Johnson Creek, WI · Full-time · Direct hire · $70,000–$100,000 a year · Job ID 29e3c2e2
Lead Field Automation Specialist – PLC Programming & Electro-Mechanical Service
Up to $120,000 Base Salary + Company Vehicle • Johnson Creek, WI Area • On-Site & Field Operations • Direct-Hire
- Compensation & Perks: Up to $120,000 starting base salary (scaling directly with automation and maintenance depth) + assigned company service vehicle + comprehensive corporate benefits package + long-term equity/ownership potential.
- Work Schedule: High-autonomy field and shop schedule servicing Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois; manage your own client calls, system startups, and retrofits with flexible scheduling.
- Work Environment: Established, high-growth automation integrator with an average employee tenure of ~9 years; relaxed, family-first culture built on trust, direct technical mentoring, and zero rigid corporate bureaucracy.
- Experience & Tech Stack: 5+ years of electro-mechanical industrial maintenance + 2+ years of hands-on industrial automation, controls, and multi-platform PLC/HMI programming from scratch; VFDs, DC controllers, fluid power loops, and safety systems.
- Company Stability & Culture: Premier systems integrator designing, installing, rebuilding, and servicing custom control systems and machinery; highly stable, fast-growing, and deeply protective of work-life balance.
- Requirements & Compliance: U.S. Citizen or Green Card holder; valid driver's license with a clean driving record; must reside within a 45-minute daily driving radius of Johnson Creek, WI.
If you are a skilled Industrial Maintenance Technician who combines heavy electro-mechanical troubleshooting with a strong PLC programming and controls background, this high-autonomy role offers the ultimate professional home. Operating out of the Johnson Creek, WI area, this established automation integrator designs, installs, rebuilds, and services custom electrical control systems, industrial panels, and production machinery across Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
Bypassing rigid factory floors, repetitive shift loops, and corporate red tape, this position pairs technical variety with high ownership. You will work alongside a tight-knit team of top technicians and controls professionals in an environment that boasts an average employee tenure of ~9 years. Supported by a relaxed, family-first culture built on trust, leadership actively invests in your success—providing an assigned company vehicle, flexible scheduling, direct mentoring, and long-term equity/ownership potential for a dedicated team member.
What You Will Be Doing (Daily Responsibilities)
- Lead Field Maintenance & Commissioning: Serve as a dedicated Field Maintenance Specialist handling service calls, system startups, emergency repairs, retrofits, and machinery upgrades across Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois using an assigned company vehicle.
- Design & Program Controls Systems: Architect and program custom control software from scratch across various major PLC and HMI platforms (not limited to a single brand).
- Execute Electro-Mechanical Diagnostics: Perform advanced on-site electrical and controls troubleshooting, diagnosing control circuits, electrical panels, Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs), DC controllers, motor drives, and safety interlocks.
- Service Fluid Power & Mechanical Systems: Diagnose and repair mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems across a wide array of custom industrial machinery and automated production lines.
- Integrate Advanced Automation Hardware: Install, commission, and retrofit automation machinery, including panel builds, light curtains/scanners, safety controllers, and cobot/robotic integrations.
- Deliver Client Technical Support: Translate complex electrical schematics and blueprints on-site to resolve issues rapidly, serving as a trusted technical advisor to eliminate customer downtime.
What We Are Looking For (Requirements & Qualifications)
- 5+ Years Electro-Mechanical Maintenance Depth: Verifiable track record in industrial machinery maintenance, machinery service, or automation environments (open to lower tenure for candidates who pass a rigorous technical skills assessment).
- 2+ Years Multi-Platform PLC/HMI Programming: Practical experience developing PLC programs from scratch and configuring HMI screens across multiple industrial platforms.
- Electrical & Controls Mastery: High-level expertise in panel wiring, schematic interpretation, power distribution, motor controls, and diagnostic testing.
- Fluid Power Competency: Solid hands-on understanding of hydraulic and pneumatic pumps, valves, cylinders, and mechanical power transmission assemblies.
- Education & Practical Skill Balance: Open to candidates without a formal diploma if backed by strong hands-on field experience, OR candidates holding an Associate Degree (A.S.) in Automated Systems, Controls, or Mechatronics.
- Location & Work Eligibility: Must reside within a 45-minute drive of Johnson Creek, WI, hold a valid driver's license, and be a U.S. Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card holder).
Preferred Technical Assets (Bonus Skills)
- Robotic Arm & Cobot Setup: Hands-on integration, path teaching, or programming experience with FANUC, Universal Robots (UR), or alternative robotic cells.
- Database & SCADA Integration: Exposure to high-level language integration, Ignition SCADA, or SQL database connections for plant floor data collection.
- Industrial Network Protocols: Proficiency configuring EtherNet/IP, Modbus, or PROFIBUS communication topologies across complex control networks.