Controls & Automation Engineer

Role name: Controls & Automation Engineer

Work Location: Richmond, VA or Hopkinsville, KY or Clarksville, TN (Onsite)

Duration: 3 Months (C2H)

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Controls Engineer to design, develop, implement, and maintain industrial automation and OT connectivity solutions. In this role, you will be primarily responsible for programming and commissioning Rockwell Automation (Allen-Bradley) control platforms, as well as configuring and managing PTC Kepware (KEPServer/EX) middleware to ensure seamless data communication between shop-floor control devices, SCADA, MES, and enterprise systems.

Key Responsibilities:

• PLC / HMI / SCADA Programming & Commissioning
• Design, develop, test, and deploy PLC logic using Studio 5000 / RSLogix 5000 / 500 for ControlLogix, CompactLogix, and GuardLogix platforms.
• Design and configure operator interfaces using FactoryTalk View ME/SE and integrate motion control systems (e.g., PowerFlex VFDs, Kinetix servo drives).
• Perform on-site system commissioning, start-up, loop tuning, and functional testing.
• Industrial Connectivity & Middleware (Kepware)
• Configure and maintain PTC KEPServer/EX for real-time OT data acquisition, device bridging, and protocol conversion across disparate manufacturing assets.
• Implement and troubleshoot OPC DA, OPC UA, MQTT, REST, and IoT Gateway plugins within Kepware to pass telemetry to SCADA, MES, Historian, or Cloud platforms.
• Manage device drivers, tag addressing, channel optimization, and security certificates within KEPServer/EX.
• Industrial Networking & OT Architecture
• Configure and troubleshoot industrial communication protocols (EtherNet/IP, CIP, Modbus TCP/RTU, Profinet).
• Collaborate with IT/OT teams to implement managed industrial switches (e.g., Cisco, Stratix), VLAN segmentation, NAT routers, and network diagnostics.
• Troubleshooting, Maintenance & Compliance
• Perform root-cause analysis on hardware, logic, and communication failures to minimize operational downtime.
• Maintain comprehensive engineering documentation: electrical schematics, P&IDs, I/O lists, network architecture diagrams, and Functional Design Specifications (FDS).
• Ensure all systems adhere to machine safety standards (ISO 13849, IEC 62061 / 61508) and cybersecurity best practices (ISA/IEC 62443).