Controls engineer jobs in the UK
A controls engineer designs, programs and commissions the control systems that run machines and plants: PLC, SCADA, drives and instrumentation. These are industrial controls jobs, not project controls (planning and cost) or software testing. The live UK jobs are below, with the routes in for people from maintenance or electrical work.
428 jobs live right now. Free to browse and free to apply; we never charge candidates, and we never promise a job.
The role
What a controls engineer does, and what is on this page
Controls engineers work on the control systems of machines and plants: PLC and SCADA programming, drives, instrumentation and the electrical drawings behind them. The titles overlap: control systems engineer, automation engineer, C&I engineer and PLC engineer are often the same job under a different name.
We filter on the job title. Project controls (planning and cost), quality control, document control and software test automation are left out, because they use the word controls for a different job.
428 jobs: controls engineer
65 of these are from a licensed visa sponsor or say sponsorship is offered. A licence does not mean a particular job is sponsored: ask the employer. How the tags work.
Senior Control Systems Engineer - Simulink, KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions LTD, Nether Alderley, Macclesfield, £80,000 a year
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
- Hybrid
Control Systems Engineer, Archangel Lightworks Ltd, UK
- Licensed visa sponsor. This employer is on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors. That does not mean this job is sponsored. Ask the employer.
Control Systems Engineer, Russell Taylor Group Ltd, UK, £60,000 a year
Controls Engineer, Vectis Recruitment Limited, UK, £45,000 a year
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
Control Systems Engineer, Optima UK, Coventry, West Midlands, £50,000 a year
Control Systems Engineer, Morson Edge, Portland, Dorset
Senior Control Systems Engineer - Simulink, KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions LTD, Knutsford, Cheshire, £80,000 a year
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
- Hybrid
Electrical Controls and Instrumentation Engineer, SEDAMYL UK LIMITED, Selby, North Yorkshire
- Licensed visa sponsor. This employer is on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors. That does not mean this job is sponsored. Ask the employer.
Commissioning & Controls Engineer, Innovo Global Talent, UK, £50,000 to £65,000 a year
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
Automation and Control Engineer, Ten Staffing Group Ltd, Crownhill, Milton Keynes, £40 to £50 a year
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
AOV Engineer/Smoke Control Engineer, Progroup Recruitment Limited, Farringdon, Central London, £42,000 to £47,000 a year
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
Controls Engineer, Reevr Talent Ltd, UK, £72,800 to £83,200 a year
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
Protection Control Engineer, Advance Grid Solutions, Glasgow, Scotland
- Licensed visa sponsor. This employer is on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors. That does not mean this job is sponsored. Ask the employer.
CNC Field Service Engineer – Electrical / Controls, Thomas Lee Recruitment, UK, £40,000 to £45,000 a year
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
Senior Control Systems Engineer - Simulink, KO2 Embedded Recruitment Solutions LTD, Wilmslow, Cheshire, £70,000 to £80,000 a year
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
- Hybrid
Instrument Control Automation Technician (Control and Instrumentation Technician), Pertemps Thames Water, London, UK, £47,000 a year
Lead Controls & Automation Engineer, Omega Leeds, UK
Generator Controls & Commissioning Engineer, KeystoneStaffing Limited, UK
Embedded Control Systems Engineer (C/C++), Ernest Gordon Recruitment, UK
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
Electronics & Controls Engineer, First Military Recruitment, Dundee, £60,000 to £78,000 a year
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
Controls Technician, NET Recruit, West Midlands (Region), £50,000 a year
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
CNC Field Service Engineer – Electrical / Controls, Thomas Lee Recruitment Limited, Chorley, £40,000 to £45,000 a year
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
Lead Control & Instrumentation Technician, Mac Recruit Group, UK
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
Lead Control & Instrumentation Technician, Mac Recruit Group, UK
- Agency. This advert was placed by a recruitment agency, not by the employer.
Where the controls engineer jobs are
- Manchester (12)
- London (11)
- Plymouth (8)
- Glasgow (7)
- Birmingham (5)
- Knutsford (5)
- Leeds (5)
- Birchwood (4)
- Bridgwater (4)
- Cheltenham (4)
Places named in today's adverts. A city link opens all automation and maintenance jobs within about 25 miles.
Employers hiring
- Rolls-Royce SMR (10)
- Russell Taylor Group Ltd (10)
- Samuel Frank (8)
- Archangel Lightworks Ltd (7)
- Morson Edge (7)
- P Ducker Systems Ltd (7)
- Amentum (6)
- Automation Experts (6)
Employers with the most live jobs here, not counting recruitment agencies. 170 of the 428 adverts were placed by agencies.
Job alerts
Get new controls engineer jobs as they are posted
Create a free learner account to get alerts for jobs like these, daily or weekly, with an optional visa sponsor filter. It is free and we never charge candidates.
Checked 28 October 2026
Pay and demand, with sources and dates
Median gross annual pay for full-time production and process engineers (includes control and instrumentation engineers and industrial and production engineers) was £48,700 in April 2026. Provisional.
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026, table 14.7a (SOC) (opens in a new tab), 22 October 2026
Half of manufacturers say skills shortages are their biggest barrier to growth, and 99% say access to skills will shape their growth plans.
Make UK, The Shape of British Industry (opens in a new tab), 9 March 2026
The electrical workforce is down 26% since 2018, and 36% of science, engineering and production technicians are 55 or over.
Royal Academy of Engineering, response to the Migration Advisory Committee shortage list review (opens in a new tab), 18 May 2026
FAQ
Questions people ask
What does a controls engineer do?
A controls engineer designs, programs, tests and commissions the control system of a machine or plant: PLC logic, HMI and SCADA screens, drive settings and instrument loops. The work splits between the office (design and programming), the workshop (testing the panel) and the customer's site (commissioning and fault finding).
Controls engineer or automation engineer: what is the difference?
In industry the titles overlap a lot. A controls engineer usually focuses on the control system itself, and an automation engineer on automating a process or line, which can include robots and the software around the controls. Read the duties in the advert, not only the title.
Do I need a degree to be a controls engineer?
Many adverts ask for a degree or HNC in electrical, electronic or mechatronic engineering. Others accept a strong maintenance or electrical background with PLC experience, and junior and trainee roles exist. Read each advert's requirements and ask the employer.
What is the salary of a controls engineer in the UK?
Median gross annual pay for full-time production and process engineers (includes control and instrumentation engineers and industrial and production engineers) was £48,700 in April 2026. Provisional. (ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026, table 14.7a (SOC), 22 October 2026.) Pay varies with sector, shift pattern and region, and a job card on this page shows pay only when the advert states it: we never estimate it.
Can a controls engineer get a Skilled Worker visa?
2125 production and process engineers is a higher-skilled occupation: it does not need the Temporary Shortage List. The general rules apply: £41,700 a year or the going rate for the code, whichever is higher. A sponsor licence is not a promise of sponsorship for this job, and whether a particular job qualifies depends on its duties, its occupation code and its pay, which the employer and the Home Office decide. You should never pay an employer or agent for a job or for sponsorship. This is not immigration advice (rules checked 28 October 2026).
Related
Related searches and ways to prepare
Related roles
Controls engineer jobs by city
Next steps
The EDWartens job board is free for jobseekers: seeing jobs, applying and joining the talent pool never need a purchase, and we never charge candidates. Jobs read from other sites are written by other people. We do not promise any interview or job.