Senior Controls Engineer - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Mission Hires is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer on behalf of a custom automation company. This full-time, on-site role will lead the design, implementation, commissioning, and documentation of control systems for automated equipment. The Senior Controls Engineer will work closely with mechanical engineering, project management, and controls teams while mentoring junior engineers and supporting projects from concept through customer validation.

• Lead the design, implementation, and documentation of controls systems for automated equipment.
• Develop and support electrical, pneumatic, PLC, HMI, and robotic control solutions in accordance with project and customer specifications.
• Coordinate machine power-up, debugging, validation, and commissioning activities with project team members.
• Ensure equipment design and programming meet internal standards, customer requirements, project scope, schedule, and budget.
• Communicate project status, technical issues, machine changes, and risks across engineering and other internal departments.
• Provide technical input to the quoting process, including concepts, estimated engineering hours, and material costs.
• Mentor, coach, and train entry-level Controls Engineers to strengthen technical capability across the team.
• Complete assigned engineering work with minimal direct supervision while collaborating effectively with the Controls Engineering Manager and Senior Lead Controls Engineer.
• Travel domestically and internationally as needed to support installation, commissioning, debugging, and customer validation.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Automation, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent technical experience.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing controls systems for custom automated equipment.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD and electrical and pneumatic design.
• Hands-on experience with PLCs, HMIs, robotics, and related automation programming and design systems.
• Demonstrated machine debugging, power‑up, commissioning, and validation skills.
• Ability to interpret and deliver work against internal and external equipment specifications.
• Experience mentoring, coaching, or training less‑experienced engineers.
• Strong analytical, critical‑thinking, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision and collaborate effectively within a cross‑functional project team.
• Strong customer‑service mindset and professional communication skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally, typically up to 20% and potentially as high as 25% to 30% depending on project needs.
• Ability to work in an in‑office engineering environment; local candidates or candidates open to relocation are preferred.

• Opportunity to lead complex custom automation projects from design through commissioning.
• Meaningful mentorship and technical leadership responsibilities within a growing controls engineering team.
• Clear opportunities for career growth and internal advancement.
• Collaborative, engineering‑led culture with autonomy, trust, and hands‑on leadership support.
• Varied work environment combining office‑based development, lab work, and customer‑site commissioning.