Senior Controls Engineer
Danaher Corporation
Summary
The Senior Controls Engineer is responsible for being a vital contributor and engineering leader in all phases of our projects, including planning, design, programming, purchasing, integration, testing, commissioning, and training of automated control systems. You will be responsible for equipment deployment opportunities. This position is part of the Global Equipment Automation team and will report to the Automation Engineering Manager. This role is an onsite role located in Chaska, MN.
Job description
In this role, you will have the opportunity to:
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Beckman factories and contracted suppliers to develop user requirement specifications (URS), automation concepts, and architectural-level designs for automated equipment. Primary equipment functions include bottle/vial/cartridge material handling, liquid filling, capping, labeling, and palletizing.
- Participate in end-to-end project execution with external equipment suppliers & integrators including budgeting, scheduling, design, implementation, installation, troubleshooting, and documentation, while ensuring regulatory compliance.
- Design and program industrial control systems such as PLCs, robotics, HMIs, vision systems, motion control systems, and ensure supplier deliverables meet technical standards.
- Actively participates in design reviews with contractors, engineering consultants, and other project team members.
- Provide technical input to drive engineering decisions, provide guidance, and project status updates as required for project review and other company meetings.
- Responsible for driving the Global Automation engineering team’s best practices across project tollgates that include procurement, supplier design, equipment testing, installation, and FAT/SAT.
The essential requirements of the job include:
- Educational Background: Bachelor’s in engineering or Mechatronics/Automation with 5+ years of experience, or master’s with 2+ years.
- Technical Expertise: Proficient in PLC programming (ladder logic & structured text), and experienced with AC/DC drives, servo motors, HMIs, machine vision, and safety systems.
- Project Leadership: Ability to work within an Engineering team and manage automation objectives including debugging, installation, equipment commissioning, and training aligned with project specs.
- Communication Skills: Good written and verbal communication, capable of articulating technical concepts for team review.
- Continuous Improvement: Demonstrates a proactive mindset for process optimization and problem-solving.
- Travel, Motor Vehicle Record & Physical/Environment Requirements: Must be able to travel up to 15% to both Beckman and supplier/vendor sites.
It would be a plus if you also possess previous experience in:
- Hands-on experience with complex mechanical systems including CAD modeling.
- Experience with Rockwell Automation ControlLogix family of programmable controllers, Cognex vision systems, industrial robotics
- Digital integration leveraging PLC & SCADA systems including basic understanding of computer networking, TCP/IP, and industrial fieldbus architectures such as Ethernet I/P.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s in engineering or Mechatronics/Automation with 5+ years of experience, or master’s with 2+ years
- Proficient in PLC programming (ladder logic & structured text)
- Experienced with AC/DC drives, servo motors, HMIs, machine vision, and safety systems
- Ability to work within an Engineering team and manage automation objectives including debugging, installation, equipment commissioning, and training aligned with project specs
- Good written and verbal communication, capable of articulating technical concepts for team review
- Demonstrates a proactive mindset for process optimization and problem-solving
- Must be able to travel up to 15% to both Beckman and supplier/vendor sites
Benefits
- Paid time off
- Medical insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- 401(k)
- Bonus/incentive pay
Company overview
Danaher Corporation is a leading global science and technology innovator headquartered in Washington, D.C., specializing in biotechnology, life sciences, and diagnostics. Founded in 1984 by brothers Steven and Mitchell Rales, the company has evolved from its origins as a manufacturing conglomerate into a premier healthcare technology organization with approximately 63,000 employees worldwide. Danaher operates through three core divisions: biotechnology (28% of revenues), which develops products for therapeutic development; life sciences (31% of revenues), focused on disease identification, new therapies, and drug testing/manufacturing; and diagnostics (41% of revenues), providing instruments, consumables, and software for disease diagnosis. The company's portfolio includes renowned brands such as Beckman Coulter, Cytiva, Pall Corporation, Cepheid, Leica Microsystems, and Abcam, serving pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, healthcare providers, and research institutions globally. Danaher is distinguished by its Danaher Business System (DBS), a continuous improvement methodology that drives innovation and operational excellence. With 2024 revenues of $23.9 billion, the company ranks 180th on the Fortune 500 and plays a critical role in advancing scientific research, improving diagnostic capabilities, and accelerating the development of life-saving therapies.