PLC / Controls Technician (Programmable Logic Controller) Recruiters
Manufacturing Headhunters recruits manufacturing professionals nationwide.
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Tell us your PLC platforms, networks and equipment for your Controls Technician search. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Manufacturing only
- We reach people who aren't on job boards
- Replacement guarantee on standard searches
The hiring decision
What makes this hire work on your plant floor?
Tell us your PLC platforms, networks and equipment for your Controls Technician search. We find technicians who troubleshoot live systems.
A controls technician goes online and reads logic while the machine runs. We ask which platform the person used, how they find a fault and what edits they have made. Strong answers include safe edit practices and backups.
industrial HMI tools, supervisory control software and SCADA integration software screens guide operators and technicians. We ask what the candidate built or modified. Someone who only used screens differs from someone who designed them.
Before an introduction
What do we check before you interview?
Our recruiter conversations establish what the candidate says they personally handled, how they made decisions and why they would consider this opening. The brief identifies candidate-reported information, available supporting evidence and unresolved questions. Your team still assesses technical performance, site-specific safety requirements and the authority the person will need.
VFDs, servos and networks
Drives, servos and networks like EtherNet/IP and Profinet connect the system. We ask about commissioning, addressing and diagnosing network faults. We listen for practical stories, not buzzwords.
Technician versus engineer
Controls Technician, Automation Technician and PLC Technician work on the floor. Engineers design systems. We ask about authority to change code and who approves changes. That sets the right level.
Safety and change control
Edits to running machines are risky. We ask how the candidate documents changes and tests safety circuits. Careless changes are a red flag.
Screening for fit
We confirm shift, on-call, commute, relocation and current pay early. Controls talent is mobile and in demand, so clear expectations matter.
Backups and change discipline
We ask how the candidate backs up programs, labels versions and tests edits. A careful person can tell you exactly how they recovered a lost program. Careless habits cause long stoppages.
Reading electrical prints
Controls work depends on schematics. We ask how the candidate traces an input from sensor to card to rack.
Network troubleshooting
Network faults can look like random stops. We ask how the candidate checks cables, switches, addresses and device health. Real stories show depth.
Red flags for controls candidates
Also notice those who skip safety circuits. We ask and report.
Fit versus title
Some roles are mostly electrical with a little logic. Others are almost programming. We ask how often the candidate edits code and how often they change wiring, then match the answer to your needs.
Shift, commute and pay screening
Controls roles often include on-call support and odd-hour calls. We confirm what the candidate can accept, how far they live and whether relocation is real. We also ask what they earn now and what would justify a move, because controls talent is mobile and compares offers carefully.
How do you check HMI and PLC depth?
We ask the candidate to describe a screen or routine they changed and why. Real answers include the fault and the fix.
Need a PLC / Controls Technician? Tell us the plant and the seat.
Direct search
Where are qualified people working now?
System integrators' field technicians know many platforms and commissioning habits. We approach them directly and ask about travel and whether they want a single plant. Many do, though some miss variety.
Plant electricians stepping up and military electronics veterans also provide candidates. An electrician may be strong on power and newer to logic. A veteran may be strong on diagnostics and newer to industrial platforms. We describe each profile plainly.
Controls technicians are in demand and often hear from many recruiters. We make our approach direct, specific and respectful, and we explain your system in detail so they can judge fit quickly.
Some candidates come from integrators with broad exposure and others come from a single plant with deep knowledge. The first group adapts to new systems quickly. The second knows one platform very well. We describe each profile and the training they might need.
Which hiring mistakes should you avoid?
- Reading electrical prints. Someone who only watches the screen is not enough for deep faults.
- Red flags for controls candidates. Be wary of candidates who change code on a running machine without a backup, who cannot read ladder logic or who blame the network for every problem.
- Fit versus title. Controls Technician, Automation Technician and PLC Technician can mean very different jobs.
Executive-search discipline, on every assignment
What do you get from the Six-Step Search?
Plant leaders, engineers and skilled technicians receive the same care in defining the work, researching relevant backgrounds and understanding the individual. Pulling a list and sending messages is not the hard part. The value is doing the research and qualification well enough to support a sound hiring decision.
