CONTROLS ENGINEER II
Timesavers LLC – Maple Grove, MN
Full-Time | First Shift | On-Site
Salary: $85,000–$105,000 annually, DOQE
Reports To: Engineering Manager
Join the Timesavers Team
Timesavers LLC is looking for a Controls Engineer II to join our Engineering team in Maple Grove, Minnesota.
Timesavers designs and manufactures industrial sanding, deburring, finishing, and material-processing equipment for customers throughout North America and around the world. This position is an excellent opportunity for controls engineer who enjoys the complete equipment-development process—from designing and programming controls to getting hands-on with the machine during startup, testing, and troubleshooting.
As a Controls Engineer II, you will design, develop, program, test, and support electrical control systems for our industrial machinery. You will work closely with Mechanical Engineering, Product Development, Manufacturing, Electrical Assembly, and Service to develop reliable, safe, and user-friendly equipment.
We are looking for someone with strong experience in either Rockwell Automation / Allen-Bradley OR Siemens PLC and HMI platforms. You do not need to be an expert in both. Experience with both platforms is a plus.
What You'll Do
- Design and develop electrical control systems for new and existing industrial machinery.
- Develop, modify, document, and troubleshoot PLC programs.
- Develop and maintain HMI applications for machine operation, diagnostics, alarms, and system status.
- Program and configure VFDs, motor controls, sensors, safety systems, and other automation components.
- Develop machine control architecture including PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, motors, sensors, I/O systems, safety devices, and industrial networks.
- Create and maintain electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, I/O lists, and controls documentation.
- Participate in machine startup, commissioning, testing, and validation on the manufacturing floor.
- Troubleshoot electrical, controls, software, communication, and machine-performance issues.
- Work directly with Electrical Assemblers and Manufacturing personnel to resolve controls and wiring issues during machine builds.
- Support factory acceptance testing and ensure controls-related issues are resolved prior to shipment.
- Collaborate with Mechanical and Product Development Engineers on new products and machine-platform improvements.
- Support redesign and modernization of existing control systems and legacy equipment.
- Identify opportunities to improve machine performance, reliability, safety, serviceability, and ease of operation.
- Provide technical support to Manufacturing, Service, and customers.
- Occasionally support customer installations, machine startups, commissioning, and troubleshooting in the field.
What We're Looking For
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, or a related discipline preferred.
- An associate degree in a related technical field combined with significant relevant controls experience may also be considered.
- 3–5+ years of controls engineering, industrial automation, or related experience preferred.
- Experience with industrial machinery, automated equipment, OEM capital equipment, or similar manufacturing systems strongly preferred.
- Strong PLC programming and troubleshooting skills.
- Experience developing and configuring HMIs.
- Knowledge of VFDs, AC motors, sensors, I/O systems, machine safety, and industrial communications.
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and technical drawings.
- Strong machine startup, commissioning, and troubleshooting skills.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with Engineering, Manufacturing, Electrical Assembly, and Service.
- Comfortable working both at a computer and hands-on with equipment on the manufacturing floor.
Controls Experience – Allen-Bradley OR Siemens
We are seeking candidates with strong experience in at least one of the following controls platforms:
Rockwell Automation / Allen-Bradley
- ControlLogix and/or CompactLogix PLCs
- Studio 5000 / Logix Designer
- FactoryTalk HMI applications
- Allen-Bradley VFDs and related controls hardware
- EtherNet/IP communications
OR – Siemens
- SIMATIC S7 PLCs, including S7-1200 and/or S7-1500
- Siemens TIA Portal
- Siemens HMI / WinCC applications
- Siemens drives and related controls hardware
- PROFINET communications
Experience with both Rockwell/Allen-Bradley and Siemens is a plus, but it is not required. Candidates who are highly proficient with one platform and willing to learn the other are encouraged to apply.
Preferred Experience
- Custom industrial machinery or OEM capital equipment
- Machine safety systems and safety PLC concepts
- Electrical control-panel design
- Machine commissioning and factory acceptance testing
- Integrated electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, and controls troubleshooting
- Industrial communication networks including EtherNet/IP and PROFINET
- Servo and motion-control systems
- Working directly with manufacturing and electrical assembly teams
- Supporting installed equipment and field-service technicians
Benefits
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Health Savings Account (HSA)
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Paid holidays
- Company-paid and voluntary insurance benefits
- Short-Term and Long-Term Disability benefits
- Life and AD&D insurance
- Professional development and training opportunities
- Stable, full-time employment with an established industrial equipment manufacturer
- Hands-on engineering environment where you can see your designs and programs come to life on actual equipment
Physical Requirements
- Ability to alternate between sitting, standing, and walking throughout the workday.
- Regular use of a computer and engineering/programming equipment.
- Ability to work in and around industrial machinery during programming, startup, and troubleshooting.
- Occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, and climb steps or ladders to access equipment.
- Ability to occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds.
- Ability to wear required PPE, including safety glasses, hearing protection, and safety footwear.
Work Environment
This position works in both an engineering office and industrial manufacturing environment. Regularly spend time on the production floor programming, testing, commissioning, and troubleshooting industrial equipment.
This is an ideal opportunity for an engineer who enjoys more than sitting behind a desk. You'll have the opportunity to design the controls, write the program, see the machine being built, and work directly with the equipment to make it perform.
Apply Today
If you have strong industrial controls experience with Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation or Siemens and enjoy solving real-world engineering and automation challenges, we would like to hear from you.
Timesavers LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
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