Controls Engineer

Controls Engineer Coventry | West Midlands £45,000 - £60,000 DOE Paid Overtime Permanent | Full-Time

The Opportunity

As a Controls Engineer, you will be responsible for the development, testing and commissioning of PLC, HMI and safety-related control systems across a variety of industrial applications. The role will be primarily based around Coventry, with travel to customer sites required during installation and commissioning phases. Depending on the project, there may be occasional overnight stays and weekend working, with approved additional hours paid. You’ll work closely with project managers, electrical design, panel build, installation and commissioning teams, giving you genuine involvement across the full project lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop PLC control software from first principles for industrial machinery and automation systems.
• Design and develop software using Siemens TIA Portal / S7 and/or Rockwell Studio 5000.
• Develop, test and validate safety-related control software against project requirements and safety matrices.
• Configure and commission VFDs, servo drives, motion systems, remote I/O and fieldbus networks.
• Work with industrial communication protocols including Profinet, Profibus and EtherNet/IP.
• Read and interpret electrical drawings, I/O schedules and functional specifications and translate these into effective control solutions.
• Carry out practical electrical and controls fault-finding during build, testing and site commissioning.
• Produce and maintain technical documentation including FDS, testing documentation, commissioning records and O&M information.
• Support legacy control systems where required.
• Commission systems at customer sites and provide support through to successful customer handover.
• Work collaboratively with wider engineering and project teams to deliver projects safely, efficiently and to a high standard.

What We're Looking For

We're keen to speak with experienced Controls Engineers who have a strong background in industrial automation, machinery or control systems. You should ideally have:

• Around 5 years' experience developing PLC software from first principles.
• Strong experience with Siemens TIA Portal / S7 and/or Rockwell Studio 5000.
• Experience developing and commissioning safety-related control software.
• Hands-on experience with VFDs, servo drives, motion systems, industrial networks and remote I/O.
• The ability to confidently read electrical drawings, I/O schedules and functional specifications.
• Practical experience of fault-finding and commissioning control systems.
• Experience producing clear technical documentation.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with customers and project teams.
• A full UK driving licence.
• Existing right to work in the UK.

Additional Skills (not essential)

• Siemens S7 Classic, STL / IL and experience supporting legacy systems.
• Industrial robots, particularly KUKA, ABB or FANUC.
• Motion control platforms including Siemens, Rockwell or Bosch Rexroth.
• CNC systems, particularly Siemens, Bosch or FANUC.
• Functional safety or machine safety training.
• HMI, SCADA or vision systems.
• Experience with EPLAN Electric P8 from a controls or commissioning perspective.

What’s On Offer

• £45,000 - £60,000 salary, depending on experience.
• Paid overtime for approved additional hours worked.
• 23 days' holiday plus bank holidays.
• 37.5-hour working week.
• Workplace pension.
• Training and development opportunities, including supplier-led training.
• Exposure to a wide variety of industries, technologies and automation projects.
• Flexible / hybrid working may be available during suitable software design phases.
• A collaborative engineering environment with opportunities to develop your technical expertise.
• The opportunity to work on interesting projects from initial software development through to live commissioning.
• Projects can span a range of sectors, including: Automotive | Food & Beverage | Aerospace | Pharmaceutical | Printing | Logistics.