Sr. Controls Engineer
KION Group (Dematic) · Grand Rapids, MI
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Controls
- Base pay
- $115k–$144k
- Travel
- 35%
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior controls role at KION Group (Dematic) (industrial) in Grand Rapids, MI. You will influence controls architecture, system standards, and solution implementation strategies to ensure scalable, reliable, and efficient automation systems.
- They ask for
- 5+ years · degree required (or equivalent experience)
- Tools it names
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), PLC, Automation
- Base pay
- $115k–$144k
- Day to day
- about 35% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
How this role compares
Against 56 other live controls postings in Michigan.
- Base pay
- About 17% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- Typical (5+ years)
Typical $79k–$143k, from 16 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Automation 77%
- Robotics 65%
- ✓ PLC 61%
- New product launch 32%
- ✓ Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 30%
- AutoCAD 23%
✓ = 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 KION Group (Dematic)
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 35% 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.
This plant: KION Group (Dematic) in Grand Rapids
2 other open roles at this site.
- Quality Tech / Inspector · Quality · Technician
- Assembly Technician · Manufacturing · Technician
Full description from KION Group (Dematic)As posted on their careers site.ShowHide
What You Will do in This Role
- ◆Develop and commercialize standardized controls building blocks for reusable deployment across global logistics solutions.
- ◆Engineer PLC/HMI-based controls content for modular and end-to-end automation solutions.
- ◆Evaluate emerging automation technologies and equipment to determine their applicability, integration strategy, and value within standardized solution architectures.
- ◆Generate controls layouts, electrical documentation, and software required for system deployment.
- ◆Collaborate with global engineering organizations to define requirements, drive controls standardization and productization, and ensure alignment across solution development and delivery.
- ◆Support pilot implementations through technical mentorship, solution validation, and site execution support to ensure successful customer delivery and commercialization.
- ◆Ensure compliance with international and regional standards and applicable codes.
- ◆Contribute to system validation, testing, and continuous performance optimization.
Education
- ✓Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Science, or a related engineering field (or equivalent experience).
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
We are seeking a Senior Controls Engineer to join our Solutions & Delivery Optimization team, playing a key role in shaping how current and next-generation automation solutions are designed, standardized, and delivered globally.
This strategic role is responsible for reviewing and influencing new equipment and system concepts while driving the development of standardized, reusable controls building blocks used across global logistics solutions.
Serving as the technical bridge between Product Development and Project Execution, this role ensures that new technologies are evaluated, standardized, and successfully integrated into scalable solutions that can be deployed consistently across global customer projects.
Beyond individual machine performance, this role focuses on system-level behavior—how equipment, controls, software, and human interaction work together to deliver fully integrated, high-performance automation solutions. The objective is to enable scalable, modular system design that improves consistency, deployment speed, and operational performance.
As a technical authority, you will influence controls architecture, system standards, and solution implementation strategies to ensure scalable, reliable, and efficient automation systems.
We offer
- •Career Development
- •Competitive Compensation and Benefits
- •Pay Transparency
- •Global Opportunities
Learn More Here: https://www.dematic.com/en-us/about/careers/what-we-offer
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
Tasks and
What We Are Looking For
- •Senior-level experience in industrial automation and controls system design.
- •Strong systems thinking across mechanical, controls, software, and complete solution behavior.
- •Experience engineering modular, scalable, and reusable automation solutions.
- •Deep experience developing PLC, HMI, and SCADA applications using Siemens S7 / TIA Portal, including Siemens Technology Objects, SINAMICS S120 motion control systems, and industrial communication networks such as Profinet and EtherNet/IP.
- •Strong understanding of machine-to-human interaction, HMI design, and exception handling in industrial automation systems.
- •Experience with logistics automation technologies such as conveyors, sortation systems, AS/RS, shuttle systems, pallet handling, or similar material handling equipment.
- •Strong technical leadership with the ability to collaborate across global, multi-functional engineering organizations.
- •Excellent communication, collaboration, and customer management skills.
- •Experience supporting field deployment and customer implementation activities.
- •5+ years of experience in controls engineering, automation, mechatronics, or related industrial engineering fields.
- •Proven experience in system-level or modular automation design, beyond individual machine controls.
- •Experience developing and maintaining standardized PLC software platforms, reusable controls code, or productized automation solutions.
- •Experience in logistics, material handling, or large-scale automation systems strongly preferred.
- •Travel up to 35% globally to support customer deployments and technology validation.