Sr. Lead Controls Engineer

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Position Overview

International of Alabama is seeking a highly skilled Senior Lead Controls Engineer to play a critical role in supporting and advancing our T14 Transmission operations. This role serves as a technical leader and key liaison between engineering, maintenance, and production teams, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient manufacturing performance.

The Senior Lead Controls Engineer will provide hands-on day-to-day production support while driving continuous improvement initiatives across controls, automation, and electrical systems. This includes the design, implementation, optimization, and troubleshooting of PLC- and HMI-based control systems, as well as oversight of industrial networks and power distribution supporting current and future assembly lines.

In this role, you will lead controls-related projects from concept through commissioning, influence equipment standards, and mentor junior engineers and technicians. You will partner closely with cross-functional stakeholders to resolve complex technical issues, reduce downtime, improve throughput, and enhance system robustness in a high-volume manufacturing environment. This position requires a balance of strategic thinking, hands-on technical expertise, and strong communication skills to support production targets and long-term operational excellence.

The Huntsville facility runs a 4x10 production schedule (Mon-Thurs, 6:30AM - 5:00PM).

Responsibilities

* Lead controls strategies and solutions that maximize uptime, throughput, and first‑time‑through quality across automated engine and transmission assembly lines.

* Serve as the primary controls escalation point for powertrain operations, delivering cross‑functional troubleshooting for issues impacting safety, torque accuracy, traceability, and line performance.

* Design, program, and standardize Siemens‑based control systems (PLC, HMI, SCADA) for new launches, line upgrades, and continuous improvement initiatives.

* Diagnose and resolve complex automation issues involving motion, safety systems, and industrial networks (Profinet/Profibus), applying root‑cause analysis to prevent recurrence and reduce downtime.

* Oversee controls integration activities, including equipment installation, commissioning, upgrades, and long‑term system support within high‑volume automotive environments.

* Evaluate and select automation and electrical equipment to meet automotive performance, reliability, lifecycle cost, and manufacturing standards.

* Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers, technicians, maintenance, and process teams while maintaining robust controls documentation and OEM technical compliance.

Minimum Requirements

* Bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of product manufacturing experience

* At least 1 years of lead experience

OR

* Master's degree and at least 3 years of product manufacturing experience

* At least 1 years of lead experience

OR

* At least 8 years of product manufacturing experience

* At least 1 years of lead experience

Additional Requirements

* Qualified candidates, excluding current employees, must be legally authorized on an unrestricted basis (US Citizen, Legal Permanent Resident, Refugee or Asylee) to be employed in the United States. We do not anticipate providing employment related work sponsorship for this position (e.g., H-1B status)

Desired Skills

* Hands‑on experience with PLC programming across major platforms such as Allen‑Bradley and Siemens, including system modification and troubleshooting.

* Working knowledge of HMI and SCADA systems for monitoring, control, and diagnostics in automated manufacturing environments.

* Experience with industrial robotics (FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Yaskawa), including setup, teaching, integration, and troubleshooting.

* Strong troubleshooting and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to work independently in fast‑paced production settings.

* Experience with vision systems (e.g., FANUC iRVision, Keyence, Cognex) supporting inspection, verification, and poka‑yoke applications.

* Exposure to manufacturing data systems, including SQL databases, MES controls (preferred), and integration with automation platforms.

* Familiarity with factory…