What are the responsibilities and job description for the Controls Engineer position at Stabilus?
Department: Manufacturing Engineering
Location: Gastonia, NC
Reports To: Manager of Manufacturing Engineering and Maintenance
Employment Type: Full-Time
No visa sponsorship available for this position
About Stabilus
Stabilus is a global leader in motion control solutions — gas springs, dampers, and electromechanical drives — with 8,000 employees across 45 locations worldwide.
Role Overview
You will drive measurable improvements in manufacturing performance through automation upgrades, process optimization, and data-driven analysis. The goal is to reduce downtime, eliminate waste, and deliver sustained OEE gains across production lines.
Key Responsibilities
Location: Gastonia, NC
Reports To: Manager of Manufacturing Engineering and Maintenance
Employment Type: Full-Time
No visa sponsorship available for this position
About Stabilus
Stabilus is a global leader in motion control solutions — gas springs, dampers, and electromechanical drives — with 8,000 employees across 45 locations worldwide.
Role Overview
You will drive measurable improvements in manufacturing performance through automation upgrades, process optimization, and data-driven analysis. The goal is to reduce downtime, eliminate waste, and deliver sustained OEE gains across production lines.
Key Responsibilities
- Identify and eliminate root causes of availability, performance, and quality losses
- Design and implement automation solutions that reduce cycle time and unplanned downtime
- Lead line upgrade and new machine introduction projects
- Develop data collection and monitoring solutions from PLC/machine level to shopfloor dashboards
- Standardize automation platforms and programming practices across lines
- Implement and improve machine safety systems, including risk assessments, safety circuit design, and compliance with relevant safety standards (ISO 13849, IEC 62061)
- Collaborate with Maintenance, Production, and Quality teams on improvement initiatives
- TIA Portal, Step 7, Step 5
- PROFINET, PROFIBUS, PROFISAFE
- I-Device, COM PROFIBUS – S5
- Hardware configuration & standard programming
- RFID integration for traceability and production tracking
- HMI control functions
- S7-specific functions & PROFIBUS connection
- Technology Objects (TO) programming
- Integrated Safety Technology
- L-Force development
- S7 integration & PROFIBUS communication
- Master/Slave configuration
- Integrated safety functions
- DriveTop commissioning
- KUKA: KRL programming, WorkVisual, SafeOperation, PLC integration
- Stäubli: VAL3 programming, SRS, CS9 controller configuration
- B.S. in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university (required)
- Must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship
- 3–5 years in manufacturing automation with a proven track record of process improvement
- Hands-on experience with lean manufacturing or Six Sigma tools (SMED, 5S, VSM)
- Familiarity with machine safety standards (ISO 13849, IEC 62061, NFPA 79)
- Able to read electrical schematics and technical drawings
- Comfortable working with production data and KPI reporting
- Willingness to travel to other Stabilus sites
- Fluent English; German is a plus
- Direct impact on production performance across a global manufacturing network
- Competitive salary and benefits
- Professional development and training
- International project exposure
Salary : $90,000 - $120,000