Industrial Electrical & Controls Technician – Day Shift

Location: Northvale, NJ
Pay: $25.00–$40.00 per hour, based on experience
Schedule: Monday–Friday | 6:00 AM–4:00 PM
Employment: Full-Time | Onsite
Industry: Food Manufacturing

About the Opportunity

An established food manufacturing operation in Northvale, NJ is seeking an experienced Industrial Electrical & Controls Technician to join its day-shift maintenance team.

This is a hands-on position for a technician who knows how to troubleshoot equipment on the plant floor and get production running again.

You'll work directly with production and maintenance personnel troubleshooting and repairing 480V electrical systems, motor controls, VFDs, PLCs, HMIs, instrumentation, sensors, safety circuits, industrial automation, and production equipment.

We're looking for someone who doesn't simply identify an electrical fault—you can trace the problem, identify the failed component, safely make the repair, and return the equipment to reliable operation.

What You'll Do

• Troubleshoot and repair electrical, electronic, controls, and automation problems on production and facility equipment.
• Work hands-on alongside Maintenance and Production to minimize equipment downtime.
• Troubleshoot 480V / 240V / 208V three-phase and single-phase electrical systems.
• Diagnose motor-control problems involving starters, contactors, overloads, control transformers, VFDs, and servo drives.
• Set parameters, diagnose faults, and replace VFDs and drives.
• Troubleshoot Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLC-controlled equipment.
• Go online with PLC controllers to monitor ladder logic, trace I/O, and identify failed field devices.
• Troubleshoot HMIs, photo eyes, proximity sensors, capacitive sensors, encoders, limit switches, RTDs, thermocouples, pressure/level/flow transmitters, and load cells.
• Troubleshoot machine-safety systems including E-stops, safety relays, safety PLCs, light curtains, gate switches, and interlocked guarding.
• Install and repair conduit, wiring, cable tray, panels, terminations, and electrical components.
• Read and interpret electrical schematics, ladder diagrams, wiring diagrams, P&IDs, and equipment manuals.
• Troubleshoot electrical controls associated with freezers, refrigeration equipment, ovens, fryers, packaging equipment, conveyors, mixers, pumps, robotics, and other automated production systems.
• Perform preventive maintenance and corrective repairs.
• Support mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic repairs when needed.
• Participate in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for recurring electrical and controls failures.
• Support equipment installation, replacement, wiring, startup, and commissioning.
• Assist electrical and automation contractors working within the facility.
• Identify critical electrical spare parts and help maintain appropriate inventory levels.
• Respond to emergency equipment failures and electrical issues during the shift.
• Use the CMMS daily to receive, complete, and close work orders and document labor, parts, and equipment history.
• Communicate open repairs and equipment status during shift transitions.
• Share electrical and troubleshooting knowledge with other maintenance technicians.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• 3+ years of hands-on industrial electrical maintenance experience.
• Ability to independently troubleshoot 480V three-phase electrical systems.
• Strong experience with motor controls, VFDs, and PLC-controlled equipment.
• Ability to read electrical schematics, ladder logic, wiring diagrams, and equipment manuals.
• Strong hands-on electrical troubleshooting and diagnostic skills.
• Ability to safely perform repairs directly on industrial production equipment.
• Knowledge of Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures.
• NFPA 70E arc-flash training or ability to obtain required training within 90 days of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Food or beverage manufacturing experience.
• Electrical apprenticeship, trade-school program, or technical degree in Electrical, Electronics, Mechatronics, or Industrial Maintenance.
• Experience troubleshooting Allen-Bradley and/or Siemens PLC systems.
• Industrial automation and robotics experience.
• Experience with instrumentation and industrial sensors.
• New Jersey electrical license, journeyman card, or apprentice registration.
• Powered industrial truck, scissor-lift, or aerial-lift certification.
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills.

Equipment & Technology Exposure

The facility operates a diverse range of automated food-production equipment, providing exposure to technologies including:

Allen-Bradley • Siemens • ABB Robotics • FANUC Robotics • VFDs • Servo Drives • HMIs • PLCs • Industrial Sensors • Motor Controls • Safety Circuits • Metal Detection • X-Ray Inspection • Automated Packaging

Production equipment includes systems from manufacturers such as GEA, Handtmann, Vemag, Rheon, Unifiller, Urschel, Hobart, Heat and Control, Middleby Marshall, Revent, ADCO, Ishida, Interroll, Messer, Linde, and others.

Safety & Food Manufacturing

Safety and food quality are critical.

All electrical and maintenance work must follow applicable LOTO, NFPA 70E, OSHA, GMP, sanitation, food-safety, electrical PPE, and company safety requirements.

Machine-safety devices must always be restored to their proper OEM design and must never be bypassed.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This position offers something particularly valuable for a strong industrial electrician: technical variety.

Rather than spending every day maintaining one type of machine, you'll troubleshoot electrical and controls systems across a highly automated manufacturing operation involving PLCs, robotics, VFDs, instrumentation, refrigeration/freezer systems, processing equipment, packaging lines, motors, sensors, and safety systems.

You'll also have the opportunity to strengthen your controls and automation experience while working alongside Maintenance and Production to solve real equipment problems.

If you're an industrial electrical technician who enjoys finding the fault, making the repair, and getting the line running again, we'd like to hear from you.

Apply today for confidential consideration.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, age, color, sex (including pregnancy), religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, military status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable laws or regulations.

GPAC (Growing People and Companies) is an award-winning search firm specializing in placing quality professionals within multiple industries across the United States since 1990. We are extremely competitive, client-focused and realize that our value is in our ability to deliver the right solutions at the right time.