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Senior Controls Engineer

Merck KgaA
Breinigsville, PA Full Time
POSTED ON 11/22/2025 CLOSED ON 12/19/2025

What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Controls Engineer position at Merck KgaA?

Job Details

Work Your Magic with us! Start your next chapter and join EMD Electronics.

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you've got big plans - so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people's lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.

Everything we do in EMD Electronics is to help us deliver on our purpose of being the company behind the companies, advancing digital living. We are dedicated to being the trusted supplier of high-tech materials, services and specialty chemicals for the electronics, automotive and cosmetics industries. We foster a global collaborative organization made up of individuals who have the passion to win, obsess about the customer, are relentlessly curious and act with urgency. Together, we push the boundaries of science to make more possible for our customers.

This role does not offer sponsorship for work authorization. External applicants must be eligible to work in the US.

Location:

The Senior Controls Engineer is a hybrid position with preference given to candidates in Allentown, PA, Chandler, AZ, and Austin, TX. There will be approximately 10% domestic and international travel required to meet business needs.

Your Role:

As a Controls Engineer at EMD Electronics, you will develop equipment network communication applications for Delivery Systems and Services products (GASGUARD, CHEMGUARD, and POLYFLOW), utilized globally in the semiconductor industry for supplying hazardous gases and chemicals.

You will work across various platforms and technologies, handling new product development, sustaining support for legacy products, and providing technical support for field service engineers and quality technicians. Key responsibilities include:
  • Collaborating with product managers, project managers, and sales engineers to design and implement new features for existing and upcoming projects.
  • Creating network communication programs and hardware applications in collaboration with internal and external resources.
  • Producing both internal and user-facing documentation for products and applications.
  • Using industry-standard PLC and HMI programming tools to develop and modify operating programs for GASGUARD, CHEMGUARD, and POLYFLOW systems.
  • Assisting with third-party manufacturing, construction, testing, and software installation of control systems.
  • Defining PLC, HMI, and network server hardware specifications to align with customer orders and new product development.
  • Processing customer quotes for new or non-standard product features.
  • Supporting quality and field service engineering teams in investigating unexpected equipment operations.
  • Participating in equipment installations and start-ups at customer locations, validating system operations against specifications and standards.

Additional Responsibilities:
  • Design, develop, implement and troubleshoot SCADA, PLC, HMI, and database programs for complex industrial automation systems.
  • Adopt best practices for efficient, modular, and maintainable PLC, HMI, and DCS code using Python, structured text, ladder logic, or function block diagrams.
  • Troubleshoot customer and field site issues
  • Develop control logic, I/O mapping, and communication protocols (e.g., Modbus, Ethernet/IP, Profibus) while integrating third-party devices.
  • Oversee the integration of PLC and SCADA systems with Distributed Control Systems (DCS) to ensure seamless communication.
  • Implement cybersecurity best practices following Semi E187 in control and SCADA systems and manage virtual machines (VMs) for development and testing.
  • Manage automation projects, including cost estimation, scheduling, and resource allocation.
  • Conduct Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) and Site Acceptance Tests (SAT), leading commissioning activities and providing on-site troubleshooting as a field service expert.
  • Engage in process improvement initiatives, manage engineering changes, and evaluate emerging technologies for potential system integration.
  • Mentor junior engineers and technicians, ensuring knowledge transfer and skill development.
  • Develop and implement best practices for documentation, coding, and system deployment.
  • Represent the organization at client meetings, trade shows, and technical workshops.

Who You Are

Minimum Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in Software/Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
  • 5 years of software development experience, specifically in SCADA, VM applications, DCS, or PLC.
  • 1 year of experience developing and deploying ethernet-based industrial networks.

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Proficiency with Ignition SCADA, GE CIMPLICITY, SQL databases, and OPC server telecommunications.
  • Experience with automation systems and hardware from Siemens, GE-Emerson, Allen-Bradley, and Omron.
  • Excellent knowledge of software engineering best practices and associated tools.
  • Proven ability to manage all stages of the development process: design, testing, implementation, automation, and operational support.
  • Experience building complex software systems successfully delivered to customers.
  • Strong problem-solving and design skills with the ability to multitask.

What we offer: We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe that this variety drives excellence and innovation, strengthening our ability to lead in science and technology. We are committed to creating access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace. Join us in building a culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!

Apply now and become a part of a team that is dedicated to Sparking Discovery and Elevating Humanity!
Employers have access to artificial intelligence language tools (“AI”) that help generate and enhance job descriptions and AI may have been used to create this description. The position description has been reviewed for accuracy and Dice believes it to correctly reflect the job opportunity.
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