Controls Engineer in Sterling Heights, Michigan at Serve Electric
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Job Description
Controls Engineer at Serve Electric in Sterling Heights, MI
*MUST BE LOCAL TO MICHIGAN*
Position Summary
Serve Electric is seeking a Controls Engineer to support industrial automation projects from concept through commissioning and service support. This position is responsible for PLC/HMI programming, control system design, startup, troubleshooting, and customer support across a variety of industries including food & beverage, manufacturing, material handling, and process systems.
The ideal candidate is self-motivated, technically competent, customer-focused, and capable of managing multiple projects while maintaining high-quality engineering standards.
Responsibilities
Controls & Automation Engineering:
- Design and develop industrial control systems
- Program and troubleshoot:
- Allen-Bradley PLCs (MicroLogix, CompactLogix, ControlLogix)
- FactoryTalk View SE/ME
- Studio 5000
- Migration of
- Ignition SCADA systems
- Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
- Servo systems and motion control
- External devices calibration or troubleshooting such as sensors, flow meters, level sensors, temperature sensing etc.
- Develop PLC and HMI software from functional specifications
- Configure industrial Ethernet networks and communication protocols
- Integrate third-party equipment and OEM machinery
Electrical Design:
- Develop and review electrical schematics using AutoCAD Electrical or EPLAN
- Specify electrical components and generate bill of materials
- Support UL 508A control panel design and construction
Project Execution:
- Participate in project kickoff meetings and customer design reviews
- Perform system testing and validation
- Execute startup and commissioning activities at customer facilities.
- Create documentation including:
- Functional specifications
- Sequence of operations
- IO lists
- Network architecture drawings
- Startup reports
Service & Troubleshooting:
- Provide remote and onsite technical support
- Diagnose electrical, controls, and communication issues
- Assist customers with process improvements and system optimization
- Respond to service calls as required
Customer Relations:
- Maintain professional communication with customers
- Identify opportunities for additional automation improvements
- Support project managers in maintaining project schedules and budgets
Qualifications
Required:
- Associate or bachelor’s Degree in: Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, or related technical field
- 5+ years of industrial controls experience
- Experience programming Allen-Bradley PLC systems
- Experience with industrial networking
- Solid understanding of electrical AC/Dc theory
- Safe lockout/tagout (LOTO) practices
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics
- Strong troubleshooting skills
- Experienced in using multimeter on electrical circuits such as 24VDC, 120VAC, and 480VAC systems
- Valid driver's license and ability to travel
Preferred:
- Experience with:
- Ignition SCADA
- SQL Databases
- Ethernet/IP
- Modbus TCP/IP
- DeviceNet
- Servo and motion control systems
- AutoCAD Electrical or EPLAN experience
- UL 508A familiarity
- Food & Beverage manufacturing experience
Nice to have:
- Robotics integration experience
- TIA Portal (Siemens) or C-More HMI experience
- Familiarity with Profinet, ProfiB, or DeviceNet protocols
- Prior experience in an industrial or manufacturing environment
Travel Requirements:
- Willing and able to travel approximately 25% of the time to project sites across the US
- Mix of local, regional, and occasional overnight travel
- Commissioning and startup support at customer facilities
Desired:
- Self-starter who works with minimal supervision
- Strong organizational and communication skills
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Customer-focused mindset
- Professional appearance and conduct
- Willingness to learn new technologies and processes
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive Pay: $45-$55 per hour based on experience
- Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid Time Off
- Company laptop and cell phone
- Professional training and development opportunities
About Serve Electric
At Serve Electric, we provide automation, controls engineering, UL 508A panel fabrication, field installation, startup, and service support for industrial customers throughout the Midwest. Our team delivers complete turnkey automation solutions ranging from small machine upgrades to large-scale manufacturing and process control systems.