Sr. Eng Controls

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JOB SUMMARY:

The Senior Controls Engineer is a key technical leader responsible for the design development implementation and sustainment of automated control systems across manufacturing operations. This role combines deep hands-on expertise in PLC HMI SCADA robotics and industrial networks with the ability to drive system architecture decisions establish standards and mentor controls engineering talent.

The Senior Controls Engineer leads the full lifecycle of controls engineering projects—from concept and design through commissioning and continuous improvement—and serves as a primary technical authority for internal stakeholders and external partners. The role plays a central part in advancing Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing initiatives by integrating data-driven connected automation solutions into the production environment.

ROLE SCOPE & CAREER LEVEL EXPECTATIONS:

This role is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy and technical authority. The Senior Controls Engineer is accountable for leading complex initiatives influencing technical direction beyond a single cell or line and driving consistency across equipment systems and sites.

Key expectations at this level include:

• Independently leading complex multi-discipline controls projects from concept through sustainment.

• Making and defending technical decisions related to system architecture platforms and standards.

• Providing guidance and technical direction to other engineers and technicians without direct supervision.

• Influencing plant-level and regional controls strategies through standards development and best practices.

• Representing the controls function in cross-functional and leadership discussions.

• Demonstrate leadership‑level availability and schedule flexibility to support plant operations during critical events including off‑shift commissioning escalations and systemic issue resolution.

• Set expectations and coordinate coverage plans to ensure effective controls and automation support across operating hours.

• Responsibilities and expectations for this role are cumulative by level.

Advancement does not remove prior responsibilities; instead each level retains accountability for all expectations of previous levels while expanding scope technical judgment leadership influence and ownership.

Higher level roles are expected to demonstrate greater depth of knowledge broader system ownership and increased responsibility for quality safety reliability documentation and outcomes across automation and industrial systems.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical Leadership & Execution:

• Lead and support controls engineering efforts for new equipment launches and existing production systems.

• Design program commission and troubleshoot PLC HMI SCADA vision and robotic systems.

• Serve as the technical lead for complex troubleshooting and root-cause analysis impacting safety quality throughput and uptime.

• Define scopes of work technical requirements and acceptance criteria for controls-related projects.

• Support installation startup and sustained production activities on the plant floor and at customer sites as required.

Controls Architecture & Standards:

• Lead system architecture reviews and establishes controls standards best practices and documentation requirements.

• Define and maintain electrical controls and equipment standards for both new and existing manufacturing assets.

• Oversee controls documentation backups version control and lifecycle management of production equipment.

• Evaluate existing hardware and software platforms and recommend improvements to reliability maintainability and scalability.

Industry 4.0 / IIoT Enablement:

• Lead Industrial IoT (IIoT) initiatives across the Mirrors Division within the assigned region.

• Design deploy and support IIoT solutions including data acquisition edge computing industrial networking and enterprise system integration.

• Drive adoption of OPC UA MQTT MES connectivity data historians and other smart manufacturing technologies aligned with corporate architecture standards.

• Develop and maintain site-level standard operating procedures supporting a structured pilot → scale → sustain approach.

• Coordinate implementations and system changes with local operations while ensuring compliance with data residency cybersecurity and lawful data-handling requirements.

• Develop and implement digital twins for critical assets and flows; enable event-driven alerts e-Andon and prescriptive actions via control towers and MES/WMS workflows.

Performance Reliability & Continuous Improvement:

• Lead initiatives to reduce unplanned downtime and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

• Support continuous improvement efforts focused on reliability cost reduction and energy efficiency.

• Ensure compliance with automotive customer requirements and internal manufacturing standards.

• Perform other duties as assigned to support department goals and growth in technical skills.

Cybersecurity & Safety:

• Support OT cybersecurity improvements aligned with IEC 62443 and corporate security frameworks.

• Ensure appropriate implementation of industrial network segmentation firewalls access controls and secure remote access.

• Assume responsibility for machine safety systems and controls-related safety compliance on assigned equipment.

