Lead Field Service Controls Engineer

The Lead Field Service Controls Engineer plays a critical, hands‑on role in building and delivering industrial automation solutions for a growing startup. This position combines deep technical execution with field leadership, serving as the technical authority on‑site while helping establish service standards, best practices, and scalable processes.

This role is ideal for a highly experienced controls engineer who enjoys wearing multiple hats, thrives in fast‑moving environments, and wants to help shape how a company delivers automation services from the ground up.

• Serve as the lead technical authority for field service, commissioning, and troubleshooting activities
• Provide on-site technical leadership during system startup, recovery, and production support
• Mentor and guide junior engineers and technicians as the team grows
• Lead integration, commissioning, and validation of industrial automation systems, including PLCs, HMIs, robotics, and vision systems
• Perform I/O checkout, system debugging, cycle optimization, and production handoff
• Adapt and refine control strategies to meet evolving customer and business needs

• Diagnose and resolve complex controls, robotics, and vision issues in live production environments
• Lead root cause analysis for recurring system issues and implement long‑term corrective actions
• Support emergency service calls and planned maintenance with a focus on uptime and reliability

• Develop, modify, and standardize PLC code (Rockwell, Siemens, Beckhoff, Omron preferred)
• Program and support industrial robots (FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Yaskawa)
• Configure and troubleshoot machine vision systems (Cognex, Keyence, Banner)
• Support HMI and SCADA systems for diagnostics, alarms, and operator usability

• Help define service workflows, documentation standards, and commissioning checklists
• Create reusable templates for code, backups, and service reports
• Provide feedback to engineering and leadership to improve system design, reliability, and serviceability

• Act as the primary technical interface with customers during service and commissioning activities
• Build trust through clear communication, professionalism, and rapid problem‑solving
• Provide training and technical guidance to customer maintenance and engineering teams

• Travel extensively to customer sites, often on short notice
• Work flexible hours, including nights and weekends, to support customer production schedules
• Must have valid driver’s license
• Must be able to travel up to 75% - 90% to customer sites, including some international travel

• Bachelor or Associate's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, or equivalent practical experience
• 7+ years of hands‑on experience in industrial automation, controls, or field service engineering
• Expert‑level PLC programming and troubleshooting skills
• Strong experience with industrial robotics and machine vision systems
• Proven ability to lead technical efforts independently in the field
• Strong customer‑facing communication and decision‑making skills
• Experience with safety PLCs, robot safety, and machine guarding standards
• Strong understanding of industrial networking (Ether Net/IP, Profinet, safety networks)

• Experience working in startup or early‑stage automation companies
• Background in automotive, medical device, or high‑reliability manufacturing environments
• Experience influencing product or system design based on field feedback

• Technical Leadership & Mentorship
• PLC, Robotics, and Vision Programming
• Complex Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis
• Startup Mentality:
  Ownership, Adaptability, Bias for Action
• Customer Relationship Building
• Process Development & Standardization

• Ability to work in industrial manufacturing environments
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and work around moving machinery