Electrical Controls Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Electrical controls engineer jobs in Illinois are consistently active, with strong demand from the state's deep base of industrial manufacturing, food processing, automotive systems, and building automation sectors at every level from entry-level technician to senior systems architect. Chicago, Rockford, and the Quad Cities metro area account for the largest share of openings, where established employers like Caterpillar, Rockwell Automation, and Siemens maintain significant operations. PLC programming, motion control, and SCADA system integration are the specialties Illinois employers request most. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 10+ Electrical Controls Engineer jobs
Position: Electrical Controls Engineer II
Supervisor: Director of Global Accounts
Location: Libertyville, IL
Description: The Electrical Controls Engineer II / Automation Engineer - Global Accounts supports complex industrial water treatment projects by designing, programming, building, testing, and troubleshooting electrical controls systems. This role blends engineering design with hands-on shop-floor and field support, including BMS, BACnet, MODBUS, PLC and HMI programming, control panel design, power distribution, system wiring, prototype builds, FAT/QTP support, startup, commissioning, and customer troubleshooting. The ideal candidate has strong industrial controls experience, practical panel build skills, and the ability to read P&IDs, electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, sequence narratives, and customer specifications. This position works closely with NAM, LATAM & EMEA engineering, manufacturing, quality, project management, field service, vendors, and customers to deliver reliable, manufacturable, and supportable controls solutions. Success requires strong troubleshooting, communication, documentation, and collaboration skills, along with a willingness to travel approximately 20-25% to support installations, startups, testing, and field needs.
Responsibilities:
- Design, develop, and support electrical controls solutions for custom industrial water treatment systems and Global Accounts projects.
- Create and maintain electrical schematics, panel layouts, I/O lists, load calculations, BOMs, redlines, and controls documentation.
- Program PLCs and HMIs using P&IDs, sequence narratives, customer specifications, equipment standards, and process requirements.
- Select PLC hardware, instrumentation, control components, enclosures, power distribution equipment, and industrial communication devices.
- Support panel builds, system wiring, prototype development, shop-floor troubleshooting, manufacturing questions, and production readiness.
- Participate in FAT, QTP, startup, commissioning, punch-list closure, and field troubleshooting activities as needed.
- Troubleshoot PLC, HMI, instrumentation, communications, controls, wiring, and integration issues in factory and customer-site environments.
- Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, quality, project management, field service, vendors, and customers to resolve technical issues.
- Perform additional responsibilities beyond this description as business needs require.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, controls engineering, automation engineering, or related technical field preferred; equivalent industrial controls experience may be considered.
- Minimum 3 years of industrial controls experience, including PLC programming, HMI development, control panel design, and power distribution panel design.
- Proficiency with Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLC platforms, HMI screen development, industrial networking, BMS integration, and common communication protocols.
- Excellent customer-facing communication and polished presentation skills.
- Ability to create and interpret P&IDs, sequence narratives, equipment specifications, electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, panel layouts, mechanical drawings, and customer technical standards.
- Hands-on ability to support panel builds, system wiring, prototypes, shop-floor troubleshooting, FAT/QTP activities, startups, commissioning, field troubleshooting, and customer support.
- Must be eligible to work in the US without sponsorship; must be able to work regularly in-office 4–5 days per week and travel up to 25% based on business, customer, startup, testing, and field support needs.
- Hands-on ability and willingness to work on the shop floor, build panels, wire systems, support prototypes, troubleshoot equipment, and participate in system testing.
Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies in this position: Integrity, Team Player, Customer Focus, Initiative, Detail Oriented, Excellence, Analytical & Troubleshooting Skills, Oral & Written, Communication, Adaptability
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
Position: Electrical Controls Engineer II
Supervisor: Director of Global Accounts
Location: Libertyville, IL
Description: The Electrical Controls Engineer II / Automation Engineer - Global Accounts supports complex industrial water treatment projects by designing, programming, building, testing, and troubleshooting electrical controls systems. This role blends engineering design with hands-on shop-floor and field support, including BMS, BACnet, MODBUS, PLC and HMI programming, control panel design, power distribution, system wiring, prototype builds, FAT/QTP support, startup, commissioning, and customer troubleshooting. The ideal candidate has strong industrial controls experience, practical panel build skills, and the ability to read P&IDs, electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, sequence narratives, and customer specifications. This position works closely with NAM, LATAM & EMEA engineering, manufacturing, quality, project management, field service, vendors, and customers to deliver reliable, manufacturable, and supportable controls solutions. Success requires strong troubleshooting, communication, documentation, and collaboration skills, along with a willingness to travel approximately 20-25% to support installations, startups, testing, and field needs.
Responsibilities:
- Design, develop, and support electrical controls solutions for custom industrial water treatment systems and Global Accounts projects.
- Create and maintain electrical schematics, panel layouts, I/O lists, load calculations, BOMs, redlines, and controls documentation.
