Automation Controls Engineer
Quick facts
- Type
- Full-time
- Location
- Columbus, MS
- Industry
- Manufacturing and Logistics — 108 open jobs
- Visa in listing
- H-1B
- Apply
- Free to apply — never pay anyone for a job offer or visa sponsorship
Job description
We are recruiting two Controls Engineers for a growing heavy-duty truck engine manufacturing operation. The company will consider candidates across a wide range of experience levels, including engineers with approximately one year of relevant experience who have strong Siemens controls knowledge.
This position supports automated machining operations and provides hands-on ownership of electrical controls, PLCs, CNC systems, equipment improvements, and capital projects.
Responsibilities
- Program, modify, and troubleshoot Siemens PLC and CNC control systems.
- Diagnose equipment problems using ladder logic, function block diagrams, STL, and electrical schematics.
- Support automated machining equipment, including Heller CNC and Liebherr gantry systems.
- Improve equipment uptime, reliability, productivity, and operating efficiency.
- Lead controls modifications, corrective actions, installations, and capital improvements.
- Coordinate projects with production, maintenance, engineering, IT, suppliers, contractors, and plant leadership.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related technical field.
- Controls engineering experience supporting manufacturing or automated production equipment.
- Hands-on experience with Siemens STEP 7 and TIA Portal.
- Experience with Siemens CNC controls, including Step-7 Powerline, Solutionline, or HMI Advanced.
- Ability to interpret electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic schematics.
- Strong troubleshooting, project ownership, and cross-functional communication skills.
- Willingness to work an evening shift.
Experience with Profibus, ProfiSafe, FANUC robotics, Cognex machine vision, AutoCAD, Six Sigma, or capital projects is helpful.
Minimal travel is required. U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and candidates with H-1B or TN status will be considered.
Visa sponsorship record
No public sponsorship records foundWe didn't find H-1B, H-1B1, E-3 or green card (PERM) filings under the name Gables Search Group in the Department of Labor and USCIS data. That doesn't mean the job can't be sponsored — the company may file under a different legal name, be new to sponsorship, or sponsor a visa that isn't in these datasets (for example H-2B or J-1).
Tip: ask the recruiter early, in writing, which visa they sponsor and whether they cover the legal and filing fees.
Which visas can work for this job
Occupation: Engineers, All Other (SOC 17-2199) — estimated from the job title.
- Mentioned in the listing
H-1B
- H-1B cap-exempt employer
Regular cap-subject employer — a new H-1B needs to win the lottery in March (unless you already hold cap-counted H-1B status).
- TN (citizens of Canada and Mexico)
This kind of role may fit the USMCA profession “Engineer” — it depends on the actual duties. No lottery, no cap; you need the matching degree or license.
- E-3 (Australia) and H-1B1 (Chile, Singapore)
Same degree requirement as H-1B, but no lottery and a separate quota that is rarely filled.
- O-1 (extraordinary ability)
For candidates with awards, publications, press, a high salary or critical roles at distinguished organizations. No cap, no lottery; the employer files a petition.
- STEM OPT extension (F-1 students)
Requires an E-Verify employer. We didn't find this company in the E-Verify list — ask HR.
Salary vs prevailing wage
Engineers, All Other · Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area. Annual prevailing wages set by the Department of Labor (OFLC).
| Level | Prevailing wage | H-1B lottery odds* |
|---|---|---|
| Level I | $54,974 | ~15% |
| Level II | $70,304 | ~31% |
| Level III | $85,654 | ~46% |
| Level IV | $100,984 | ~61% |
The listing has no salary, so we can't place it on a wage level. Ask the employer which wage level they'd file at: Level III–IV registrations get 3–4 entries in the H-1B lottery.
* Odds are DHS projections for the FY2027 wage-weighted lottery (actual results vary by year and employer). Since the FY2027 cap season the H-1B lottery is weighted by wage level: Level I = 1 entry, II = 2, III = 3, IV = 4. The level is set by the offered wage against the prevailing wage for the occupation and worksite. Separately, a $100,000 fee for new H-1B petitions for workers outside the US was announced in 2025; as of September 2026 a federal court ruling keeps it unenforceable while appeals continue — check the current status.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor OFLC disclosure data (H-1B/H-1B1/E-3 LCA, PERM), OFLC prevailing wage data, USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub, E-Verify participating employers. Data loaded: LCA FY2024–FY2026, PERM, USCIS Data Hub, OFLC wages; updated 2026-10-03. Employers are matched by name, so records of companies with similar names can occasionally be mixed up. This is general information, not legal advice — talk to an immigration attorney about your case.