Engineer, Electrical at LAKE CABLE, LLC – Valparaiso, Indiana

Position Summary:

To design, deploy, and maintain the PLC/DCS-based control systems and their many ancillaries for plant machinery and assembly lines. To troubleshoot issues with related equipment and programs, replace/rebuild/supplement outdated machine electronics in pursuit of modern, standardized, and centralized control systems, and optimize machine operator effectiveness with the implementation of robust GUI/HMI displays.

Essential Functions:

• Troubleshoot issues with industrial equipment and programs as they arise.
• Design and assemble electrical enclosures (aka “panels” or “cabinets”) that fulfill operational and automation goals on a project-by-project basis. (This is the main function and varies considerably depending on each project.)
• Assist with determining design specifications of equipment for production lines involving engineering projects
• Produce full electrical schematics (CAD based: SolidWorks Electrical or equivalent) of deployed systems and update them accordingly based upon maintenance adjustments.
• Develop and perform an electronics/controls maintenance & upgrade program, to include planned life cycles, etc.

Knowledge:

• Trained to design and assemble industrial electronics (circuitry, PLCs, drives and motors, network devices, HMIs, etc.)
• Well versed in industrial design best-practices to promote robustness of installations in terms of their longevity and intended function (minimizing errors and edge cases, etc.)
• Ability to fully read, write, and understand electrical/mechanical drawings and device manuals
• Background in manufacturing methods and ability to apply and refine it to extrusion and cable assembly principles (as they relate to assembly line function and motion)
• Knowledge of advanced control theory preferred (Root Locus, La Place domain analysis of PID and lead/lag controllers, Full State LQR/LQG methods, etc.)
• Solid familiarity with industrial communications protocols (Modbus RTU/TCP, Ethernet/IP, Profinet, ASCII, OPC UA, MQTT/JSON)
• Some familiarity of coding languages is preferred (structured text, C#, RESTful APIs, SQL, etc.)

Additional Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to stay focused and productive on prioritized tasks while balancing a large task load
• Diligently detail-oriented and organized
• Ability to think creatively and practically and to effectively communicate ideas
• Driven to take independent initiative and ownership of projects while maintaining a strong level of cooperation with coworkers
• Ability to utilize Calculus and other advanced mathematical calculations and to quickly perform basic arithmetic and estimations in one’s head
• Ability to efficiently respond to equipment malfunctions and to proactively mitigate their occurrence
• Ability to demonstrate leadership and accountability during difficult/uncertain circumstances through composed, prompt, judicious, and decisive action
• Very proficient with design software and engineering packages, specifically: Rockwell Studio 5000, Siemens TIA Portal, Solidworks Electrical (or other) CAD software, utilities such as LTSpice, as well as advanced familiarity with more basic software like Microsoft Excel
• Ability to use an oscilloscope (correctly) to analyze or troubleshoot equipment signals and communications (including but not limited to the evaluation of harmonic distortions)
• 5S experience
• Understanding of calibration

Qualifications:

• B.S. in Engineering in Electrical Engineering
• 3+ years in an Electrical/Automation Engineer role - preferred