Senior Field Engineer (Controls)

Overview
Chengdu, CN

Who this role is best for

Best suited to senior controls engineers with hands-on factory experience who thrive in high-travel, high-autonomy roles solving real-time production issues.

Best fit for

  • Senior field engineers who take downtime personally and fix root causes, not symptoms.
    — “downtime is personal
  • Controls specialists fluent in Mandarin who debug industrial networks under factory pressure.
    — “Mandarin fluency (native or near-native)
  • Practical problem-solvers who diagnose timing jitter and EMI with oscilloscopes, not theory.
    — “multimeter + oscilloscope competence

Things to consider

  • Extensive travel expected as the senior technical owner across multiple factory sites.
    — “High travel, high autonomy

How to stand out

  • Document case studies where you stabilized PLC communication in high-noise environments.
    — “Debug inconsistent network communication
  • Show examples of creating reusable integration standards that scaled across factories.
    — “Build repeatable integration standards
  • Highlight troubleshooting methodologies, not just fixes, to demonstrate systematic thinking.
    — “hypothesis → test → isolate → fix → prevent recurrence
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · TeamLevel · Senior

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • Stable integration of systems into manufacturing lines
  • Training customer engineers
Typical background
Controls engineeringIndustrial automation

Skills & requirements

Required

PLC ProgrammingEthernet/ipProfinetModbusOPC UALadder Logic

Preferred

AIEmbedded Systems

Stack & domain

PlcEthernet/ipProfinetModbusOpc UaNetwork CommunicationLadder LogicStructured TextSensor ConditioningMultimetersOscilloscopesProblem SolvingCommunicationLeadershipManufacturingAIEmbedded Systems

About the role

Original posting from Overview via Ashby

ABOUT OVERVIEW.AI http://Overview.ai

Overview.ai http://Overview.ai is bringing the cutting edge of AI computer vision to manufacturing—solving inspection problems that were previously not solvable with traditional machine vision. We’re a full-stack company: we deploy GPU-powered cameras on production lines, run inference on the edge, and operate a platform that supports large fleets of devices deployed across the world.

We’re growing extremely fast. Our customers love the product because it works—high accuracy, fast deployment, and an operator-friendly experience that makes real factory rollouts possible (not just pilots).

WHY THIS ROLE IS EXCITING

  • 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.

WHAT YOU’LL OWN

CONTROLS + LINE INTEGRATION (CORE OF THE JOB)

  • Integrate Overview.ai http://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

ELECTRICAL + SIGNAL INTEGRITY DEBUGGING (HANDS-ON)

  • 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.

FIELD LEADERSHIP + CUSTOMER TRUST

  • 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).

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

REQUIRED

  • 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

TRAITS THAT MATTER (WE SCREEN HARD FOR THESE)

  • You move fast and stay methodical: hypothesis → test → isolate → fix → prevent recurrence
  • You’re highly ownership-driven: downtime is personal
  • You communicate clearly with both operators and engineers
  • You enjoy the field: travel, factories, and getting your hands dirty

WHY OVERVIEW.AI http://Overview.ai (WHY TOP CANDIDATES JOIN)

  • Extreme growth + real-world impact: We’re not building demos. We’re deploying AI systems on real production lines, at scale.
  • Talent density: You’ll work with world-class engineers and operators across AI, embedded systems, and enterprise deployment.
  • Front-row seat to the AI manufacturing wave: This is one of the biggest transformations happening in industry right now.
  • Ownership: In this role, your work directly changes the trajectory of the company. Great hiring = winning.
  • Global exposure: You’ll recruit for roles that touch the most advanced customers and factories in the world.

Source: Overview careers (Ashby)

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