Controls Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in Kentucky
Kentucky's controls engineer job market centers on Louisville's advanced manufacturing corridor, Lexington's automotive suppliers, and the Toyota Georgetown plant, one of the state's largest industrial employers. Companies like Toyota, Lexington-based Tempur Sealy, and numerous Tier 1 automotive suppliers regularly hire controls engineers and have established pathways for visa sponsorship.
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TITLE
Controls Technician (Level 9)
LOCATION
Scottsville, Kentucky
REPORTS TO
Department Controls Engineer
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Able to assume responsibility for the manufacturing of consumer foods which comply with all food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.
- Able to support our company and site safety policies and perform work related activities in a safe manner. Able to recognize unsafe working conditions, coach peers, and suggest new safety standards as appropriate.
- Able to perform the necessary activities to operate and maintain production equipment.
- Able to follow and improve documented operational, maintenance and sanitation standards in a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) work environment.
- Owns preventative maintenance activities as it relates to electrical/controls and coordinates with ATRs / PM coordinators to execute effectively, audit, and create work orders in a timely manner to maximize performance of our plant equipment. The ability to improve and modify preventative maintenance activities as appropriate.
- Able to inspect, maintain, troubleshoot and repair electrical, instrumentation, controls and automation equipment and software.
- Able to demonstrate knowledge in operation and troubleshooting of the following:
- Power Distribution
- Controls platform hardware and software
- Motor controls including motor starters, drives, servos, and PLC motion control instructions
- Safety circuits (TUV Training)
- FactoryTalk ME & SE as in relates to troubleshooting issues
- Ethernet/IP Control Network, Managed/Unmanaged switches
- Food Manufacturing and Utility Instrumentation
- Ability to understand electrical prints and make minor changes
- Understand how to properly operate electrical testing equipment.
- Utilizes drawings, prints, and instruction manuals to determine proper steps to be taken for equipment preventative maintenance, troubleshooting and repairs.
- Adheres to company drawing and documentation standards.
- Able to coach other team members on electrical, instrumentation and controls skills, machine functionality, defect identification and resolution and equipment repair.
- Able to travel and actively participate in training and qualification programs, able to participate in assessments and ensure effective training and consistent qualification standards are maintained.
- Able to use continuous improvement tools, including breakdown elimination to eliminate losses and drive issues to root cause. Able to document, communicate and implement corrective and preventative actions.
- Able to own one or more technical, safety or quality systems.
- Able to create documentation as needed (SOPs, Job Aids, PM Improvements, etc.).
- Able to maintain knowledge/skill/ability by attending technical training sessions, participating in vendor visits and scheduled maintenance activities as well as attainment of expertise in advanced E&I technology (networks, servers, FactoryTalk, Motion Controls, etc.).
- Able to utilize technology (i.e., computer, etc.) to maintain accurate records and data as well as utilizing the Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.) and online training resources.
- Ability to effectively communicate controls activities and daily work with the operations.
- Ability to translate technical problems and issues into actionable items for ATRs and vice versa to communicate issues to engineers.
- Able to lead/manage projects to improve safety, quality, and production results in a designated area. Delegate and coordinate project tasks with ATRs to develop skills.
- Capability to work independently as well as in a team environment and be willing to help solve problems and implement solutions.
- A proven track record of good attendance and consistent performance.
- Flexibility with working after hours and weekends to provide coverage during operation issues or training needs on off shifts. Primary contact for electrical/controls related issues during escalation events. Responsible for packaging problems and deciding further escalation.
- Ability to track skill gaps and coordinate training for those gaps. Perform on the job training during issues.
- Ability to follow change management processes as it relates to electrical and controls changes, leave effective change descriptions in asset centre for PLC and documentation changes.
- Ability to use Proficy historian / trend client to effectively pull pre-fault data and use that data to actively troubleshoot issues as well as prevent future breakdowns.
- Ability to use and coach others on preventive maintenance tools as it relates to electrical and controls technologies. Examples include, but not limited to, safety circuit audits, device calibrations, electrical thermography, and disaster recovery tools for controls equipment.
SELECTION CRITERIA
- High School Diploma or equivalent is required.
- Associates or technical degree or training preferred.
- Minimum 2 years of relevant work experience with electrical systems, PLC, motor and motion controls, SCADA systems, device and information networks, sensors, instrumentation equipment for manufacturing is required.
- Demonstrated ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences.
We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.
We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.
Controls Engineer Job Roles in Kentucky
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Search Controls Engineer Jobs in KentuckyControls Engineer Jobs in Kentucky: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for controls engineers in Kentucky?
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky in Georgetown is among the most prominent sponsors, given its scale and continuous automation investment. Lexington and Louisville attract Tier 1 automotive suppliers and food and beverage manufacturers who regularly hire controls engineers. Companies with large, established engineering teams, particularly in automotive assembly and discrete manufacturing, are the most consistent sponsors because they have in-house HR infrastructure to manage the process.
Which visa types are most common for controls engineer roles in Kentucky?
The H-1B visa is the most widely used visa for controls engineers in Kentucky, as the role generally qualifies as a specialty occupation requiring at least a bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, or controls-related engineering. Candidates from Canada or Mexico may also be eligible for TN visa status under the USMCA, which can be faster to obtain. Engineers from Australia can explore the E-3 visa as an alternative to H-1B visa.
Which cities in Kentucky have the most controls engineer sponsorship jobs?
Louisville and Lexington account for the majority of controls engineer openings in Kentucky, driven by their concentration of automotive manufacturers, food processing facilities, and industrial automation firms. Georgetown stands out due to the Toyota plant and its supplier ecosystem. Bowling Green has grown as an automotive hub following the GM Corvette assembly plant expansion, adding demand for automation and controls expertise in that region as well.
How to find controls engineer visa sponsorship jobs in Kentucky?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically by visa sponsorship availability, so you can search for controls engineer roles in Kentucky without sorting through positions that won't support international candidates. The platform focuses on engineering and technical roles with documented sponsorship history. Filtering by state and role on Migrate Mate is a practical starting point given how spread out Kentucky's manufacturing employers are across Louisville, Lexington, Georgetown, and Bowling Green.
Are there state-specific factors controls engineers should know about the Kentucky job market?
Kentucky's heavy reliance on automotive manufacturing means controls engineers with PLC programming experience, particularly in Allen-Bradley or Siemens platforms, are in consistent demand. The University of Kentucky and University of Louisville produce engineering graduates who feed local industry pipelines, so international candidates often benefit from prior co-op or internship experience with Kentucky employers. Prevailing wage requirements under H-1B rules apply statewide, and employers in manufacturing hubs tend to be familiar with the sponsorship process.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored controls engineer jobs in Kentucky?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.