TN Visa Controls Engineer Jobs
Controls Engineer roles qualify for TN visa sponsorship under the USMCA's engineer category, covering PLC programming, SCADA systems, and automated manufacturing work. Canadian citizens can apply at the border with no cap; Mexican citizens go through consular processing. Your degree must be in electrical, mechanical, or systems engineering.
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Get Access To All JobsJob Description: The Controls Engineer will provide leadership and technical expertise in the areas of controls and electronic circuitry to achieve launch date, as well as safety, quality, and productivity targets in a new medical device manufacturing plant. Initial focus will be specification through commissioning of new high volume medical device assembly equipment, machine networks and SCADA system. Role will transition to focus on controls improvements and troubleshooting of high volume automated medical device assembly equipment and associated electrical wiring/devices, instrument, embedded systems, motion control and inspection systems. In addition, it is expected that this individual will assist and provide training to maintenance, production or other personnel as needed with technical or troubleshooting. The selected candidate will be skilled in the design/specification, installation, and upkeep of PLC and PC based controls in a manufacturing environment.
Responsibilities:
- Developing specifications and user requirements for controls, communication and SCADA systems for high volume medical device assembly and material handling equipment.
- Oversee electrical/controls design and build by machine OEMs to assure machine is built to specifications and meets safety and performance requirements.
- Support installation, FAT/SAT, validation and commissioning of assembly and material handling equipment.
- Lead or support maintenance teams in troubleshooting problems resulting in downtime or quality issues. Identify and correct causes of chronic equipment failures or issues.
- Develop and implement plan to achieve highly effective controls troubleshooting and repair, minimizing downtime.
- Manage control of machine software, firmware and user access security.
- Propose, evaluate risk and implement PLC program and other software/firmware or hardware changes needed to improve safety, yield and productivity.
- Completing change control documentation, including change documentation, risk assessment and justification.
- Optimize and/or improve human machine interfaces, SCADA systems and MES interfaces.
- Troubleshooting and optimizing performance of vision inspection systems.
- Define equipment maintenance/preventative maintenance requirements and procedures.
- Identify root-causes of equipment failures, develop and implement corrective actions.
- Develop troubleshooting and repair skills of Controls and Automation Technicians.
- Provide expert on call support for system outages and major incidents.
- Work with Automation and Validation Engineers to develop test scripts to validate software/firmware updates for controls related changes.
Qualifications
- A Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent coupled with 7+ years of experience in high volume industrial or manufacturing environment.
- Proficiency programming and troubleshooting Allen Bradley Control Logics PLCs and Human Machine Interface (HMI / GUI).
- Proficient user of: RSLOGIX5000, Logix Designer, Studio 5000, Factory Talk SE, Ignition and Cognex.
- Demonstrated ability to design fault-tolerant systems with error handling and recovery.
- General understanding of factory LAN/WAN ethernet networks and ability to setup devices with IP addresses or nodes.
- Experience setting up/tuning and troubleshooting Allen Bradley Power-Flex variable frequency drives and Kinetix multi-axis servo drives.
- Solid working knowledge of:
- Field bus Networks (ProfiNet, DeviceNet, Ethernet/IP, Safety rated field bus networks).
- Radio frequency identification devices (RFID) and all the accompanying components (Receiver, antenna, puck, reader).
- PID tuning and closed feedback loops.
- Serial communication (RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, ProfiBus, Modbus RTU, Data Highway) between PLCs, instruments and microcontrollers.
- Ethernet communications between machine PLCs and embedded data collection systems.
- Proficiency selecting appropriate circuit protectors, wire and cable, sensors, safety hardware, PLC hardware, remote I/O, VFD and instrumentation.
- Broad knowledge of controls devices and experience troubleshooting.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills.
Job Description: The Controls Engineer will provide leadership and technical expertise in the areas of controls and electronic circuitry to achieve launch date, as well as safety, quality, and productivity targets in a new medical device manufacturing plant. Initial focus will be specification through commissioning of new high volume medical device assembly equipment, machine networks and SCADA system. Role will transition to focus on controls improvements and troubleshooting of high volume automated medical device assembly equipment and associated electrical wiring/devices, instrument, embedded systems, motion control and inspection systems. In addition, it is expected that this individual will assist and provide training to maintenance, production or other personnel as needed with technical or troubleshooting. The selected candidate will be skilled in the design/specification, installation, and upkeep of PLC and PC based controls in a manufacturing environment.
Responsibilities:
- Developing specifications and user requirements for controls, communication and SCADA systems for high volume medical device assembly and material handling equipment.
- Oversee electrical/controls design and build by machine OEMs to assure machine is built to specifications and meets safety and performance requirements.
- Support installation, FAT/SAT, validation and commissioning of assembly and material handling equipment.
- Lead or support maintenance teams in troubleshooting problems resulting in downtime or quality issues. Identify and correct causes of chronic equipment failures or issues.
- Develop and implement plan to achieve highly effective controls troubleshooting and repair, minimizing downtime.
- Manage control of machine software, firmware and user access security.
- Propose, evaluate risk and implement PLC program and other software/firmware or hardware changes needed to improve safety, yield and productivity.
- Completing change control documentation, including change documentation, risk assessment and justification.
- Optimize and/or improve human machine interfaces, SCADA systems and MES interfaces.
- Troubleshooting and optimizing performance of vision inspection systems.
- Define equipment maintenance/preventative maintenance requirements and procedures.
