Position Summary
The Controls Engineer in a large facility plant setting. Required knowledge of Rockwell and Allen-Bradley with the ability to trouble-shoot, debug and program from scratch if necessary.
Key Responsibilities
· Serve as the primary technical resource for plant electrical, controls, instrumentation, and automation systems.
· Troubleshoot, optimize, and improve controls and electrical systems to support safety, quality, reliability, and productivity.
· Develop and maintain plant controls standards and long-term automation strategies, including equipment replacement planning.
· Provide technical leadership, coaching, and training to E&I technicians.
· Ensure compliance with NFPA, OSHA, and plant electrical safety requirements, including LOTO and energized work practices.
· Support PLC, HMI, MES, and automation system development, programming, commissioning, and optimization.
· Validate PLC/MES data and support data analysis, KPI development, and process improvement initiatives.
· Partner with Engineering, Operations, and Maintenance to identify losses and implement improvements in safety, quality, reliability, and cost.
· Provide controls and electrical engineering support for capital projects, equipment installations, modifications, and startups.
· Serve as the plant subject matter expert for new controls and automation technologies and support technician training.
· Provide technical support for critical process and quality systems, including checkweighers, metal detectors, vision systems, flow controls, and temperature controls.
· Apply automation, simulation, modeling, and data technologies to improve manufacturing and packaging processes.
· Stay current with emerging automation technologies and identify opportunities to improve plant performance
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering required;
Electrical Engineering preferred.
Experience
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant controls, automation, electrical, or industrial engineering experience.
- Manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
- Experience with electrical, mechanical, controls, and instrumentation systems in a food manufacturing environment preferred.
- Experience supporting equipment installation, commissioning, and startup preferred.
- Experience leading, training, coaching, or developing technical personnel preferred.
Technical Skills
- Strong knowledge of industrial automation, machine controls, process controls, instrumentation, and electrical systems.
- Experience with Allen-Bradley PLCs and Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk platforms.
- Working knowledge of NFPA and OSHA requirements applicable to industrial electrical equipment and work practices.
- Experience with plant historians, MES, and manufacturing data systems.
- Understanding of PLC data structures and the ability to support data collection, validation, and analysis.
- Experience with HMI development, control strategies, automation applications, and process improvement.
- Experience with plant maintenance and manufacturing systems software.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office/Microsoft 365 applications.
- Ability to quickly learn, evaluate, and integrate new technologies.
Professional Skills
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills.
- Effective collaborator with Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, and cross-functional teams.
- Strong organization and ability to manage multiple priorities and projects.
- Self-motivated leader with the ability to coach, influence, and develop others.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills.
- Ability to translate technical concepts into practical solutions and training.
- Proven ability to lead projects and drive continuous improvement.
- Willingness to work off-shifts, weekends, and provide technical support as needed.
- Willingness to travel as required.
- Ability to work on the manufacturing floor and perform occasional physical tasks around equipment