Freelance International Controls Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Location: Farmington Hills, MI
Employment Type: Full-Time
Industry: Precision Machinery / Industrial Automation / Machine Tools
Travel: Occasional travel may be required
Sponsored by: Connect Force Recruiting

Connect Force Recruiting is partnering with a well-established precision machinery manufacturer in the Farmington Hills area. This organization designs, builds, installs, and supports advanced manufacturing equipment used in high-precision industrial and automotive production environments.

This is a confidential search for a hands-on Senior Controls Engineer who enjoys working with complex automated machinery, supporting custom equipment builds, and solving technical challenges in a high-precision manufacturing setting.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Controls Engineer to support the design, programming, troubleshooting, startup, and optimization of advanced industrial machinery and automation systems. This role is ideal for someone with strong PLC, HMI, electrical controls, and machine commissioning experience who enjoys working closely with mechanical, electrical, software, service, and customer teams.

Candidates with experience supporting European or German-engineered machinery, Siemens automation platforms, precision machine tools, grinding, honing, CNC, robotics, or custom automation systems may find this opportunity especially aligned with their background.

This is a strong fit for someone who takes pride in technical precision, structured engineering standards, and building reliable equipment for demanding manufacturing environments.

• Develop, modify, troubleshoot, and support PLC and HMI programs for advanced industrial machinery.
• Support controls engineering activities for custom machine builds, retrofits, upgrades, and customer-specific projects.
• Troubleshoot electrical, software, automation, and machine-control issues during build, startup, commissioning, and service.
• Work with PLCs, HMIs, drives, sensors, motion systems, safety circuits, and industrial communication networks.
• Read and interpret electrical schematics, controls drawings, machine layouts, and technical documentation.
• Support machine startup, debug, validation, customer acceptance, and field commissioning activities.
• Collaborate with mechanical engineering, electrical design, service, production, and international technical teams.
• Provide technical support for customers, internal service teams, and production personnel.
• Assist with controls standards, documentation, process improvements, and troubleshooting best practices.
• Maintain a strong focus on machine safety, quality, reliability, and long-term equipment performance.

• Minimum of 6 years of controls engineering, automation, machine controls, or related industrial equipment experience.
• Strong PLC programming and troubleshooting experience.
• Experience with HMI development, machine software support, and electrical controls troubleshooting.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and technical documentation.
• Experience supporting industrial machinery, automation systems, machine tools, or custom equipment.
• Strong hands-on troubleshooting ability in shop-floor, machine build, or field-service environments.
• Comfortable working cross-functionally with engineering, service, production, and customer teams.
• Strong communication skills and ability to explain technical issues clearly.
• Safety-focused, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple technical priorities.

• Experience with Siemens PLCs, Siemens HMIs, drives, motion control, or TIA Portal.
• Experience with German-engineered, European OEM, or internationally designed machinery.
• Background with precision machine tools, honing, grinding, CNC equipment, robotics, or automated manufacturing systems.
• Experience supporting machine commissioning, field service, customer acceptance testing, or equipment installations.
• Familiarity with industrial communication networks such as Profinet, Ethernet/IP, Profibus, or similar platforms.
• Experience collaborating with international engineering teams or supporting equipment built to global engineering standards.
• German language ability is a plus only if helpful for technical collaboration, but is not required.

This role includes work in an engineering, manufacturing, machine-build, and occasional customer-site environment. The position may involve exposure to machinery, electrical panels, moving equipment, noise, oils/coolants, and standard manufacturing conditions. Candidates must be able to follow all safety procedures and PPE requirements.

This is an opportunity to work on advanced, highly engineered machinery rather than repetitive production equipment. The right candidate will be involved in complex controls work, technical problem-solving, machine startup, and customer-facing support for precision manufacturing systems.

This role is especially appealing for controls engineers who enjoy structured engineering environments, high-quality machine design, and the challenge of supporting custom industrial equipment with global technical standards.

Salary Range: $115,000–$125,000 annually, based on experience.

This is a confidential search sponsored by Connect Force Recruiting. Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply to learn more about the company, equipment, responsibilities, travel expectations, compensation, and next steps.

If you’re ready to bring your controls engineering experience to a company where precision, quality, and technical expertise matter, apply today and take the next step in your career.