Senior Controls Engineer

Location:

Shakopee, Minnesota, United States

As a Senior Controls Engineer, you will play a pivotal technical role on Comm Scope’s Automation Team, designing, developing, and deploying control systems for custom automated manufacturing equipment used to produce fiber optic products. This is a hands‑on role focused on translating manufacturing and quality challenges into robust, scalable automation solutions that improve safety, throughput, yield, and cost.

This is an individual contributor role with significant technical ownership across the full equipment lifecycle—from requirements and concept through design, build, debug, validation, deployment, and sustained factory support. You will partner closely with manufacturing, process, mechanical, electrical, software, and quality teams (local and global) and will be expected to lead technical decisions, drive disciplined documentation, and resolve complex system‑level problems with limited supervision.

You’ll join a collaborative automation group that values practical engineering, technical rigor, continuous improvement, and direct impact on manufacturing performance. This position is located in Shakopee, Minnesota.

• Generate and evaluate automation concepts (controls + electrical) to improve safety, quality, cycle time, uptime, and manufacturing cost.
• Drive innovation by proposing new architecture, components, or methods.
• Lead feasibility work including definition of requirements, bench testing, and proof‑of‑concept validation for new automation.
• Develop, build, debug, and validate semi‑automated and automated equipment for fiber optics, including supporting FAT/SAT and factory handoff.
• Maintain strong awareness of emerging controls technologies and applicable industry standards; apply them pragmatically to improve reliability and maintainability.
• Develop and improve standard work: electrical/controls design templates, programming standards, reusable modules, work instructions, and troubleshooting guides; mentor engineers/technicians as needed.

• Create complete controls/electrical design packages including requirements, I/O lists, component selection, panel layouts, safety circuit design, electrical schematics, BOMs, and P&IDs; maintain accurate as‑built documentation.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, mechanical, and process engineering to deliver integrated electrical and software solutions.
• Perform hands‑on build support including point‑to‑point verification, I/O checkout, and debugging of electrical/control issues during build and deployment.
• Integrate and configure field devices and motion hardware (sensors, load cells, flow meters, VFDs, servos, actuators).
• Apply working knowledge of machine safety standards and electrical codes (e.g., NEC, UL, CE, NFPA).

• Develop PLC/HMI software from scratch, including defining the control architecture, sequencing, alarms, diagnostics, and recovery strategies.
• Design, configure, and troubleshoot industrial networks and communication protocols (Ether Net/IP, Ether
  
  CAT, Profinet, Modbus, etc.).
• Design, develop, and program vision systems including testing cameras, lighting setups, and lenses for each application.
• Configure, tune, and validate motion systems to achieve cycle time and quality requirements.
• Lead system debug, commissioning, and start‑up activities (including FAT/SAT support), and provide extended remote/on‑site support to sustain factory performance.

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, computer, software engineering or related discipline.
• 10+ years of relevant controls experience.
• Demonstrated experience to define requirements, design electrical systems, and conduct programming of industrial control systems for automation equipment.
• Strong proficiency in electrical design software (AutoCAD, Draft Sight) and general with computers, configuration, networking, IP addresses, etc.
• Strong proficiency in PLCs (Allen Bradley, Siemens, etc.) and HMIs (Pro‑Face, Panel View, SIMATIC).
• Working knowledge of machine safety and relevant codes/standards.
• Hands‑on experience in…