Calibrate the work and the decision
We start with the operating problem, what the hire must improve and the decisions they will own. We agree what experience matters, who supports the role and what you can realistically offer. A maintenance leader inheriting reactive breakdowns needs a different brief from one building a reliability program.
Research relevant plants and people
We research manufacturing environments where people have handled comparable work. Process, equipment and decision authority matter more than a matching title. We look for relevant professionals, including people who are not applying, rather than treating an exported list as a completed search.
Make respectful, targeted contact
We explain why the work may be relevant and invite a conversation without pressure. We agree what information may be shared on a confidential search. Contact is the start of qualification, not evidence that someone wants the job or fits it.
Discuss the work they personally performed
Our conversations separate an individual's decisions and responsibilities from the team's results. We explore judgment under pressure, reasons for considering a move and practical expectations. For technicians, that includes equipment background, shift, commute and the support available. Candidate accounts are identified as such; a conversation is not a technical certification.
Write down fit, gaps and open questions
You receive a written candidate brief connecting the person's background to your operating problem. It explains motivation and practical fit, the gaps we have identified and what remains to assess. We distinguish candidate-reported information from supporting evidence rather than presenting every statement as independently verified.
Stay involved through interviews and offers
We use your interview feedback to clarify gaps and keep both sides informed about the work and expectations. We help address offer questions, counteroffers and practical concerns without promising an acceptance. Your team makes the hiring decision and assesses technical capability and site-specific requirements. A shortlist is an output of this work, not the whole service.
Need a PLC / Controls Technician? Tell us the plant and the seat.
Which manufacturing settings need this role?
- Food Manufacturing
- Beverage
- Meat, Poultry & Protein
- Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG)
- Packaging
- Plastics & Rubber
- Metals & Fabrication
- Automotive (OEM, Tier 1, Tier 2)
- EV & Battery Manufacturing
- Aerospace & Defense
- Medical Devices
- Pharmaceutical & Biotech Manufacturing
- Chemicals & Specialty Materials
- Electronics & Electrical Manufacturing
- Semiconductors
- Building Products & Construction Materials
- Industrial Machinery & Equipment
- Energy & Power Equipment
- Paper, Pulp & Forest Products
- Textiles & Nonwovens
Questions about PLC / Controls Technician searches
Need a PLC / Controls Technician? Tell us the plant and the seat.
Start your PLC / Controls Technician search
Need a PLC / Controls Technician? Tell us the plant and the seat.
Managers, engineers and leadership
Need a PLC / Controls Technician? Tell us the plant and the seat.
Pay snapshot
$74,090 annual national median for SOC 49-2094 Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment.
The PLC / Controls Technician title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
May 2025 OEWS, released 2026-05-15. BLS release · Official occupation data
Open the full salary guideNeed a PLC / Controls Technician? Tell us the plant and the seat.
What else affects this PLC / Controls Technician hire?
Can an electrician move into controls?
Some can, with support. We call it growth.
Do you cover Automation Technician searches?
Controls Technician, Automation Technician and PLC Technician work on the floor. Controls technicians are in demand and often hear from many recruiters.
Do you find technicians for older PLC platforms?
Yes: We ask about legacy platforms and note the person's comfort. System integrators' field technicians know many platforms and commissioning habits.
Can the candidate support multiple vendors?
Some can. We report which brands each knows.
How is the search fee agreed?
The fee is a percentage of first-year base salary, agreed in writing before we start. There is no upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
What should we discuss first?
Do you screen for platform match?
Yes: We name the match and the gap. We ask which platform the person used, how they find a fault and what edits they have made.
Questions before starting a search
When do you pay a recruiting fee?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. The signed recruiting agreement sets the fee basis and payment terms. Sending an opening does not itself commit you to a fee or an exclusive arrangement.
How long does it take to see a short list?
We discuss the search conditions before describing a realistic next step. Shift, location, equipment match and the candidate's reasons for moving all matter. We do not promise a shortlist date before understanding the opening.
How do you handle counteroffers?
We ask what is driving the move before introducing a candidate. We discuss what might change if the current employer offers more money or a different job. Your team still decides whether that person's motivation fits the opening.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not bill hourly for a standard permanent search, repost a job-board ad as a search, or supply high-volume general labor. Retainers are not the default. Any different arrangement must be agreed in writing.
Read the contingency fee terms · Review PLC / Controls Technician