Be at the heart of actionFly remote-controlled drones into enemy territory to gather vital information.

Apply Now

Controls Engineer

Manchester
2 days ago
Create job alert

Job title: Controls Engineer

Location: Greater Manchester (predominantly office based; UK site travel for commissioning)

Salary: £55,000–£60,000 + accelerated overtime pay

About the role

A well-established, privately held engineering company specialising in bespoke automation and special-purpose machinery is recruiting a Controls Engineer to join a small, experienced controls team. The company delivers end-to-end automation (mechanical, electrical, controls, software and commissioning) across multiple industries and values hands-on problem solving, clear documentation and high quality commissioning.

What you’ll do

  • Design, develop and commission PLC and HMI software from scratch for bespoke machines and automated systems.

  • Lead motion control and servo programming tasks — select axes, tune loops and implement coordinated multi-axis motion profiles.

  • Work primarily with Siemens S7 / TIA Portal and Allen-Bradley (Studio 5000/RSLogix) environments.

  • Integrate PLC control with drives, servos, HMIs, I/O racks and field networks (Profinet, EtherNet/IP, etc.).

  • Collaborate with mechanical, electrical and robotics engineers to create robust integrated solutions.

  • Attend factory acceptance tests and perform on-site commissioning and customer handovers (UK travel required).

  • Produce and maintain documentation: I/O lists, functional descriptions, wiring interfaces and commissioning notes.

  • Provide technical support and troubleshooting during installation and post-install warranty period.

    Essential experience & skills

  • Strong, demonstrable experience programming Siemens S7 / TIA Portal and Allen-Bradley PLCs — able to build control systems from first principles.

  • Proven experience in motion control and servo programming (designing trajectories, tuning, homing, backlash compensation, following error management).

  • Excellent fault-finding, logical thinking and ladder/structured/textual programming skills.

  • Experience with HMIs (WinCC/FactoryTalk or similar) and panel design.

  • Comfortable with on-site commissioning and client-facing activities.

  • Good documentation skills and an organised approach to software versioning and backups.

  • Team player with strong verbal/written communication.

    Desirable (not essential)

  • Exposure to industrial robots (ABB / KUKA / Fanuc / Universal Robots) or robot integration projects.

  • Background in special-purpose machinery, machine tending, assembly lines or packaging equipment.

  • Familiarity with industrial networks (Profinet, EtherNet/IP) and drive brands (Siemens drives, Allen-Bradley Kinetix, Bosch Rexroth, SEW, Yaskawa, etc.).

  • Electrical wiring/termination experience and reading schematics.

    What’s on offer

  • Competitive salary: £55k–£60k (dependent on experience).

  • Accelerated overtime pay for extra hours (above standard working hours).

  • Varied, technically interesting projects across multiple industries.

  • Hands-on role with a senior engineering team and clear career progression.

  • Predominantly office-based with planned travel for commissioning and FATs

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Controls Engineer

Controls Engineer

Controls Engineer

Controls Engineer

Controls Engineer

Controls Engineer

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

Robotics Recruitment Trends 2025 (UK): What Job Seekers Need To Know About Today’s Hiring Process

Summary: UK robotics hiring has shifted from toolbox checklists to capability‑driven evaluation that emphasises deployed systems, safety, reliability and total cost of ownership. Employers want proof you can ship and sustain robots in production—industrial arms & cobots, AMRs/AGVs, field robots, surgical/med‑tech, warehouse automation, inspection & maintenance. This guide explains what’s changed, what to expect in interviews and how to prepare—especially for robotics software engineers (ROS/ROS 2), perception/vision engineers, controls & motion planners, mechatronics & embedded, safety & compliance, test/V&V, DevOps/SRE for fleets, and robotics product managers. Who this is for: Robotics software/perception/controls engineers, mechatronics & embedded, simulation & test, DevOps/SRE for robotics fleets, HRI/UX, safety/compliance, field/commissioning engineers, and product/technical programme managers in the UK.

Why Robotics Careers in the UK Are Becoming More Multidisciplinary

Robotics used to be the domain of mechanical, electrical and software engineers. In the UK today, robotics is more than motors and control loops — it’s about perception, interaction, trust, regulation and integration into human environments. That evolution means robotics careers are becoming more multidisciplinary. Modern robots interact with people, collect data, operate under constraints, and often assist in safety-critical environments (healthcare, manufacturing, transport). So engineers now collaborate closely with legal, ethical, psychological, linguistic and design experts. In this article, we explore why UK robotics careers are evolving into multidisciplinary roles, how law, ethics, psychology, linguistics & design intersect with robotics, and how job-seekers and employers can adapt to this shift.

Robotics Team Structures Explained: Who Does What in a Modern Robotics Department

Robotics is transforming manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, agriculture, entertainment and more. In the UK, advances in robotics span autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), robotic arms, surgical robotics, drone systems, human-robot interaction, and collaborative robots (cobots). Building effective robotics systems requires not only strong hardware and software, but also finely coordinated teams with clear roles from research through deployment and maintenance. If you’re a candidate applying for robotics roles or an employer hiring through RoboticsJobs.co.uk, this guide will help you understand who does what in a mature robotics department, how the lifecycle of a robotics product works, what skills and qualifications UK employers typically expect, what salaries look like, common challenges, and best practices for structuring teams that deliver.