Sterling Engineering Inc.

Job Description Job Description Title: Controls & Automation Engineer Location: Delavan, WI Pay Range: $110k-115k per year Hire Type: Direct Hire Industry: Food & Beverage / Industrial Automation Comprehensive Benefits Package This is an exciting opportunity for an automation engineer who wants to move beyond traditional controls programming and play a significant role in product development, electronics, industrial communications, IIoT, and connected equipment. You'll help develop innovative control solutions for pumps, valves, heat exchangers, and other process equipment while collaborating with engineering teams, customers, suppliers, and development partners. Key Responsibilities Design and develop control systems and electronic modules for process equipment and valve control applications Develop hardware and firmware solutions for control units, including PCB layouts and microcontroller programming Develop PLC and HMI programs, control narratives, I/O lists, and instrumentation specifications Program and integrate industrial communication technologies including IO-Link, AS-i, DeviceNet, ProfiBus, ProfiNet, OPC UA, Modbus TCP/IP, Ethernet/IP, and MQTT Design and implement IIoT solutions for real-time equipment monitoring and predictive maintenance Develop PC-based interface tools for equipment setup, diagnostics, and troubleshooting Create and execute verification and validation test plans for functional samples and production equipment Lead automation and product development projects from concept through validation, industrial release, and manufacturing handoff Participate in customer meetings, product launches, design reviews, and project progress reviews Qualifications Must have a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related engineering discipline Must have 5+ years of automation engineering experience, preferably within food, beverage, sanitary, or process equipment industries Strong PLC programming and troubleshooting experience Experience with HMI/SCADA platforms such as Allen-Bradley, Siemens, FactoryTalk, Ignition, or Wonderware Strong understanding of electronic design, circuit design, PCBA layout, digital signal processing, and microcontroller programming Familiarity with IoT/IIoT technologies and industrial communication protocols Why You'll Love This Opportunity Next-Generation Technology: Work at the intersection of automation, electronics, connectivity, and IIoT to develop smarter industrial equipment. Product Development Ownership: Help take new control technologies from concept through validation and production. Technical Variety: Combine PLCs, HMI/SCADA, embedded programming, PCB design, industrial networking, and connected-device technologies. Global Exposure: Collaborate with engineering teams, suppliers, customers, and development partners across a broad organization. High-Visibility Work: Your designs and technical decisions will directly influence the next generation of process equipment. Innovation-Focused Environment: Evaluate and implement emerging automation and connectivity technologies rather than simply maintaining existing systems. Career Growth: Expand your expertise across controls, electronics, IIoT, product development, and industrial automation. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.