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Job description template

PLC engineer job description template (UK)

A PLC engineer writes, tests and supports the programmable logic controller programs that run machines and process plants, and often commissions them on site. PLC here means programmable logic controller, not a company ending in plc. Copy the template, name the platform, and put the pay in the advert.

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Checked 28 October 2026. Posting on EDWartens UK is free for employers at present, with no placement fee. We cannot promise applicants or hires.

Copy and edit

The template

Replace everything in square brackets, delete the options that do not apply, and keep the lines you can stand behind.

PLC Engineer, [site and town]

Pay: [£ range] a year. Hours: [37.5 hours Monday to Friday]. Travel: [none / occasional / UK-wide].

The role: write, test and support PLC programs for [our machines and production lines]. You will test and commission new equipment, fault find on live plant and keep programs backed up and documented.

You will have: PLC programming on [Siemens TIA Portal / Allen-Bradley Studio 5000]; ladder logic and [structured text]; fault finding and commissioning experience; and a qualification or experience in [electrical, automation or mechatronic engineering].

It would help if you have: [HMI or SCADA, drives, networks such as PROFINET or EtherNet/IP].

We [may sponsor a Skilled Worker visa, subject to eligibility] / [are unable to sponsor visas for this role].

Trainee route: [we will consider an electrician or maintenance engineer with PLC training and a portfolio].

To apply: [link].

The detail

Duties, essential and desirable

Keep the essential list short: every extra line puts off people who could do the job.

Duties

  • Write, modify and test PLC programs in the languages the site uses.
  • Commission machines and lines, and run I/O and sequence tests.
  • Fault find on live plant, using the program, the drawings and the field devices.
  • Configure HMI screens, drives and industrial networks.
  • Back up programs, record changes and keep documentation current.
  • Support production and maintenance teams, and train them on new equipment.

Essential

  • PLC programming experience on the named platform.
  • Fault finding and commissioning experience.
  • Able to read electrical drawings and I/O lists.
  • A qualification or experience in electrical, automation or mechatronic engineering.

Desirable

  • Experience on the second major platform (Siemens or Allen-Bradley).
  • HMI or SCADA experience.
  • Drives and industrial networks.
  • Willingness to train an engineer from a maintenance or electrical background.
Standards and law

What to name in the advert

Naming the standards tells a candidate you know the job and tells a competent person they will be working to a known benchmark. Link to the publisher, not a summary.

  1. 01
    IEC 61131-3The standard for PLC programming languages.
  2. 02
    BS EN 60204-1Electrical equipment of machines.
  3. 03
    BS EN ISO 13849-1Safety-related parts of machinery control systems, where relevant.
  4. 04
    PUWER 1998Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. Read it (PUWER 1998, opens in a new tab).
Shifts

The shift pattern line

Say the pattern in the advert: for example "4 on 4 off, days and nights, 12-hour shifts", "Monday to Friday, days" or "on call one week in four". A maintenance or controls job that runs round the clock often uses shifts, and candidates screen on them first. Two legal limits to know: most workers cannot be made to work more than 48 hours a week on average unless they opt out (GOV.UK, maximum weekly working hours (opens in a new tab)), and night workers have their own limit on hours (GOV.UK, night working hours (opens in a new tab)). Checked 28 October 2026.

Before anyone starts, you must check they can work in the UK: GOV.UK, check a job applicant's right to work (opens in a new tab).

Pay guidance

What to pay, from published figures

  • The median pay advertised for PLC engineer roles was £60,000, from 147 permanent adverts in the six months to 27 October 2026 (against 80 in the period ITJobsWatch compares it with). Advert-based, IT-category sample.ITJobsWatch (opens in a new tab), 27 October 2026.

The ITJobsWatch figure is the median advertised pay in an IT-category sample of adverts, so it shows what is advertised, not what people earn. Your range should reflect your region and the platform, and a trainee route will sit below it. We never estimate pay. More: plc engineer salary in the UK.

Interview

Five questions, and what a good answer covers

A starting point for the first interview. Adapt them to your site and equipment.

  1. Question 1

    Which PLC platforms have you programmed, and in which languages?

    A good answer: Specific platforms and languages, with a real machine for each.

  2. Question 2

    How do you find why a rung is not turning on?

    A good answer: Go online, trace the logic back to the input or interlock, then to the field device and wiring.

  3. Question 3

    How do you test a program change before it goes live?

    A good answer: Backup first, simulate or test offline, then a controlled trial with the machine safe.

  4. Question 4

    Describe a time you improved a sequence.

    A good answer: The problem, the change, how it was tested and the result.

  5. Question 5

    How would you document a program for the next engineer?

    A good answer: Comments, a function description, I/O list, version history and a backup.

Looking for work, not hiring?

What employers ask for in a plc engineer

Read the essential and desirable lists above, then see live PLC programmer and PLC engineer jobs and what the adverts actually ask for. A free course and a job simulation (practice, not employment) can give you evidence to show. Nothing here promises a job.

Questions

PLC engineer job description FAQ

What should a plc engineer advert include?
The job title as people search for it, the site and town, the pay or pay range, the hours and shift pattern, the main duties, what is essential and what is only desirable, the standards the person will work to, how to apply and what checks come before a start date. Leave out anything that could discriminate under the Equality Act 2010, such as an age or gender preference or phrases like "young and energetic", and do not ask for more than the job needs.
Should I state the salary?
Yes, if you can. A pay figure or range tells people whether to apply, and Google's job posting guidance lists the employer's own pay figure as recommended for a job to be shown with its pay (checked 28 October 2026). Use your real range, not a guess at the market, and say whether shift allowances and overtime are on top.
How do I word a sponsorship line truthfully?
Only say you can sponsor a Skilled Worker visa if you hold a sponsor licence and the job could meet the occupation code and pay rules, and write it as "may sponsor, subject to eligibility". Otherwise write "We are unable to sponsor visas for this role". Never write "visa sponsorship available" to attract applicants for a job that cannot qualify, and never charge a candidate for a certificate of sponsorship. The rules are on GOV.UK (checked 28 October 2026).
Can I hire a trainee or junior PLC engineer?
Yes, and many UK employers do. Say in the advert that you will train someone from a maintenance or electrical background, list what they must already have, and say who will mentor them. A short practical task or a portfolio of simulated projects shows more than a certificate does.

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