Senior Automation Engineer

Role: Senior Automation / Controls Engineer

Location: US – Disclosed during our first conversation

Able to sponsor H1B / TN

Position Overview:

Our client, a fast-growing advanced materials manufacturer, is seeking a Senior Automation / Controls Engineer to support the design, commissioning, startup, and long-term optimization of advanced manufacturing systems used in the development and production of next-generation battery materials. This is a dynamic, fast-paced, collaborative team environment, and the role is intended for an experienced controls engineer who can operate independently across capital project execution, equipment startup, and manufacturing support.

This position is responsible for developing, troubleshooting, improving, and sustaining industrial control systems across new and existing process equipment. The role includes PLC programming, HMI and SCADA development, equipment networking, instrumentation integration, electrical design review, FAT/SAT execution, commissioning support, and rapid response to equipment issues impacting safety, quality, delivery, or uptime.

The ideal candidate has deep hands-on experience with Allen Bradley control platforms, strong working knowledge of industrial automation architecture, and the ability to translate process and equipment requirements into safe, reliable, maintainable control strategies. This person must be equally comfortable working in the field with technicians and vendors, reviewing design packages with engineering teams, and independently resolving complex equipment and controls issues during startup and production ramp.

Job Duties:

• Lead the design, development, implementation, troubleshooting, and optimization of electrical control systems for advanced chemical and materials manufacturing equipment.

• Develop new PLC programs and modify existing logic for industrial process equipment, material handling systems, utilities, and integrated production systems.

• Support FAT, SAT, commissioning, startup, and ramp activities for new equipment and process systems, including validation of controls functionality, interlocks, alarms, permissives, safety circuits, and operator interfaces.

• Review and approve controls-related design deliverables, including electrical schematics, control panel layouts, network architecture, I/O lists, instrumentation specifications, cause-and-effect logic, and equipment sequence documentation.

• Develop and maintain HMI and SCADA applications that provide clear operator control, alarm visibility, equipment status, data access, and troubleshooting capability.

• Troubleshoot PLC, HMI, SCADA, instrumentation, VFD, networking, and industrial safety system issues to minimize downtime and improve equipment performance.

• Collaborate with process engineering, production, facilities, maintenance, IT/OT, manufacturing, EHS, quality, and external vendors to deliver robust and maintainable automation solutions.

• Support integration between equipment-level controls, plant networks, data systems, historians, and manufacturing support platforms.

• Specify and evaluate controls hardware, including PLCs, remote I/O, industrial networks, sensors, transmitters, VFDs, valve banks, safety relays, circuit protection devices, and other control system components.

• Establish and maintain standards for PLC code structure, HMI design, control narratives, alarm management, system backups, and revision control.

• Own controls-related documentation, including PLC backups, software revision history, network diagrams, control narratives, equipment sequence documents, and commissioning records.

• Provide hands-on support during equipment downtime, startup issues, and urgent production-impacting events.

• Mentor engineers, technicians, and electrical support personnel to build internal controls capability and reduce long-term dependence on external vendors.

• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, maintainability, safety, throughput, quality, and operator usability through controls improvements.

• Ensure control systems are implemented in accordance with applicable electrical, safety, and hazardous-location standards.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

• Minimum 10 years of relevant industrial controls, automation, equipment engineering, or manufacturing engineering experience.

• Advanced proficiency with Allen Bradley PLC platforms and Rockwell Automation software, including Studio 5000 Logix Designer.

• Experience developing, troubleshooting, and commissioning PLC logic for industrial manufacturing equipment.

• Experience with HMI and SCADA development, including operator interface design, alarm configuration, equipment status screens, and data visualization.

• Strong understanding of industrial networking, including Ethernet/IP and communication between PLCs, HMIs, drives, remote I/O, instrumentation, and plant-level systems. • Experience supporting FAT, SAT, commissioning, startup, and production ramp of new process equipment or manufacturing systems.

• Ability to read, interpret, and redline electrical schematics, P&IDs, I/O lists, loop diagrams, control panel drawings, and equipment sequence documentation.

• Working knowledge of electrical safety, machine safety, industrial instrumentation, control panels, VFDs, pneumatics, and process control devices.

• Demonstrated ability to independently troubleshoot complex equipment and controls issues in a live manufacturing or startup environment.

• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across engineering, operations, maintenance, IT, EHS, quality, and external vendor teams.

• Ability to prioritize urgent technical issues while also building long-term controls standards, documentation, and system improvements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with FactoryTalk View Studio, Studio 5000 View Designer, FactoryTalk AssetCentre, Ignition, Siemens PLCs, or comparable industrial automation platforms.

• Experience with hazardous location requirements and electrical classification, including Class I Division 1, Class I Division 2, Class II Division 1, and Class II Division 2 environments.

• Familiarity with NFPA 70, NFPA 70E, UL 508A, machine safety practices, LOTO requirements, and industrial control panel standards.

• Experience commissioning new plants, pilot lines, process development facilities, or advanced manufacturing systems.

• Experience in chemical processing, powder handling, thermal processing, battery manufacturing, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, or other highly controlled manufacturing environments.

• Experience developing control narratives, functional specifications, sequence of-operation documents, cause-and-effect matrices, and commissioning test scripts.

• Experience working with EPC firms, OEM equipment suppliers, system integrators, construction teams, and internal manufacturing stakeholders.

• Experience implementing revision control, software backup systems, and lifecycle management practices for industrial control systems.

Physical Requirements:

Required to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as necessary, including but not limited to eye protection, hair net, gloves, face mask, coveralls, full-face respirator, or PAPR.

Benefits:

Comprehensive benefits package including medical/dental/vision insurance, employer-paid life/AD&D/STD/LTD insurance, 401(k) with company match, 8 paid holidays plus the week between Christmas and New Year's off, unlimited PTO, up to six (6) weeks paid FMLA leave, cell phone reimbursement, and eligibility to participate in bonus and equity plans.