Controls & Automation Engineer

The Controls & Automation Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of manufacturing automation and control systems across the plant. This position serves as the technical owner of PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, industrial networks, data collection systems, and automation projects, while supporting daily manufacturing operations and long-term capital initiatives.

The Controls & Automation Engineer works closely with Operations Engineering, Engineering Technicians, Maintenance, Production, Quality, and Project Engineering to improve equipment reliability, increase process capability, reduce downtime, improve manufacturing performance, and drive digital transformation initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Automation & Controls

• Develop, maintain, and troubleshoot PLC programs and control systems.

• Support and improve HMI and SCADA applications.

• Diagnose and resolve electrical, instrumentation, and controls-related issues.

• Maintain control system documentation, backups, and change management records.

• Develop and enforce controls standards across manufacturing equipment.

• Support machine startups, commissioning, and process validation activities.

• Maintain alarm management and machine fault diagnostics.

Manufacturing Support

• Provide advanced controls support for production escalations.

• Work with engineering technicians to identify and resolve recurring equipment issues.

• Improve equipment uptime through root cause analysis and corrective actions.

• Support preventive and predictive maintenance strategies.

• Assist with troubleshooting drives, motors, sensors, vision systems, and servo controls.

Data & Process Analytics

• Develop manufacturing dashboards and reporting tools.

• Utilize process data to identify opportunities for scrap reduction, yield improvement, and downtime reduction.

• Support SPC initiatives and process monitoring systems.

• Analyze process trends and provide recommendations for continuous improvement.

• Develop automated data collection and reporting solutions.

Project Engineering

• Lead controls-related capital projects from concept through implementation.

• Develop project scopes, schedules, budgets, and technical specifications.

• Manage controls vendors, system integrators, and contractors.

• Support FAT, SAT, commissioning, and startup activities.

• Provide technical input during equipment procurement and design reviews.

Process Capability & Continuous Improvement

• Support process capability studies (Cp, Cpk, Pp, Ppk).

• Assist with GR&R and Measurement System Analysis activities.

• Support DOE and Six Sigma improvement projects.

• Develop automated systems for monitoring critical process parameters.

• Partner with process engineers to reduce variation and improve manufacturing capability.

Preferred Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in:

  • Electrical Engineering

  • Controls Engineering

  • Automation Engineering

  • Mechatronics Engineering

  • Or related engineering discipline

Required Experience

• 3-7+ years of manufacturing controls and automation experience.

• Experience supporting high-speed manufacturing processes preferred.

• Experience leading automation or capital projects preferred.

You should be proficient in:

• PLC Troubleshooting Skills
• Bachelor's Degree