Material Handling Controls Systems Lead Engineer

Material Handling Controls Systems Lead Engineer

From the moment the first carton moves, you’re the calm at the center of a high‑velocity operation. When a conveyor line hesitates, you’re the one who triages alarms, dives into ladder logic, reads the electrical drawings, and gets product flowing again. You own uptime for complex material handling and conveyor systems—and you know every recovered minute fuels customer service performance and business results.

What You’ll Own

• Lead real-time remediation of system downtime to maximize availability of material handling and conveyor equipment.
• Diagnose and resolve advanced PLC and conveyor control faults; interpret schematics, system specifications, and ladder logic.
• Support and sustain PLC platforms, HMI applications, and integrated control architectures.
• Partner with SMEs, IT ownership groups, and external vendors to resolve multidisciplinary system issues.
• Manage vendor performance and hold partners accountable to contractual commitments.
• Provide cross-functional project coordination and operational support across teams.
• Communicate technical findings clearly to field teams, business stakeholders, vendors, and executive leadership.
• Juggle priorities in a fast-changing environment, escalating only rare or business‑critical events to leadership.

Your Technical Toolkit

• Advanced knowledge of conveyor control systems, PLC programming (ladder logic required), HMI software, and electrical automation.
• Experience with integrated IT systems and ownership structures in production environments.
• Strong diagnostic capability using electrical/mechanical test equipment and software tools.
• Advanced production/process machinery troubleshooting plus commercial/industrial mechanical experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a related field and 8–10 years of experience; OR
• 10+ years of hands‑on troubleshooting in conveyor controls and industrial automation.
• Equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Previous Industrial Maintenance Manager experience preferred.
• Strong project management and vendor management background.

Core Strengths

• Expert troubleshooting and decisive problem solving.
• Cross-functional leadership and coordination.
• Clear communication across all levels of the organization.
• Adaptability amid continuous operational change.
• Ownership mindset and end-to-end accountability.

Proficiencies

• PLC troubleshooting
• PLC programming
• Industrial robot programming
• Troubleshooting of industrial automation equipment

Interested? Call 412-494-2000 for more information.