Hybrid Senior Field Engineer – Controls

at Overview AI

• Job title: Senior Field Engineer – Controls
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Senior
• Salary: Not specified
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Shanghai, China

About the role

• Senior Field Engineer responsible for integrating AI systems into automation lines. Working closely with cross-functional teams to solve complex engineering problems in high-volume manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Integrate Overview.ai systems into automation lines and make them rock-solid.
• Commission and troubleshoot PLC-to-device communication across common industrial protocols: EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus, OPC UA (and real-world variants)
• Diagnose and eliminate timing and triggering issues: double triggers, missed triggers, trigger bounce, incorrect edge detection, latency/jitter, inconsistent handshakes
• Debug inconsistent network communication: packet loss, unstable links, IP conflicts, switch configuration issues, grounding/noise coupling, cable quality, EMI, misconfigured QoS/VLANs (where applicable)
• Work with PLC logic and machine sequencing to ensure correct system behavior: interpret and modify ladder logic / structured text (as needed) to stabilize integration and performance
• Build repeatable integration standards: wiring patterns, sensor conditioning recommendations, network topologies, validated PLC templates, commissioning checklists
• Troubleshoot sensors, discrete I/O, and signal conditioning in real factory environments: NPN/PNP sensors, pull-ups/pull-downs, filtering/debounce, shielding/grounding, noise mitigation
• Use multimeters and oscilloscopes to diagnose: voltage levels, signal bounce, timing alignment, interference, poor grounding, intermittent connections
• Identify root cause quickly and implement robust fixes—not temporary patches.
• Be the senior technical point of contact on-site: calm, decisive, and structured under pressure.
• Train customer automation engineers and technicians on best practices for operation and first-line troubleshooting.
• Capture high-quality issue reports for HQ engineering: reproduction steps, logs, electrical measurements, network symptoms, PLC state, and recommended fixes
• Drive feedback loops that result in real product improvements (tooling, diagnostics, reliability features).

Requirements

• Deep PLC / controls engineering experience (you can independently commission and debug automation lines)
• 5+ years in controls / automation / field engineering in high-volume manufacturing environments
• Hands-on expertise with industrial networks and protocols: EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus, OPC UA (practical troubleshooting, not just theory)
• Strong electrical debugging ability: multimeter + oscilloscope competence, reading schematics, signal conditioning, EMI/noise intuition
• Strong understanding of sensors, triggering, and real-time sequencing on production lines
• Mandarin fluency (native or near-native)
• Working English for technical communication with global teams.

Benefits

• Real production ownership: You’re not “support.” You own uptime and line performance where it matters—on the factory floor.
• Hard problems, high signal: Intermittent I/O, timing jitter, noisy signals, flaky networks, multi-trigger edge cases, cycle-time constraints—this is what you’ll solve.
• High learning + high leverage: You’ll deepen elite controls skills while working alongside world-class AI, embedded, and firmware teams to ship permanent fixes into the product.
• Talent density: You’ll be surrounded by fast, intense people who execute. Your work will be taken seriously and acted on quickly.
• High travel, high autonomy: You’ll be trusted as the senior technical owner across multiple sites.