- Program PLCs and HMIs using P&IDs, sequence narratives, customer specifications, equipment standards, and process requirements.
- Select PLC hardware, instrumentation, control components, enclosures, power distribution equipment, and industrial communication devices.
- Support panel builds, system wiring, prototype development, shop-floor troubleshooting, manufacturing questions, and production readiness.
- Participate in FAT, QTP, startup, commissioning, punch-list closure, and field troubleshooting activities as needed.
- Troubleshoot PLC, HMI, instrumentation, communications, controls, wiring, and integration issues in factory and customer-site environments.
- Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, quality, project management, field service, vendors, and customers to resolve technical issues.
- Perform additional responsibilities beyond this description as business needs require.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, controls engineering, automation engineering, or related technical field preferred; equivalent industrial controls experience may be considered.
- Minimum 3 years of industrial controls experience, including PLC programming, HMI development, control panel design, and power distribution panel design.
- Proficiency with Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLC platforms, HMI screen development, industrial networking, BMS integration, and common communication protocols.
- Excellent customer-facing communication and polished presentation skills.
- Ability to create and interpret P&IDs, sequence narratives, equipment specifications, electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, panel layouts, mechanical drawings, and customer technical standards.
- Hands-on ability to support panel builds, system wiring, prototypes, shop-floor troubleshooting, FAT/QTP activities, startups, commissioning, field troubleshooting, and customer support.
- Must be eligible to work in the US without sponsorship; must be able to work regularly in-office 4–5 days per week and travel up to 25% based on business, customer, startup, testing, and field support needs.
- Hands-on ability and willingness to work on the shop floor, build panels, wire systems, support prototypes, troubleshoot equipment, and participate in system testing.
Competencies: To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies in this position: Integrity, Team Player, Customer Focus, Initiative, Detail Oriented, Excellence, Analytical & Troubleshooting Skills, Oral & Written, Communication, Adaptability
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
See All 10 Electrical Controls Engineer Jobs in Illinois
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Find JobsElectrical Controls Engineer Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Electrical Controls Engineer Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in electrical controls engineer jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, controls engineering, or closely related discipline required
- Hands-on experience programming PLCs such as Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or Mitsubishi systems
- Proficiency with SCADA systems, HMI development, and industrial networking protocols
- Ability to read, interpret, and produce electrical schematics and control panel drawings
- Familiarity with NEC and NFPA 70E electrical safety standards for industrial environments
- Experience with motion control systems, servo drives, and variable frequency drives preferred
Electrical Controls Engineer Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a electrical controls engineer in Illinois?
Start with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a closely related field from an accredited program. Illinois does not require a state license for most private-sector controls engineering roles, but obtaining a Professional Engineer license through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation strengthens your candidacy for senior and project-lead positions. Employers across Illinois's manufacturing corridor typically expect demonstrated PLC programming experience, which you can build through co-ops, lab coursework, or entry-level technician roles before moving into full engineering positions.
How much do electrical controls engineers make in Illinois?
Electrical controls engineers in Illinois earn a median of about $107,860 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $75,470 for the lowest 10% to over $164,290 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire electrical controls engineers in Illinois?
Employers hiring electrical controls engineers in Illinois right now include Ozinga, MSP, and South Bow, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Illinois's concentration of industrial manufacturers, food and beverage processors, and building automation firms means demand for controls engineers stays consistent across both the Chicago metro and downstate manufacturing communities.
Which Illinois cities have the most electrical controls engineer jobs?
Loves Park, Libertyville, and Mokena have the most electrical controls engineer openings in Illinois. Chicago drives the largest volume thanks to its dense base of industrial firms, engineering consultancies, and building automation contractors, while Rockford and the Quad Cities area reflect the region's long-standing machinery and heavy manufacturing industries, where controls engineers are embedded in production floor operations.
Are there remote electrical controls engineer jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they're rare. Electrical controls engineering is fundamentally hands-on work involving physical panels, factory floors, and on-site commissioning, which limits fully remote arrangements. About 25% of electrical controls engineer openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, and those postings tend to focus on design, documentation, or PLC code development tasks where physical presence isn't required at every stage of the project.
How can I get hired as a electrical controls engineer in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a controls technician or automation technician role, which large Illinois manufacturers regularly hire for at the associate degree or vocational certificate level. Employers like Caterpillar and mid-size Rockford-area machine builders frequently bring on candidates through apprenticeship partnerships with Illinois community colleges, including programs at Rock Valley College and Illinois Central College. Building a portfolio of PLC ladder logic projects, even from coursework or personal labs, combined with a Certified Controls System Technician credential from ISA, gives candidates a concrete edge when applying without direct industrial experience.
Where can I find and apply to electrical controls engineer jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to electrical controls engineer jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from Illinois employers. Search the available roles, find the ones that match your background and location, and apply directly to the ones that fit.
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