USA - Engineering Specialist

Job Description:
The Senior Controls, Automation & Digital Systems Engineer is responsible for improving manufacturing performance through automation, controls, and digital systems while leading the factory controls organization. This role serves as the technical owner of automation reliability, controls performance, and controls-related loss elimination, ensuring manufacturing systems operate safely, reliably, and efficiently. Working closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, and Digital teams, the Senior Controls Engineer defines automation strategy, develops technical standards, leads controls technicians, and drives sustainable improvements across production assets. The role is accountable for eliminating chronic automation losses, maintaining control system reliability, supporting capital projects, managing automation obsolescence, and developing site automation capabilities to improve Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Environmental performance. The position also provides functional leadership and prioritization for manufacturing OT/IT resources, ensuring production-facing technology, network infrastructure, and digital systems effectively support factory operations and business objectives.

Responsibilities:
Automation Reliability & Loss Elimination
Identify and prioritize automation-related losses and bad actor systems using downtime, fault, quality, and performance data
Lead RCA for controls-related failures and implement permanent corrective actions
Improve reliability, uptime, OEE/OLE, and operating efficiency through automation improvements
Drive prioritization of automation improvement activities based on business impact
Ensure solutions are standardized, sustained, and embedded into operating practices

Controls Strategy & System Ownership
Define and maintain site controls and automation standards
Own reliability and performance of PLCs, HMIs, drives, motion systems, robotics, instrumentation, vision systems, and industrial networks
Develop controls lifecycle strategies and obsolescence management plans
Maintain software backup, version control, disaster recovery, and controls governance processes
Reduce technical risk through standardization and long-term asset planning

Team Leadership & Capability Building
Lead and develop controls technicians and automation resources across all shifts
Establish technical priorities, work standards, and escalation processes
Develop competency matrices, training plans, and succession plans
Coach and mentor technicians to improve troubleshooting capability and technical depth
Build a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement

Capital Projects & Factory Modernization
Lead controls and automation scope development for capital projects
Support design reviews, FATs, SATs, commissioning, and startups
Manage controls contractors, system integrators, and OEM resources
Support integrated line startup, ramp-up, and performance optimization
Lead modernization and automation upgrade efforts to reduce lifecycle and obsolescence risks

Digital Manufacturing & Data Systems
Support execution of the site Digital Factory strategy
Improve utilization of manufacturing data to drive operational performance
Support dashboards, historians, OEE systems, and analytics capabilities
Ensure automation data integrity, quality, and accessibility

OT Governance & Manufacturing Systems Support
Provide functional leadership and prioritization for OT/IT resources supporting manufacturing.
Partner with factory IT, cybersecurity, and enterprise technology teams to ensure manufacturing systems meet business, reliability, and compliance requirements.
Support governance of manufacturing infrastructure, including system availability, backups, disaster recovery, lifecycle management, and cybersecurity compliance.
Provide cross-functional support to the factory IT specialist for critical manufacturing infrastructure maintenance, upgrades, and system lifecycle activities.
Support manufacturing network reliability through coordination of connectivity troubleshooting, switch management, firewall support, and controls network infrastructure.
Support deployment, maintenance, and continuous improvement of manufacturing technology platforms, including industrial PCs, printers, scanners, peripheral devices, and production-facing digital systems.
Strengthen manufacturing system resilience through standardization, risk mitigation, cybersecurity improvements, and technology modernization initiatives.

Key Deliverables
Reduced automation-related downtime and chronic losses
Improved OEE/OLE, uptime, and production performance with respect to automation /controls
Successful execution of automation-related capital projects
Reduced automation obsolescence and technical risk
Improved capability of controls technicians and automation resources

Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Controls Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related discipline
10+ years of progressive controls and automation experience within FMCG or high-speed manufacturing environments
Demonstrated experience leading controls technicians, automation resources, contractors, or technical teams
Strong PLC programming and troubleshooting capability including Ladder Logic, Function Block, Structured Text, and Sequential Function Charts
Extensive experience with Allen-Bradley/Rockwell automation platforms including ControlLogix, Studio 5000, FactoryTalk, HMIs, drives, motion systems, and safety systems
Practical experience with motor controls, instrumentation, robotics, vision systems, packaging equipment, and process automation
Experience with industrial networks and controls infrastructure including Ethernet/IP, AS-i, DeviceNet, managed switches, PLC/HMI communications, and virtualized environments
Proven experience supporting line commissioning, integrated startups, ramp-up activities, and performance recovery efforts
Experience utilizing downtime data, fault histories, and OEE/OLE metrics to identify and eliminate chronic losses due to controls/automation
Demonstrated experience supporting capital projects from concept through commissioning, including FATs, SATs, vendor management, and startup support
Working knowledge of controls change management, machine safety, functional safety, electrical safety, and LOTO requirements
Strong leadership, communication, coaching, stakeholder management, and advanced troubleshooting skills

EEO:
Mindlance is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of Minority/Gender/Disability/Religion/LGBTQI/Age/Veterans.