pre-defined template – this is the Engineering team for you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and program control systems from scratch (PLC, HMI, instrumentation, and networking)
• Lead and mentor a team of 7–8 engineers and 1–2 support staff
• Identify team strengths and provide targeted training and development
• Support technical knowledge transfer through mentoring/training
• Participate in an on-call rotation to support 24/7 manufacturing customers
• Contribute to project planning and execution; ensure efficiency and client value
• Collaborate with leadership to improve team structure and process

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (required)
• Strong experience programming PLCs from the ground up (varied platforms)
• Proficient with DC drive systems, instrumentation, and industrial networking
• Comfortable with manufacturing test processes (EL MTR Test experience a plus)
• Leadership mindset; able to mentor while actively contributing to project work
• Clear communicator who understands timelines, billable hours, and customer value
• Team-oriented with a direct, results-driven approach
• Located in or willing to relocate to Northwest Indiana (Merrillville / Westchester area preferred)

Opportunity:

• Clear path to advancement into leadership or management
• Opportunity to help shape technical and organizational direction

Hiring Process:

• On-site interview with key team members
• Technical programming test
• Response within one week

If you’re a technically skilled engineer who thrives in a fast-paced, no-nonsense environment and enjoys building up others while driving, we want to hear from you.