Application Controls Engineer

Summary

Overview AI builds AI-powered quality control systems for manufacturing that integrate directly with production lines, PLCs, and existing equipment. The Application Controls Engineer will install and integrate vision systems, troubleshoot hardware and electrical issues on-site, validate production performance, train customer teams, and support deployments at manufacturing facilities.

Responsibilities

• Physically install Overview cameras and lighting on production lines
• Configure systems to work with existing PLCs (Allen Bradley, Siemens, GE, Beckhoff)
• Map I/O, set up communication protocols, and validate connectivity
• Work directly with customer engineers and maintenance teams to coordinate integration around production schedules
• Diagnose problems in real production environments: connector issues, electrical continuity, signal timing, encoder feedback, I/O mapping
• Work with oscilloscopes, multimeters, network analyzers—and with your hands
• Collaborate with plant electricians and equipment technicians when needed
• Solve problems under the constraint of live production (no long redeploys, no taking systems offline without customer approval)
• Validate system performance on actual production lines (speed, accuracy, reliability)
• Tune systems for real-world constraints: lighting conditions, equipment vibration, material variations
• Document configuration and create setup guides for customer teams
• Train operators and engineers on system operation and basic troubleshooting
• Be the technical point of contact during installation and ramp-up
• Provide ongoing support during the first weeks of production operation
• Respond to technical issues and help customers troubleshoot independently over time
• Feed back real-world constraints and issues to the product team

Skills

• • 3+ years working directly with PLC systems (Allen Bradley, Siemens, GE Automation, or similar)
• + Experience configuring I/O, programming logic, and troubleshooting connectivity
• + Comfortable reading PLC documentation and understanding ladder logic or structured text
• • Hands-on experience integrating systems with production equipment
• + You've installed, configured, or integrated hardware on production lines
• + You understand how to work with existing controls without breaking them
• • Ability to troubleshoot electrical and hardware issues on-site
• + You're comfortable with a multimeter, oscilloscope, or continuity tester
• + You understand basic electrical concepts (voltage, current, signal integrity)
• + You've diagnosed and fixed real-world hardware problems
• • Experience in live production environments
• + You've worked on manufacturing floors—assembly, packaging, machining, automotive, food processing, etc
• + You understand downtime pressure and the reality of production constraints
• • Willingness to travel 60–80% to customer manufacturing facilities
• + You're comfortable being on-site for weeks at a time
• + You can work with customer shift schedules and production priorities
• + You want to be where the equipment is, not remote
• Travel: 60–80% of time on-site at customer facilities across the US. Expect 1–2 week deployments, with some trips being shorter (3–5 days)
• • Experience with vision systems or cameras in manufacturing (including setup, focus, lighting)
• • Familiarity with industrial communication protocols (Ethernet, Profibus, Modbus, serial)
• • Experience training operators and engineers on new systems
• • Comfort working independently and making technical decisions in the field
• • Track record of owning technical projects from start to finish
• • Background in plant engineering, maintenance, or manufacturing support
• • Experience with specific platforms: Allen Bradley CompactLogix/ControlLogix, Siemens S7-1200/S7-1500
• • Exposure to industrial networking or controls system security
• Preferred location: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee. Kentucky. South Carolina. North Carolina, Ohio

Qualifications

Must Haves

• • 3+ years working directly with PLC systems (Allen Bradley, Siemens, GE Automation, or similar)
• + Experience configuring I/O, programming logic, and troubleshooting connectivity
• + Comfortable reading PLC documentation and understanding ladder logic or structured text
• • Hands-on experience integrating systems with production equipment
• + You've installed, configured, or integrated hardware on production lines
• + You understand how to work with existing controls without breaking them
• • Ability to troubleshoot electrical and hardware issues on-site
• + You're comfortable with a multimeter, oscilloscope, or continuity tester
• + You understand basic electrical concepts (voltage, current, signal integrity)
• + You've diagnosed and fixed real-world hardware problems
• • Experience in live production environments
• + You've worked on manufacturing floors—assembly, packaging, machining, automotive, food processing, etc
• + You understand downtime pressure and the reality of production constraints
• • Willingness to travel 60–80% to customer manufacturing facilities
• + You're comfortable being on-site for weeks at a time
• + You can work with customer shift schedules and production priorities
• + You want to be where the equipment is, not remote
• Travel: 60–80% of time on-site at customer facilities across the US. Expect 1–2 week deployments, with some trips being shorter (3–5 days)

Nice to Haves

• • Experience with vision systems or cameras in manufacturing (including setup, focus, lighting)
• • Familiarity with industrial communication protocols (Ethernet, Profibus, Modbus, serial)
• • Experience training operators and engineers on new systems
• • Comfort working independently and making technical decisions in the field
• • Track record of owning technical projects from start to finish
• • Background in plant engineering, maintenance, or manufacturing support
• • Experience with specific platforms: Allen Bradley CompactLogix/ControlLogix, Siemens S7-1200/S7-1500
• • Exposure to industrial networking or controls system security
• Preferred location: Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee. Kentucky. South Carolina. North Carolina, Ohio

Benefits

• Real impact: Your work keeps production lines running
• Technical growth: You'll expand across controls, vision, and AI systems
• Autonomy: High ownership, minimal bureaucracy
• Equity (startup scaling trajectory)
• Hardware and tools: You'll have what you need to do the job