Mentorship & Collaboration:

• Provide technical mentorship coaching and daily work guidance to junior and mid-level controls engineers.

• Lead technical reviews and promote knowledge sharing to improve team capability and consistency.

• Collaborate with Operations Maintenance IT/Digital Engineering Quality Supply Chain and corporate Industry 4.0 teams.

• Act as a technical interface with external vendors system integrators and customers.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The following qualifications are required to successfully perform the Senior Controls Engineer role. These requirements reflect the expected technical depth decision-making authority and leadership scope associated with a senior-level engineering role.

• Experience with Industry 4.0 and IIoT platforms including:

1. Azure IoT Hub / IoT Edge AWS IoT or equivalent platforms.

2. MQTT OPC UA edge gateways and device management.

3. Integration with MES WMS ERP and data historian systems.

• Knowledge of OT cybersecurity concepts such as industrial DMZs firewalls VLANs certificates (X.509) incident response and disaster recovery.

• Programming or scripting experience with Visual Basic Python Ignition SQL and MQTT.

• Demonstrated experience developing HMI and SCADA systems for production equipment and manufacturing operations.

• Hands-on experience integrating and supporting industrial robotics (e.g. Fanuc ABB KUKA or equivalent).

• Strong working knowledge of industrial communication protocols such as Ethernet/IP Profibus/Profinet Modbus and OPC UA.

• Demonstrated ability to lead controls projects make independent technical decisions and provide technical direction to engineers and technicians.

• Ability to troubleshoot complex cross-discipline issues involving controls hardware software networks and mechanical systems.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

• Ability to work effectively in a manufacturing environment including on the plant floor during installations startups and troubleshooting events.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Controls/Automation Engineering strongly preferred (or equivalent education/experience).

2. 10+ years of experience in control related field.

3. Demonstrated experience developing HMI and SCADA systems for production equipment and manufacturing operations.

4. Hands-on experience integrating and supporting industrial robotics (e.g. Fanuc ABB KUKA or equivalent).

5. Strong working knowledge of industrial communication protocols such as EtherNet/IP Profibus/Profinet Modbus and OPC UA.

6. Demonstrated ability to lead controls projects make independent technical decisions and provide technical direction to engineers and technicians.

7. Ability to troubleshoot complex cross-discipline issues involving controls hardware software networks and mechanical systems.

8. Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to clearly explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

9. Ability to work effectively in a manufacturing environment including on the plant floor during installations startups and troubleshooting events.

At Magna we believe that a diverse workforce is critical to our success. That’s why we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We hire on the basis of experience and qualifications and in consideration of job requirements regardless of in particular color ancestry religion gender origin sexual orientation age citizenship marital status disability or gender identity. Magna takes the privacy of your personal information seriously. We discourage you from sending applications via email or traditional mail to comply with GDPR requirements and your local Data Privacy Law.

As part of our commitment to a fair consistent and efficient recruitment process we may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to assist in the initial screening of applications submitted through our Workday system. These tools help identify qualifications and experience that align with the role requirements. Please note that AI is used solely to support our recruiters. Final decisions are always made by the hiring manager and the hiring team. Importantly no applicant data is shared externally through these AI tools. All information remains securely within our systems and is handled in accordance with our privacy and data protection policies.

If you have any questions or concerns about this process feel free to contact our Talent Attraction team.

What We Do

We are a mobility company that innovates like a start-up and thinks like a technology company. This helps us anticipate change in one of the most complex industries in the world and respond quickly. We depend on a team of 171000 dynamic entrepreneurial-minded employees in an environment where great ideas flourish. Our presence spans 343 manufacturing operations and 88 product development engineering and sales centers in 29 countries. We understand that you need a career as unique as you are. Whether you want to advance your existing expertise or try something completely different we are committed to your growth.

Why Work With Us

At Magna our engineering team is advancing mobility for everyone and everything. Joining this team means being a part of the design development and manufacturing of the world’s most advanced mobility technology. Innovations that move families shape communities and improve lives. You can follow your passions and shape your own career path.

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