- Identify root-causes of equipment failures, develop and implement corrective actions.
- Develop troubleshooting and repair skills of Controls and Automation Technicians.
- Provide expert on call support for system outages and major incidents.
- Work with Automation and Validation Engineers to develop test scripts to validate software/firmware updates for controls related changes.
Qualifications
- A Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent coupled with 7+ years of experience in high volume industrial or manufacturing environment.
- Proficiency programming and troubleshooting Allen Bradley Control Logics PLCs and Human Machine Interface (HMI / GUI).
- Proficient user of: RSLOGIX5000, Logix Designer, Studio 5000, Factory Talk SE, Ignition and Cognex.
- Demonstrated ability to design fault-tolerant systems with error handling and recovery.
- General understanding of factory LAN/WAN ethernet networks and ability to setup devices with IP addresses or nodes.
- Experience setting up/tuning and troubleshooting Allen Bradley Power-Flex variable frequency drives and Kinetix multi-axis servo drives.
- Solid working knowledge of:
- Field bus Networks (ProfiNet, DeviceNet, Ethernet/IP, Safety rated field bus networks).
- Radio frequency identification devices (RFID) and all the accompanying components (Receiver, antenna, puck, reader).
- PID tuning and closed feedback loops.
- Serial communication (RS-232, RS-422, RS-485, ProfiBus, Modbus RTU, Data Highway) between PLCs, instruments and microcontrollers.
- Ethernet communications between machine PLCs and embedded data collection systems.
- Proficiency selecting appropriate circuit protectors, wire and cable, sensors, safety hardware, PLC hardware, remote I/O, VFD and instrumentation.
- Broad knowledge of controls devices and experience troubleshooting.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills.
See all 4,365+ Controls Engineer jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Controls Engineer roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding TN Visa Sponsorship as a Controls Engineer
Align your credentials to USMCA engineer categories
TN classification requires a degree in engineering, not just a related field. A controls engineering role backed by a computer science or physics degree often draws CBP scrutiny, so prepare a credential evaluation that maps your coursework to the engineering category explicitly.
Target manufacturers with visa sponsorship experience
Automotive, aerospace, and food processing companies often hire controls engineers under TN status. Prioritize employers with recent visa filings, since their experience with visa sponsorship demonstrates familiarity with work authorization processes. Look for roles emphasizing PLC or SCADA system requirements—these technical specifications strengthen your case when presenting your credentials and support letter at the U.S. port of entry or consulate, where you'll demonstrate the role qualifies as a specialty occupation under the TN category.
Request a detailed offer letter before your border crossing
For Canadian citizens, CBP adjudicates TN status at the port of entry on the spot. Your offer letter must specify your title as engineer, describe control systems duties, state your degree requirement, and confirm full-time employment to avoid a same-day denial.
Use Migrate Mate to find employers who sponsor TN visas
Search Migrate Mate to identify controls engineering roles at companies with recent visa filings and sponsorship experience. Filtering by TN-eligible roles saves time and connects you directly with employers experienced with work visa processes who are likely to understand your visa needs.
Prepare documentation for multi-site or contractor roles
Controls engineers frequently work on-site at client facilities rather than at the sponsoring employer's address. CBP can question whether a contractor arrangement satisfies the employer-employee relationship TN requires, so get a client work authorization letter alongside your offer letter.
Understand Mexico's TN allocation before your consular appointment
Mexican citizens are subject to an annual TN cap of 5,500 visas. Schedule your consular interview in Mexico City, Guadalajara, or Monterrey well before your intended start date, and confirm your employer's role description matches the engineer occupation list exactly.
Controls Engineer jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Controls Engineer JobsControls Engineer TN Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a controls engineer role qualify for a TN visa?
Yes, controls engineering falls under the USMCA engineer occupation category, which covers electrical, mechanical, industrial, and systems engineers. Your job duties must center on engineering work, such as designing or programming control systems, PLCs, or SCADA infrastructure. A title of 'controls engineer' with an engineering degree and a qualifying employer offer is the standard path to TN approval.
How does TN compare to H-1B for controls engineer positions?
TN has no lottery, no annual cap for Canadians, and no lengthy USCIS petition process. H-1B requires entering a randomized lottery each spring, and approval can take six months or more. For controls engineers with a Canadian or Mexican passport, TN is faster to obtain, simpler to renew, and allows you to start work sooner after receiving an offer.
Where can I find controls engineer jobs that offer TN visa sponsorship?
Migrate Mate lists controls engineer roles at employers with recent visa filings, so you're not cold-applying and discovering sponsorship issues after the interview. Filtering by TN-eligible positions narrows your search to companies experienced with work visa sponsorship and prepared to write the support letter you'll need at the U.S. border or consulate.
Can I cross the Canadian border to get TN status as a controls engineer?
Canadian citizens can apply for TN status directly at a U.S. port of entry without scheduling a consular appointment. Bring your offer letter, engineering degree transcripts or diploma, and a credential evaluation if your degree was issued outside the U.S. or Canada. CBP officers adjudicate TN applications on the spot, and most approvals are granted the same day.
What happens to my TN status if I change controls engineering employers?
TN status is employer-specific, so switching companies requires a new TN filing. Canadian citizens can re-enter at the border with a new offer letter from the next employer. Mexican citizens must return to a U.S. consulate in Mexico for a new visa stamp. You cannot begin working for the new employer until the new TN is approved.
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