Automation Controls Engineer

JOB SUMMARY

The primary purpose of the Automation Controls Engineer is to provide automation support to the facility in the electrical, instrumentation and controls disciplines primarily for batch and continuous processes and packaging systems. The individual will work with electrical and mechanical maintenance, operations, safety, and QA personnel to help deliver business objectives utilizing their technical skills to contribute.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Troubleshooting and determining root cause of faulted process and packaging instrumentation and electrical devices, including programmable logic controllers (PLC's) and associated I/O modules.

• Ability to understand and troubleshoot PLC, human machine interface (HMI), batching systems, and data collection system software

• Performing software modifications to existing packaging machinery and process system PLC's, HMI's, Batching and Data Collection systems

• Providing automation support for plant innovations

EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

• Proficient in programming and troubleshooting Siemens S7-300, S7-1500, and PCS7 systems using Step 7, TIA Portal, and SCL, including advanced features such as PID loops, SFCs, and CFCs
• Skilled in Allen-Bradley ControlLogix and CompactLogix PLCs using Studio 5000 / RSLogix 5000, with experience in Structured Text, Ladder Logic, Function Block Diagrams, and Add-On Instructions (AOIs)
• Knowledge of Siemens ET200S I/O and Rockwell 1756 ControlLogix I/O and POINT I/O (1734 series)
• Experienced in configuring and maintaining industrial communication networks including EtherNet/IP, Profibus, Profinet, DeviceNet, ControlNet, AS-i, and HART
• Proficient in developing and troubleshooting HMI applications using Siemens WinCC and Rockwell FactoryTalk View ME/SE
• Familiar with Siemens Batch Flexible and Rockwell FactoryTalk Batch systems
• Experience with Siemens Process Historian and Rockwell FactoryTalk Historian, including SQL database troubleshooting and data integration
• Ability to read, interpret, and modify electrical schematics, one-line diagrams, PFDs, and P&IDs
• Strong understanding of AC/DC motor control, including Siemens Micromaster, Simocode, and Rockwell PowerFlex VFDs, as well as servo systems like Kinetix
• Skilled in configuring and troubleshooting process instrumentation (pressure, temperature, flow, conductivity sensors) and discrete sensing devices (photo eyes, proximity sensors, motion detectors, barcode scanners)
• Experience with vision systems such as Cognex, and Keyence.
• Proficient in robotics integration, including Fanuc robot programming and troubleshooting
• Familiar with virtualized environments, including VMware and Rockwell ThinManager for managing HMI and control system infrastructure
• Experienced in OT network architecture, including segmentation, VLAN configuration, managed switches, and firewall integration for secure and reliable machine communication
• Understanding of industrial cybersecurity best practices, including network hardening, user access control, patch management, and compliance with standards such as ISA/IEC 62443

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelors Degree in Automation or Controls Engineering Required