Retrofit / Controls Engineer

RETROFIT/ CONTROLS ENGINEER

Fives HPM | Aftermarket Americas

Join Our Team!

If you enjoy travel, thrive in customer-facing environments, and want a career that takes you beyond the office, this role is for you. You'll travel across the United States supporting major manufacturing facilities, commissioning cutting-edge machine tool upgrades, and becoming the expert customers rely on to keep their operations running. Every week brings new locations, new challenges, and new opportunities to expand your technical expertise while maximizing your earning potential.

Fives HPM is seeking an experienced CNC Retrofit Engineer to lead the design, integration, programming, startup, and commissioning of CNC machine tool retrofit and modernization projects.

If you have hands-on experience with FANUC or Siemens CNC controls, PLC/ladder logic, electrical systems, servo drives, machine tool integration, and field commissioning, this opportunity offers the chance to work directly with customers on complex manufacturing equipment across the United States.

This is a highly technical, hands-on engineering position requiring approximately 90% travel.

Learn more about our company: www.fivesgroup.com

What We Offer

• Competitive Compensation with significant overtime opportunities based on travel and customer support needs
• Paid Port-to-Port Travel: Your paid workday begins when you depart for your assignment and continues through your return, providing additional earning potential
• Vehicle Allowance for eligible field-based positions
• Daily Per Diem while traveling
• Weekend Stay Incentive: Receive an additional stipend per weekend, plus applicable per diem, when business needs require you to remain at your travel location rather than return home
• Frequent Flyer & Travel Rewards: Build airline miles and eligible travel rewards through frequent business travel, subject to company travel policies and the applicable rewards program
• Cell Phone Allowance to support your work in the field
• Technical Training & Development to build your knowledge and advance your field service expertise
• Extensive Hands-On Experience working directly with customers and advanced industrial equipment
• Opportunity to Earn More Through Travel & Overtime, making this an attractive position for technicians looking to maximize their earning potential while building their technical career

About Fives

Corporate Group Overview

Fives is an industrial engineering group with a heritage of more than 200 years. Fives designs and delivers machines, process equipment, and production lines for the world's largest industrial companies around the world. We are committed to making industry smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable.

Site Company Overview

Fives HPM designs, builds, installs, and services advanced machine tools and manufacturing systems used by leading manufacturers worldwide. Our team delivers innovative solutions that maximize productivity, precision, and reliability for customers across aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, and industrial markets.

Business Unit Overview

The High Precision Machines (HPM) Division specializes in world-class machine tool technology, automation systems, and aftermarket services that support customers throughout the lifecycle of their equipment.

Position Summary

The Retrofit Engineer serves as the technical lead and primary engineering point of contact for machine tool retrofit and modernization projects, coordinating cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions that meet customer requirements, project objectives, and quality standards. This role is responsible for managing engineering activities from proposal development through final customer acceptance, ensuring alignment between controls, electrical, mechanical, software, and process engineering disciplines.

The Retrofit Engineer functions as both a hands-on technical contributor and project leader, providing technical direction, managing engineering deliverables, monitoring project schedules and budgets, and identifying risks and opportunities throughout the project lifecycle. The position plays a key role in the design, integration, programming, startup, and validation of CNC control systems, electrical systems, and machine tool upgrades, while ensuring compliance with applicable safety, quality, and ISO standards.

This role also leads design reviews, hazard analyses, and continuous improvement initiatives, while collaborating closely with customers, project teams, and technology leadership to deliver reliable, cost-effective retrofit solutions. The Retrofit Engineer provides technical expertise, mentors team members, supports business objectives, and contributes to the successful execution of complex machine tool modernization projects that enhance customer productivity, performance, and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead CNC machine tool retrofit and modernization projects from proposal through installation, startup, and customer acceptance.
• Design and integrate FANUC and/or Siemens CNC control systems.
• Specify CNC controls, servo motors, spindle motors, drives, and electrical components.
• Develop and modify PLC/PMC ladder logic, CNC parameters, macros, and machine functions.
• Create and review electrical schematics using AutoCAD.
• Power up, troubleshoot, debug, and commission CNC machines following controls integration.
• Load and configure machine parameters and ladder logic into FANUC and Siemens controls.
• Program and test special machine functions, including tool changers, pallet changers, and custom machine sequences.
• Coordinate mechanical, electrical, controls, software, and process engineering activities.
• Lead engineering design reviews, hazard analyses, and FMEA activities.
• Identify project risks, technical challenges, cost opportunities, and potential solutions.
• Manage engineering deliverables, resources, schedules, and budgets across multiple projects.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers and project team members.
• Collaborate directly with customers during installation, commissioning, troubleshooting, and final acceptance.
• Capture lessons learned and support continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain compliance with applicable safety, quality, and ISO standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an Engineering discipline or equivalent combination of education, technical training, and relevant experience.
• 5+ years of experience in machine tools, CNC controls, industrial automation, capital equipment, or a related high-technology manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on experience with FANUC and/or Siemens CNC controls.
• Experience specifying CNC controls, servo motors, spindle motors, drives, and related control components.
• Experience specifying electrical components for CNC machine integration and retrofit projects.
• Ability to design or modify electrical schematics using AutoCAD.
• Experience developing and troubleshooting ladder logic / PLC / PMC logic.
• Ability to configure CNC and PMC parameters.
• Experience developing CNC custom macros and machine sequences.
• Hands-on experience with machine startup, debugging, troubleshooting, and commissioning.
• Strong understanding of electrical, controls, and mechanical machine systems.
• Ability to communicate technical information effectively with customers, technicians, engineers, project managers, and business leaders.

Professional Competencies

• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to represent Fives professionally while working at customer facilities.
• Positive and professional approach to interactions with customers and colleagues.
• Commitment to delivering high-quality work.
• Ability to communicate technical information effectively with customers, managers, and internal support teams.
• Ability to work independently in a field-service environment.
• Flexibility to respond to changing customer and business requirements.
• Commitment to safety, quality, and customer satisfaction.

Travel Requirements

**This position requires extensive travel**

• Be willing and able to travel 90% based on current projected business needs.
• Travel schedules will include approximately two weeks on the road at a time and home every other weekend.
• Must have the flexibility to make quick adjustments to travel arrangements based on customer or company needs.
• Travel is primarily domestic, with opportunities for international assignments.
• Travel requirements may change based on company workload and capacity.

What We Offer

Fives is proud to provide a comprehensive total rewards package that may include:

• Competitive compensation
• Annual performance incentive opportunities
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Career development and technical training opportunities
• Employee assistance programs
• Opportunities for advancement within a global organization
• Exposure to leading-edge manufacturing technologies and global customers

Why Come to Fives?

By joining Fives, you become part of a global organization committed to innovation, operational excellence, and employee development.

Industry Can Do It With You!

Fives is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Fives Group

As an industrial engineering Group with a heritage of over 200 years, Fives designs and supplies machines, process equipment, and production lines.