Controls Software Engineer

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Astec is a global, environmentally focused infrastructure and manufacturing company of asphalt road building and aggregate processing. Our mission is to design and build the most innovative products for the industries we serve. Leveraging innovative solutions and technologies, we serve customers all over the world.

At Astec, we are building a world class electrical and software engineering team. A team that values free thought for innovative idea generation and disciplined engineering for the realization of those ideas to drive solutions for our customers. By freeing our creative minds, we bring solutions our customers haven’t even realized they need yet. Through disciplined engineering we ensure the solutions we provide are effective, simple to use, reliable, and cost effective.

The Controls Software Engineer will be a part of a dynamic team of engineers working on the development of control/automation code for heavy construction equipment, ranging from road pavers, road mills, rock crushers, wood chippers, etc. The engineer will be involved in the creation of product requirements, decomposition to software requirements, structured software decomposition, code development, software design reviews, and software unit and integration testing.

The engineer will move from project to project as required and may be working on multiple projects within a given timeframe. All project work will be scheduled by the New Product Development Manager(s) and the Continuous Improvement Manager(s) such that the engineer will not be over allocated but will have definite deadlines and visibility into upcoming work.

Software will be developed on PLCs, embedded controllers, and HMI displays. Some legacy systems are coded in Ladder Logic, but all new systems will be coded in either Code Sys or C/C++. The Control Software Engineer will work with the Electrical Engineer(s) on a project to map I/O, define necessary configurations, understand sensor input requirements as well as device output drive requirements.

The Control Software Engineer will work cooperatively with the Electrical Engineer(s) and the Mechanical Engineer(s) to develop the appropriate control algorithms to produce the equipment functionality required by the customer and Product Management.

The Control Software Engineer will also work with other cross‑functional teams, including but not limited to sales, manufacturing, purchasing, and service to ensure the successful completion of projects and launch of equipment.

Controls Software Engineer may at times be asked to travel for project testing and system integration testing, as well as to develop business relationships with customers, dealers, and suppliers. They may also participate in product focus groups to gain critical customer application and design suggestions to assist in the development of product lines.

• Use structured systems engineering approach for the development of the software used to control heavy construction equipment.
• Uses knowledge of process automation techniques to advance the simplicity of operation and troubleshooting of equipment to maximize productivity by enhancing operator functionality and the minimization of equipment downtime.
• Uses structured software design techniques to distill product requirements into a product software specification, product software design, and product software test plan and creates the corresponding documents.
• Completes the controller/PLC programming and the HMI screen programming for product projects based on the software design.
• Performs unit testing and integration testing of all controller/PLC/HMI systems to insure performance and realization of all product requirements.
• Develops the software test plans for new designs and changes to existing designs, and coordinates the testing and validation using these plans.
• Contributes to the development of product documentation, including production work instructions, training manuals, troubleshooting guides, and product test plans.
• Identifies improvement opportunities and enhancements for product enhancements and/or cost reductions.
• Contributes…