Associate Electrical Engineer Jobs in Kentucky (NOW HIRING)

Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM), headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and Bridgestone Europe, Middle East and Africa (BSEMEA), headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, operate collectively as a “Bridgestone West” strategic region. This region services the strategic business needs of teams across the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa. BSAM and BSEMEA are subsidiaries of Bridgestone Corporation, globally headquartered in Japan. Bridgestone and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand products and solutions to address the needs of a broad range of customers and industries.

Engineering & Science

The Senior Electrical Engineer researches, develops, designs, tests, and implements electrical components, equipment, systems, and networks for commercial and industrial manufacturing applications. This senior-level position applies advanced knowledge typically obtained through advanced education and substantial work experience. The role operates with a high degree of independence, serves as a primary technical authority, and leads projects of diverse scope while mentoring junior engineering staff. Problems faced are often difficult and complex, requiring both technical depth and cross-functional collaboration. This role requires 33–66% domestic and international travel.

Project Leadership & Execution

• Leads medium-to-large-scale controls engineering projects and multi-phase processes across corporate and plant operations
• Operates independently with minimal supervision and serves as a primary technical authority on assigned systems
• Develops and manages project scopes, specifications, timelines, budgets, and documentation
• Monitors and reports on project schedules, workload distribution, and budget performance throughout the project lifecycle
• Coordinates with plant engineering, operations, maintenance, and external vendors to ensure successful equipment deployment and commissioning

Technical Expertise & System Design

• Designs, installs, and implements electrical equipment, control systems, and automation solutions for commercial and industrial manufacturing applications
• Creates, reviews, and modifies electrical design packages using AutoCAD Electrical and Vault, ensuring compliance with NFPA 79, NEC, NFPA 70E, and Bridgestone Standards
• Develops, tests, and maintains PLC logic and control system architecture using Rockwell (required), with additional experience in Mitsubishi (preferred) and Siemens (preferred) platforms
• Demonstrates proven knowledge of Sequencer instructions including SFC, SQI, and SQO for structured and efficient machine control programming
• Writes, interprets, and troubleshoots Ladder Logic and other IEC 61131-3 programming languages across multiple PLC platforms
• Designs, configures, and troubleshoots HMI applications and operator interface systems

Machine Motion Systems & Drives

• Designs, configures, and optimizes servo drives, servo motors, motion stages, and coordinated motion control systems
• Selects, programs, integrates, and troubleshoots VFDs for applications such as conveyors, extruders, mixers, and machine actuators
• Performs commissioning, tuning, and diagnostics for motor control systems across multiple OEM platforms

Fluid Power Systems

• Reads, interprets, and designs pneumatic and hydraulic fluid power circuits used in industrial machinery
• Integrates fluid power components valves, cylinders, manifolds, regulators, and pressure controls with electronic automation systems
• Ensures safe and synchronized operation between electrical controls and mechanical/hydraulic motion

Machine Functional Safety

• Designs and implements machine functional safety systems in alignment with ANSI B11, ISO 13849, and internal safety engineering standards
• Integrates safety sensors, safety relays, interlocks, light curtains, area scanners, and safety PLCs into machine architecture
• Programs and validates Safety PLC systems to ensure proper logic execution and compliance with applicable performance levels
• Performs safety risk assessments, validates Performance Levels, and ensures proper documentation of safety circuits

Risk, Safety & Compliance

• Leads and performs machine risk assessments using internal tools and safety standards (ANSI B11, ISO 13849)
• Ensures electrical and control system designs meet regulatory, safety, and corporate engineering standards
• Drives safety-by-design principles throughout all phases of project execution

Continuous Improvement, Automation & Emerging Technology

• Identifies automation opportunities and leads continuous improvement initiatives to enhance safety, quality, uptime, reliability, and operational efficiency
• Provides advanced troubleshooting support to plant engineering and maintenance teams to minimize downtime
• Evaluates and applies emerging control technologies, including AI-driven analytics and process optimization tools, to support innovation and corporate automation standards
• Develops and maintains Power BI dashboards and reports to support data-driven decision-making, KPI tracking, and operational visibility

Leadership, Mentoring & Collaboration

• Coaches, mentors, and reviews the work of associate, professional, and junior-level engineers
• Provides technical guidance and support to plant teams and cross-functional partners
• Communicates effectively across all levels of the organization and maintains strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Supports continuous improvement and innovation culture within the engineering group

Typically requires a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience; or 3 years and a master’s degree; or a PhD without experience; or equivalent work experience

• Proficiency in Rockwell Automation PLC programming (required); Mitsubishi and/or Siemens experience preferred
• Proven experience with Ladder Logic, Sequencer instructions (SFC, SQI, SQO), servo drives, VFDs, and Safety PLC programming
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD Electrical, NFPA 79, NEC, and NFPA 70E
• Familiarity with machine functional safety standards (ANSI B11, ISO 13849)
• Experience with Power BI and AI-based tools for engineering analytics and reporting (preferred)
• Project management skills, including budget tracking, cash flow, schedule management, and workload reporting (preferred)

We believe people can only provide superior service and quality to others when they feel safe bringing their chosen version of themselves to work. We believe in championing all perspectives, individuals and teams because we understand the importance of seeing the world and our business through many different lenses. So, show us what you are made of, because who you are is what we need.

At Bridgestone, what really matters is to foster co-creation opportunities and empowering you to be creative and curious to make mobility safer, more efficient, and more sustainable for future generations. Whatever role you fill, when you represent Bridgestone, you are a valued teammate, and part of our larger mission to “Serve Society with Superior Quality”, for that, we offer you more than just a competitive compensation; we will provide you:

• A supportive and engaging onboarding experience to ensure a smooth transition into our team.
• The opportunity to develop and grow, through training and regular mentorship.
• Corporate Social Responsibility activities.
• A truly global, dynamic and challenging work environment.
• Agility and work/life effectiveness and your long-term well-being.
• An effective and inclusive team.

Bridgestone is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. It is our policy to consider all individuals for employment based on their unique merit and without regard to age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

If hired, a Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification must be completed at the start of employment. Temporary work authorization or the need for sponsorship may disqualify you from employment.