Control Systems Manager Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Summary:
Cougar USA is a leading supplier of water control systems for commercial building applications, specializing in Pre-Engineered and Custom-Designed solutions for water pressure, level, temperature, flow, and quality.

The Control Systems Manager is responsible for leading Cougar USA’s Systems Production operations by building and developing a high-performance team of engineering, programming, assembly, and testing professionals. This role ensures Cougar delivers on its promise of On-Time, First Time Right (OTFTR) project execution while maintaining quality, profitability, safety, and operational excellence.

The ideal candidate is a technically strong leader who can manage production priorities, mentor cross-functional teams, improve processes, and support both standard and custom control system solutions from engineering through final testing and delivery.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Recruit, onboard, train, and develop high-performing members of the Systems Production team, including engineering, assembly, programming, and testing personnel.
• Foster accountability, collaboration, technical growth, and continuous improvement throughout the department.
• Coach team members on Cougar standards, production processes, safety practices, and technical competencies.
• Conduct performance management activities and support succession planning initiatives.

Production & Operational Management:

• Lead day-to-day production activities to ensure projects are completed On-Time, First Time Right (OTFTR).
• Manage team workloads and production priorities across engineering, assembly, programming, and testing functions.
• Coordinate schedules and resources to meet customer promise dates and production deadlines.
• Identify and resolve production bottlenecks, expedite requests, material delays, and technical issues.

Engineering & Technical Oversight:

• Provide leadership and support for panel engineering, PLC/HMI programming, testing, and system troubleshooting activities.
• Assist with development and review of custom control panel designs, applications, and system configurations.
• Support standardization efforts for programming, documentation, and production processes.
• Ensure systems meet customer requirements, UL standards, and Cougar quality expectations.

Cross-Functional Coordination:

• Collaborate with Leadership, Sales, Operations, and Service teams to support forecasting, quoting accuracy, procurement, shipments, and customer support activities.
• Work closely with Sales to establish realistic lead times and support technical quoting needs.
• Coordinate with Operations and Procurement to manage production material availability and scheduling.
• Partner with Service teams to provide technical support and issue resolution for installed systems.

Process Improvement & Quality Assurance:

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, efficiency, and profitability.
• Monitor production metrics and implement corrective actions when needed.
• Ensure compliance with UL standards, internal quality procedures, and operational best practices.
• Improve documentation, workflow processes, and communication across production teams.

• On-Time First Time Right (OTFTR) Delivery Performance
• Business Unit Gross Profit Dollars
• Custom Panel Margin Performance
• Production Throughput & Schedule Adherence
• Safety Performance & Compliance
• Team Development & Training Progress
• Quality Assurance & Rework Reduction

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations, Industrial Technology, or related field preferred; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 7+ years of experience in control systems, electrical panel manufacturing, industrial automation, or related technical environment.
• 3+ years of leadership or production management experience preferred.

Technical Skills:

• Strong knowledge of industrial control systems, PLCs, HMIs, UL panel standards (UL 508A preferred), and panel manufacturing processes.
• Experience supporting engineering, programming, testing, and troubleshooting activities.
• Familiarity with CAD systems, NetSuite, and production management tools.
• Ability to support both standard and custom control system applications.

Leadership & Organizational Skills:

• Proven ability to lead technical teams in a fast-paced production environment.
• Strong organizational and time management skills with the ability to prioritize urgent and important tasks effectively.
• Ability to balance operational execution with strategic process improvement initiatives.
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving capabilities.

Communication & Customer Service:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to proactively communicate with internal and external stakeholders using appropriate channels.
• Customer-focused mindset with strong relationship-building abilities.

• Leadership and team development
• Control systems and panel manufacturing knowledge
• PLC/HMI programming and troubleshooting understanding
• Production planning and workload management
• Process improvement and operational excellence mindset
• Strong communication and customer service orientation
• Organizational excellence and time management discipline