Controls Engineer
Controls & Automation | Peoria, IL (In-Person) | Full-Time
Compensation: $90,000 – $135,000
Reports To: Controls and Automation Manager
Every machine we build is different, and every one needs a control system that makes it run safely and reliably. If you’d rather design that system from the ground up than tweak someone else’s, keep reading.
Rheo Engineering designs and builds powder handling equipment used to make life-saving medicine. As a Controls Engineer, you’ll design the controls for a wide variety of custom machines and mechanical systems — then see them built and tested right here in our Peoria facility.
What You’ll Do
Review user requirements with Project Managers from an electronics and controls standpoint
Develop functional logic flowcharts and functional design specifications with the Engineering and R&D teams
Source control system components and build a complete bill of materials for each machine
Design pneumatic and hydraulic circuits and complete line diagrams
Create relay ladder logic (wiring) diagrams
Design control panels for equipment
Write PLC code for equipment
Test and debug control systems on the equipment you design
Support the Product Manager on product initiatives like improved functionality and cost reduction
Lead client review meetings to assess product utility and gather customer feedback
What We’re Looking For
Experience
Bachelor’s degree in a technical or engineering field
4+ years of relevant experience with PLC programming, debugging, and testing
Experience with pneumatic systems
Familiarity with Allen-Bradley PLCs or similar
Software
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Visio, Teams)
Proficiency in AutoCAD Electrical or another 2D CAD package
Traits
Superb Communication — you get your ideas, instructions, and points across clearly and naturally
Detail-Orientation — high attention to detail and highly organized
Extreme Ownership — you see a project through from beginning to end, no matter the obstacle
Mechanical Aptitude — you easily understand and navigate mechanical systems
Team Focused — others find you easy to work with
Self-Starter — you consistently take initiative
Values Alignment
Initiative: instinct for taking action to improve, solve, and deliver.
Collaboration: proactive communication with your stakeholders.
Competence: ability to do your job well.
Reliability: persistent follow-through on commitments.
Bold Humility: courage to speak, act, and listen without arrogance.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience with hydraulic systems
Experience with touchscreen HMIs, VFDs, PLCs, and I/O modules
Experience installing and wiring instrumentation
Experience bench testing control systems
Experience with Autodesk Inventor or another 3D CAD package
Why Rheo
Privately owned and operated for 30 years and counting
Excellent benefits – see section below
Smaller team (~100 team members) with a strong, in-person work culture
Unique, high-impact work — direct influence over the safe, reliable, and efficient production of medicine worldwide
Real variety — custom machines, not the same control panel over and over
Vertically integrated — see the systems you design get built and tested in the same building
A growing company in a stable, regulated industry where precision engineering matters
Benefits
Leading medical insurance — consistently low rates compared to other businesses in the area
Health Savings Account with employer contributions (plan-dependent)
Dental, vision, and life insurance
Short-term and long-term disability
Identity theft insurance
401(k) with 4% employer match
Generous PTO
Paid paternity and maternity leave
Paid cell phone plan with stipend for a new phone every 2 years
Employee referral program
Working Conditions — NEEDS REVIEW
Office-based with regular desk and computer work, plus regular time on the manufacturing floor for control system testing and debugging, and periodic visits to vendor and client sites. Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds at…