Manufacturing Data & Controls Systems Engineer/Onsite/Normal, IL
Listed on 2026-07-19
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Trades / Skilled Labor
Automation & Mechatronics Engineer
Our client, a leader in EV automotive technology, is hiring for a contract Manufacturing Data & Controls Systems Engineer. This is an onsite position in Normal, Illinois.
This role will lead data cleanup, optimization, and KPI alignment initiatives within key manufacturing operations. This role will focus on improving the quality, accuracy, and reliability of manufacturing data streams across General Assembly production lines by eliminating data noise, optimizing PLC-to-SCADA communications, and establishing accurate performance metrics.
The successful candidate will work closely with manufacturing and controls engineering leads to improve operational visibility and support continuous improvement efforts through accurate measurement of critical production KPIs.
Contract Duration: 3 Months to Start, Great Chance to Extend
Schedule: Candidate must be available to work onsite and all shifts. The team works a flex schedule with rotating shifts.
- 1st Shift: 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM CST
- 2nd Shift: 3:00 PM – 12:00 AM CST
- 3rd Shift: 12:00 AM – 8:00 AM CST
Controls & Data Systems Assessment
- Conduct audits of Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation) PLC programs, tag structures, and communication architectures.
- Review Ignition SCADA/MES gateway configurations, database connections, transaction groups, and scripting environments.
- Identify sources of data noise, false fault conditions, duplicate events, and inaccurate production reporting.
- Clean and optimize real-time and historical manufacturing data pipelines.
- Remove redundant, erroneous, and low-value data points that impact downtime tracking and production reporting.
- Implement tag rationalization strategies, filtering methods, and deadband adjustments to improve data quality.
- Improve data collection and event logging processes to increase overall system reliability.
- Configure data structures and reporting mechanisms that accurately support MTTR, MTBF, OPR, and bottleneck analysis calculations.
- Align manufacturing data streams with the company's operational performance framework.
- Develop processes for ongoing monitoring of data quality and KPI accuracy.
- Partner with controls engineers, manufacturing engineers, production teams, and internal project leads.
- Recommend solutions that provide immediate operational impact and measurable return on investment.
- Establish and support a regular reporting cadence for tracking project progress and data integrity improvements.
- Extensive experience with Allen-Bradley (Rockwell Automation) PLCs, including:
- PLC programming and troubleshooting
- Tag management and architecture
- Factory automation systems integration
- Advanced experience with Ignition by Inductive Automation, including:
- Python scripting
- Transaction Groups
- UDTs (User Defined Types)
- Database logging and optimization
- Gateway configuration and troubleshooting
- Strong understanding of manufacturing data acquisition, historian systems, and industrial networking.
- Experience supporting automotive, industrial, or high-volume manufacturing environments.
- Demonstrated success improving production reporting and manufacturing KPI accuracy.
- Knowledge of equipment downtime tracking, fault management, and continuous improvement methodologies.
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