Controls Engineer
BluePrint Automation · Colonial Heights, TN
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Controls
- Travel
- 15%
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level controls role at BluePrint Automation (industrial) in Colonial Heights, TN.
- They ask for
- 5+ years
- Tools it names
- PLC, Robotics, Automation
- Day to day
- about 15% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Controls Engineer roles in the US: typical posted base $97k–$143k.
Median of the low and high ends of 252 live postings that list pay, out of 735 controls engineer openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Tennessee plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 15 other live controls postings in Tennessee.
- Experience asked
- Typical (5+ years)
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ PLC 81%
- ✓ Automation 75%
- ✓ Robotics 69%
- Root cause 44%
- New product launch 31%
- Team leadership 31%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Controls team at BluePrint Automation
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- The posting says about 15% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from BluePrint AutomationAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
To perform this job successfully, an individual must satisfactorily perform each essential duty. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential duties.
- ◆Develop design, specifications, and control schemes for automation equipment and the integration between automation and information systems.
- ◆Author, write, and program automation logic to control packaging machines, and communicate information between systems over networks.
- ◆Approve the design of electrical/control-wiring schematics for our packaging systems.
- ◆Develop Human Machine Interface (HMI) to meet the functional requirements.
- ◆Mentor junior-level engineers in areas of your expertise.
- ◆Assure high quality in the testing phase.
- ◆Makes customer site visits as necessary to help solve in-field issues.
- ◆High awareness of client satisfaction level and client needs.
- ◆Participate in lessons-learned meetings with team members after completion of programs/projects.
- ◆Periodic travel up to 15% may be required.
- ◆Perform other duties as assigned.
Basic
(Knowledge, Skills & Abilities, Education & Experience)
- ✓Experience in Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing, Computer Science, or a related field and 5 years of experiencein a manufacturing or engineering environment that involves motion controls in the packaging automation industry. However, a combination of experience and/or education will be taken into consideration. Robotics experience is a plus.
- ✓Demonstrated ability in programming motion control systems and robotic machines.
- ✓Demonstrated competence with robotic and PLC programming (Ladder and structured text).
- ✓Demonstrated competence with Keba Robotics platform.
- ✓Strong knowledge of ControlLogix PLC.
- ✓Strong knowledge of complex PLC based motion control.
- ✓Demonstrated competence with mechanical robotic setups and upstream and downstream equipment.
- ✓Demonstrated competence with code standardization and modularization.
- ✓Ability to interact with clients from project initiation through the entire development and manufacturing process.
- ✓Ability to read electrical schematics.
At this time, BPA will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.
BPA prides itself on the quality of its employees and as such, candidates who receive an employment offer will be required to pass a drug screen and background check successfully.
BPA offers an opportunity to grow and develop your career in an environment that provides a fulfilling workplace for employees, creates an environment for continuous learning, and embraces the ideas and diversity of others. In addition, we offer a robust benefits package including a majority employer-paid employee health, dental, vision, life, and disability; 20 days of PTO during the first year of employment, as well as 401(k) with a 6% match.
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Job Description
Job Description
Company Overview
At Blueprint Automation, we design, develop and manufacture case packers and tray packing solutions for flexible and other tough-to-handle packages such as doypacks, pillow bags, and four-sided sealed bags. Built for around-the-clock operation, these solutions have a worldwide reputation for their quick change-over, flexibility, speed, and comprehensive design. Our Integrated state-of-the-art technologies include gravity, pick and place, wrap-around, and vision-guided robotics.
We are absolutely passionate about innovation. It adds the fun and inspiration to our work that people need to excel. Our customers stimulate innovation by developing new needs, and we are on a never-ending quest to find a better, simpler way. BPA has no innovation budget. Innovation is what we are.
Position
The Controls Engineer programs, initializes and tests packaging machines. Additional tasks include providing technical support to our customers when needed.
