Electrical Controls Engineer

Description

Job Title: Electrical Controls Engineer

Location: Meadville, PA

Employment Type: Direct Hire

Industry: Industrial Machinery

Compensation: $80,000 to $120,000K, DOE

Schedule: 40-hours, Monday-Friday with 10% travel

This role designs and programs complex industrial control systems for furnace equipment, including creating electrical schematics, developing PLC/HMI/SCADA systems, and ensuring everything works through testing and troubleshooting. It also involves leading project teams and supporting equipment in the field through installation, training, and startup of large capital systems.

Supportive, team-driven culture that values collaboration, transparency, and accountability

Opportunity to grow your career with a global workforce solutions leader serving multiple industries

People-first environment that encourages employees to bring their authentic selves to work

Strong focus on partnership, innovation, and delivering meaningful results for clients and candidates

This role offers the chance to join a company that prioritizes both people and performance—where your contributions directly impact client success while giving you room to grow and develop professionally.

Acara is a premier recruiting and workforce solutions provider—we help companies compete for talent. With a legacy of experience in various industries worldwide, we partner with clients, listen to their needs, and customize visionary talent solutions that drive desired business outcomes. We leverage decades of experience to deliver contingent staffing, direct placement, executive search, and workforce services worldwide.

• Design and/or approve detailed control system designs, including design changes, specifications, and drawing releases, ensuring compliance with engineering standards, company requirements, and customer contract specifications.
• Develop PLC programming and HMI interface screens/code for complex industrial control systems.
• Lead and execute equipment commissioning, startup, and testing at both the factory and customer sites, ensuring systems meet performance requirements across mechanical, electrical, and process functions.
• Participate in and lead design reviews, incorporating feedback from customers, vendors, engineering teams, designers, and operations to align with project requirements.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, including test procedures, design specifications, field reports, operating and maintenance manuals, proposals, and customer deliverables.
• Track and communicate project milestones, adjusting schedules as needed to support delivery timelines.
• Support shop inspection of control panels and furnace systems to ensure quality and compliance.
• Provide technical support to field service teams and customers (domestic and international), including installation oversight, startup support, and equipment operation guidance.

• Bachelor s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Mechatronics Engineering, or a related field preferred. A two-year technical degree or equivalent military/trade school training with relevant experience will also be considered.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience as an Electrical Engineer, Controls Engineer, Project Engineer, or in a similar role, preferably supporting industrial control systems for capital equipment such as furnaces, material handling systems, or related machinery.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience programming PLCs using RSLogix 5000 or Studio 5000 (or equivalent platforms); experience with Siemens S7/TIA Portal is a plus.
• Minimum of 1 year of experience developing HMI/SCADA applications using platforms such as Wonderware, WinCC, Factory Talk, Ignition, or similar systems.
• Demonstrated experience designing, validating, and troubleshooting complex control systems, including safety interlocks and interlock logic.
• Working knowledge of industrial communication protocols and networks such as Ether Net/IP, Modbus, Profinet, CIP, and IO-Link.
• Experience using electrical design tools such as Solid Works Electrical, AutoCAD Electrical, or equivalent software.
• Experience with variable frequency drives (VFDs) and silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) control systems.
• Exposure to electro-hydraulic control systems is a plus.
• Ability to perform component-level troubleshooting and repair of industrial heat treatment systems.

Applicants for this position must be legally authorized to work in the United States. This position does not meet the employment requirements for individuals with F-1 OPT STEM work authorization status. Aleron companies (Acara Solutions, Aleron Shared Resources, Broadleaf Results, Lume Strategies, Talent Rise, Viaduct) are an Equal Opportunity Employer. Race/Color/Gender/Religion/National Origin/Disability/Veteran.