Job Ref: # EB-1395961976
Date Posted: 6/10/2025 4:19:12 PM
City, State: Port Clinton, OH
Category: Engineering
Salary: $140,000 - $170,000
Job Description
Job Summary: As the Controls Engineering Manager, you will lead a multidisciplinary team in the development, testing, and deployment of control systems for custom conveyor and material handling solutions. You will ensure that all projects are delivered on time, within scope and budget, and exceed customer expectations. Your role includes supporting pre-sales engineering efforts, standardizing controls and electrical designs across product lines, and collaborating closely with manufacturing and integration teams to support control panel fabrication, factory acceptance testing, and field installations. In addition, you will be responsible for establishing and maintaining documentation, driving continuous improvement initiatives, and developing standard operating procedures and quality checks. As a key leader at the company, you will foster a high-performance team culture, build cross-functional connections, and model ethical and collaborative behavior. You will also coordinate with global engineering resources, ensure technical accuracy and timely decisions, and provide critical support to manufacturing through engineering changes, BOMs, routings, and technical guidance.Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
People Leadership & Organizational Alignment
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of controls engineers and technicians by fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture focused on excellence and accountability.
• Build strong relationships across departments and actively collaborate with other managers to align engineering strategies with organizational goals.
• Promote cross-functional teamwork and model integrity, professionalism, and effective communication across all levels of the organization
• Coordinate work with Global Engineering teams and other resources to meet deadlines
Electrical Design & Standards Development
• Lead the development of detailed electrical designs, including hardware selection (sensors, PLCs, drives, safety components, etc.), panel layout, and wiring schematics for production and installation.
• Standardize electrical design practices across product lines to ensure consistency, safety, and scalability of controls systems.
• Establish and maintain all electrical documentation including bills of material (BOMs), schematics, wiring diagrams, and technical manuals.
• Own the governance of design processes, including engineering change notices (ECNs), document control, and drafting standards.
Project & Controls System Leadership
• Oversee the design and execution of electrical controls systems for custom conveyor and material handling solutions, with a strong focus on hardware selection, layout, and integration.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and customer specifications. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external customers.
• Ensure all controls-related projects are completed on time, within budget, and in accordance with customer requirements, quality standards, and safety regulations.
• Support pre-sales engineering and system concepting alongside sales and applications engineering teams by providing hardware-related technical input and feasibility assessments.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Manufacturing Support
• Collaborate with manufacturing and integration teams to support control panel assembly, wiring, component placement, and testing during production.
• Provide hands-on engineering support for new product introductions and design updates, including resolving technical questions related to BOMs, routings, and assembly instructions.
• Serve as a key liaison between engineering and operations to ensure alignment on deliverables, schedules, and production readiness.
Process Ownership & Continuous Improvement
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to electrical design efficiency, hardware selection, system integration, and long-term product maintainability.
• Act as the owner of core engineering processes and work instructions, including ECNs, design releases, document control, and drafting protocols.
• Ensure that technical decisions are made accurately and promptly, following internal standards and leveraging subject matter expertise where appropriate.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
• Oversee the daily workflow of engineers and/or technicians as assigned.
• Supports the hiring and training of new associates.
• Conducts performance evaluations that are timely and constructive.
• Manages discipline and termination of employees in conjunction with Human Resources, as needed and in accordance with company policy.
Travel Demands:
• <15% Travel to customer sites.
Qualifications and Skill Requirements:
• Proficiency in creating and reviewing electrical schematics, panel layouts, and wiring diagrams using AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, or equivalent.
• Deep knowledge of industrial hardware selection including PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, safety components, sensors, relays, and circuit protection.
• Deep domain knowledge of NEC, Electrical Standards for Industrial Machinery, and UL regulatory compliance.
• Understanding of control panel fabrication processes and wiring best practices.
• Experience supporting manufacturing processes, BOM generation, ECN processes, and product release documentation.
• Expert in multiple PLCs (AB is primary), HMIs, and other controls software.
• Competent communicator of both technical and nontechnical information to large groups of cross functional colleagues.
• Ability to maintain positive and professional working relationships with all staff at all levels of organization.
• Skilled at providing insightful, accurate, data or experience driven technical peer review in the design process.
• Cable of deploying a team of resources to complete multiple projects on time with high accuracy.
Education and Experience:
• Bachelor’s degree in Controls or Electrical Engineering, or related technical field.
• 10+ years of experience in controls or electrical engineering.
• Minimum of 3-5 years in a leadership or supervisory role.
Computer Skills:
• Highly Skilled with Auto CAD Electrical and/or E-Plan
• Highly Skilled with Rockwell Studio 5000
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel
Physical Demands:
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.
Work Environment:
• The work environment is pleasant, temperature controlled, professional office environment in a manufacturing setting. The employee works in an office setting but does have frequent interaction with the shop floor. On the shop floor, the employee is exposed to moving mechanical parts and fumes or airborne particles. The noise level in the work environment is mixed and the air temperature fluctuates with the seasonal weather.