Senior Staff Controls Engineer, Test and Automation
Hypertherm · West Lebanon, NH
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Controls
- Base pay
- $120k–$200k
- Travel
- 10%
- Degree
- Preferred
- Experience asked
- 8+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior controls role at Hypertherm (industrial) in West Lebanon, NH. If you love design work and integrating hardware and writing software to create seamless, high-performance custom, one-of-a-kind systems that improve manufacturing test and assembly operations, this role is for you.
- They ask for
- 8+ years · degree preferred
- Tools it names
- PLC, Robotics, Automation, SolidWorks, AutoCAD
- Base pay
- $120k–$200k
- Day to day
- about 10% travel · relocation help
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. This one lists $120k–$200k.
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.
New Hampshire plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 734 other live controls postings in the US.
- Base pay
- About 34% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (8+ vs 5+)
Typical $97k–$141k, from 247 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Automation 74%
- ✓ PLC 68%
- ✓ Robotics 42%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 27%
- Root cause 27%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for SolidWorks, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with 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 Hypertherm
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 10% 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 HyperthermAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Who you are and what you bring
- ✓A Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field, plus 8+ years of experience in controls automation.
- ✓Hands-on experience with PLC programming (Logix 5000, RS Linx), robotics, and vision systems.
- ✓Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset.
- ✓Familiarity with tools like SolidWorks, AutoCAD, PowerBI, and mistake-proofing principles.
- ✓Ability to communicate and drive a project to completion.
Why Join Us? We’re a global, 100% Associate-owned company with a 57-year no-layoff philosophy. Here, your work matters—and your ideas drive real change.
Location: West Lebanon, NH (Relocation assistance is available.)
Travel: up to 10% domestic and international
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Sr Staff Controls Engineer – Test & Automation Team
Are you passionate about designing custom assembly automation equipment, and automated functional testing systems deployed in a manufacturing environment? Join our Test & Automation Team as a Sr Staff Controls Engineer and help shape the future of manufacturing innovation.
Hypertherm Associates is looking for someone who thrives on solving complex challenges and enjoys working with technologies like Allen Bradley PLCs , HMIs, Fanuc, Epson, UR robots , and vision systems like Cognex and Keyence. If you love design work and integrating hardware and writing software to create seamless, high-performance custom, one-of-a-kind systems that improve manufacturing test and assembly operations, this role is for you.
What You’ll Do
- •Design and deploy automation solutions that integrate motion control actuators, motors, servo presses, sensors, gages, and SCADA systems.
- •Lead development of electrical controls for custom machines and test systems, ensuring Quality, safety, efficiency, and reliability in a manufacturing environment for Hypertherm’s global operations.
- •Collaborate across business and functional teams to deliver high-impact solutions that improve manufacturing operations for the enterprise.
- •Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a culture of innovation and continuous learning.
Additional benefits in joining Hypertherm Associates
- •Collaborative, 100% employee-owned culture
- •Profit-Sharing and Employee Stock Ownership (ESOP)
- •Five days/year paid Community Service Time
- •Strong commitment to Environmental Stewardship
- •Stable, growing organization with a no-layoff philosophy
Sponsorship of new applicants for employment authorization, or any other immigration-related support, is not available for this position at this time.
At Hypertherm Associates, we are committed to building an inclusive diverse, flexible, and collaborative environment . If our mission resonates with you, but you don’t meet all posted requirements, we encourage you to still apply. We will evaluate your application materials and may suggest alternative roles that better leverage your strengths and talents. For positions with multiple levels, we will evaluate your prior experience to determine the level within our organization you are best aligned based upon the job applying.
CURRENT ASSOCIATES OR TEMPORARY ASSOCIATES: Please apply via your internal Workday career account.
Pay within this range will vary based upon relevant experience, skills, and education among other factors.