Controls & Automation Engineer
Engineering & Operations Department
Direct Reports:None
About the Position
The Controls & Automation Engineer is the technical backbone of Falk Panel USA's production floor. This role owns the programming, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of every PLC, HMI, CNC, and automated system running on the panel lines, and serves as the company's technical lead when new equipment comes into the plant.
This is a hands-on engineering role. AI tools are part of the everyday toolkit, not a separate initiative: used to move faster on documentation, catch problems earlier in the data, and free up more time for the hands-on work that actually needs a person.
Role Responsibilities
PLC & Controls Programming and Support
- Program, modify, and troubleshoot Siemens PLC and HMI systems (TIA Portal, S7-1200/1500, WinCC/Comfort Panels) across the panel lines, using AI-assisted code review and debugging tools where available to speed up fault-finding
- Maintain organized, backed-up, version-controlled copies of all machine programs and HMI projects
- Diagnose electrical, controls, and network faults (PROFINET/PROFIBUS, drives, servos, safety circuits) and support maintenance on downtime calls; apply anomaly-detection tools against drive and servo data to catch failures before they cause downtime
- Configure and tune VFDs, servo drives, and motion axes
Commissioning & New Equipment Onboarding
- Serve as the technical owner on the Falk side for new line installs, reviewing OEM electrical/controls designs, participating in FAT/SAT, and commissioning alongside the builder
- Integrate new machines into existing line control, safety, and data systems
- Build startup documentation, I/O lists, and operator/maintenance training for new equipment, using AI drafting tools for first drafts so more time goes to the floor and less to the paperwork
CNC Programming and Setup
- Program, set up, and optimize CNC equipment (G-code/CAM, tool offsets, fixturing, feeds and speeds); use CAM software's built-in optimization features where they improve on manual feeds and speeds
- Develop and maintain a library of part programs and setup sheets
Automation and Continuous Improvement
- Identify and lead automation projects that reduce manual handling, scrap, and changeover time
- Scope, justify (ROI), and implement robotics, vision, and material-handling automation, including working with integrators or building cells in-house, and including machine vision for defect detection and part inspection
- Connect machine data to Evocon and other plant systems (OPC UA, tags, downtime reason codes) so OEE and scrap data flow automatically rather than by hand, and use that data to spot patterns worth investigating before they show up as a bigger problem
Technology Awareness
- Stay current on industrial automation trends (cobots, machine vision, IIoT, predictive maintenance, MES integration), including where AI is showing up in each, and bring concrete proposals to leadership
- Manage relationships with Siemens, integrators, and OEM support
Safety and Standards
- Design and validate machine safeguarding and safety PLC logic to ANSI B11 / ISO 13849 / NFPA 79 standards
- Own risk assessments for new and modified equipment; drafting tools can speed up the paperwork, but final validation and sign-off stay with the engineer
Mission, Values & Customer Focus
- Partner with leadership to understand and support FALK's Mission and Values, and cascade that mission and those values throughout the FALK team, including actively educating and reinforcing the team's understanding of FALK's mission and values on an ongoing basis.
- Champion a customer-friendly and installer-friendly approach across the business, building FALK's reputation as the industry expert.
Qualifications
- 5+ years hands-on Siemens TIA Portal experience (S7-1500 preferred); Rockwell familiarity a plus
- CNC programming/setup experience; CAM software experience (Mastercam, Fusion, etc.)
- Robot programming experience (Fanuc, ABB, KUKA, or a cobot brand like Universal Robots)
- Can read and mark up electrical schematics; EPLAN or AutoCAD Electrical a plus
- Industrial networking (PROFINET, Ethernet/IP, OPC UA)
- Associate's or Bachelor's in electrical/controls/mechatronics, or equivalent experience
- Willing to travel for OEM commissioning, including internationally
- Comfortable adopting AI-assisted tools for code review, documentation, and data analysis is a plus not required on day one, training provided
