What are the responsibilities and job description for the Electrical Controls Engineer position at Steven Douglas Corp.?
At Steven Douglas Corp (SDC) we design and build high performance, custom automated machines that are used in a wide variety of applications and industries. We work in a fast-paced, exciting, and highly technical environment where our team is often challenged with solving problems that push the boundaries of standard approaches. We are continually investing in our people, processes, and technology to deliver innovative, robust machines.
Electrical Controls Engineers at SDC are hands-on problem solvers who enjoy tackling challenging automation projects as part of a collaborative team. We work together to turn rough machine concepts into stable, high-performance production systems by combining technical expertise, creativity, and disciplined execution. We are looking for individuals with experience in hardware design, PLC and HMI programming, who take ownership of their work, communicate well with others, and take pride in delivering high-quality solutions.
Why Join SDC?
Challenging Work, Disciplined Execution: SDC takes on some of the most technically complex custom automation projects in the region, across a wide variety of industries and machine types. The problems are tough and rarely repetitive, but we solve them through innovative thinking, proven standards, and shared best practices.
Collaborative by Design: Engineering at SDC is a team sport. You'll work closely with other engineers, project managers, and the shop floor to bring machines to life. We value engineers who communicate well, share what they know, and bring continuous improvement to everything they do.
Family-Owned Culture: Experience a supportive and agile environment that values excellence and personal growth. We invest in people who help drive our success.
What You’ll Do:
Hardware & System Design
- Collaborate with mechanical and electrical design to define control architectures for complex and high-speed machines.
- Review and help develop electrical schematics, panel layouts, and I/O lists.
- Specify and integrate hardware: PLCs, safety devices, drives, servo systems, robots, sensors, and vision systems as needed.
PLC, HMI, Motion & Integration
- Develop, structure, and debug PLC and HMI programs—primarily on Allen-Bradley platforms (Logix family, safety, drives, PanelView or equivalent).
- Implement motion control and high-speed logic where needed, using standard, maintainable architectures.
- Integrate robots and vision systems when required, working with specialists where appropriate but owning the overall machine behavior.
Commissioning, Debug & Support
- Support panel build and wiring debug, working closely with the shop to resolve issues quickly.
- Lead controls debug during machine assembly and runoff, ensuring machines meet functional and performance requirements.
- Participate in customer FAT, on-site installation, startup, and training as needed.
- Troubleshoot issues in a calm, systematic way, fixing root causes, not just symptoms.
Standards, Quality & Teamwork
- Apply and improve SDC’s controls standards, code libraries, and best practices rather than reinventing solutions.
- Help us increase reuse, reduce debug time, and protect project margin through disciplined, standard-driven design.
- Share knowledge with other engineers and collaborate on continuous improvement of our processes and tools.