Automation Supervisor

Saputo Inc.; Edmonton; On-site; CAD 93,000 - 122,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salaries

Group insurance benefits

RRSP plan with company contribution

Stock purchase option

Health and wellness program

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Saputo Inc. is seeking a hands-on Engineering leader to drive automation and equipment reliability on the production floor.

You will coach maintenance technicians, partner with supervisors, and implement continuous improvement initiatives across the plant. Key responsibilities include leading automation projects, troubleshooting complex control systems, and delivering practical training to elevate team capabilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or Diploma in Electrical Engineering, Automation, Controls Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 3–5 years hands-on experience with industrial automation and process control in manufacturing (food/beverages preferred).
• Experience leading and supporting maintenance teams in a plant environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide daily leadership, coaching, and technical support to maintenance teams on the production floor, focused on automation and equipment reliability.
• Lead automation projects from concept to implementation, with on-time, on-budget delivery.
• Troubleshoot PLC, HMI, VFD, servo, instrumentation, and process control issues; guide the maintenance team on root cause analysis.
• Develop and deliver practical training to raise automation knowledge across the plant.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Communication

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or diploma in Electrical/Automation/Controls/CS

Tools

Allen-Bradley PLCs

ControlLogix

Studio 5000

FactoryTalk

CMMS

Industrial networking

VFDs/Servo systems

Job description

At Saputo, we bring good to the table by making high-quality products, investing in our people, and supporting communities around the world . As a top 10 global dairy processor, we value contributions that matter and strive to foster an inclusive, growth-driven work environment. Ready to bring your best?

Overview Of The Role

This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role requiring significant time on the production floor. The successful candidate will work directly with maintenance technicians and supervisors, operations teams, and technical specialists to troubleshoot issues, coach employees, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

How you will make contributions that matter

• Provide daily leadership, coaching, and technical support to maintenance employees on the production floor, with a strong focus on automation, controls, and equipment reliability.
• Work closely with maintenance supervisors, and tradespeople to prioritize, coordinate, and execute automation-related work safely and efficiently.
• Maintain a strong floor presence by actively supporting troubleshooting, root cause investigations, and corrective actions on production equipment.
• Lead the maintenance, testing, commissioning, and continuous improvement of automation and process control systems while ensuring compliance with GMP, Health & Safety, and Food Safety standards.
• Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and external vendors to identify and implement automation improvements that enhance reliability, efficiency, and product quality.
• Troubleshoot and resolve PLC, HMI, VFD, servo, instrumentation, and process control issues, providing hands-on technical guidance to the maintenance team.
• Develop and deliver practical training and mentorship to maintenance employees to improve automation and controls knowledge across the plant.
• Drive automation projects from concept through implementation, ensuring completion within established timelines and budgets.
• Monitor plant utilities, process performance, and waste streams to identify opportunities for operational improvement through automation and controls optimization.
• Maintain accurate documentation, backups, and revision control of all PLC, HMI, SCADA, and automation programs.
• Participate in plant reliability initiatives, root cause analyses, and continuous improvement activities.
• Other duties as assigned.

You are best suited for the role if you have the following qualification

• Bachelor's Degree or Diploma in Electrical Engineering, Automation, Controls Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 3-5 years of hands-on experience with industrial automation and process control systems, preferably within food, dairy, beverage, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing.
• Demonstrated experience leading and supporting maintenance teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong working knowledge of Allen-Bradley PLCs, ControlLogix, Studio 5000, FactoryTalk, and industrial networking.
• Experience troubleshooting and maintaining VFDs, servo systems, instrumentation, and process control equipment.
• Ability to provide technical leadership while remaining actively engaged on the production floor.
• Proven ability to build collaborative relationships across Maintenance, Operations, Quality, and Engineering teams.
• Strong communication, coaching, and employee development skills.
• Experience managing contractors and supporting capital project implementation is considered an asset.
• Logix Control and Motion Control certification is considered an asset.
• Previous supervisory or leadership experience in the food or beverage industry is preferred.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).

Core Competencies

• Emotional Intelligence: recognizing, understanding, and managing emotions in yourself and others, enabling you to navigate complex situations and engage with others more effectively to deliver results
  • Self-awareness
  • Self-management
  • Social awareness
  • Relationship management
• Leadership: fostering a collaborative, productive, and inclusive environment that drives individual and collective success
  • Accountability
  • Communication
  • Delegation
  • Leading change
  • People management & development
  • Problem solving and decision-making
  • Strategic planning and execution
  • Functional: having the right technical skills and knowhow to do your job well and drive business results

We support and care for our employees and their families by providing

• Competitive salaries
• Advantageous corporate agreements
• Full range of group insurance benefits
• Group retirement pension plan with employer contribution
• Purchase option of company stocks
• Group RRSP
• Health and wellness program in the workplace
• Assistance program for employees and their families
• Saputo products at a discounted price

We support employment equity. Saputo strives to embed diversity and inclusion in its operations and invites candidates from all horizons to join its family.

Schedule

Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:00 pm

Salary

$92,795 - $121,795

Salary offers will vary commensurate with experience, education, skills, and training.

All applications are carefully considered by our Talent Acquisition team.

Artificial Intelligence tools may be used in screening applications.

Artificial Intelligence is not used to assess or select applications.

In Canada, Saputo is a leading cheese manufacturer and fluid milk and cream processor, with a portfolio of well-loved brands such as Dairyland, Armstrong, Neilson, Alexis de Portneuf, and many more. Whether your expertise lies in manufacturing, operations, supply chain management, sales, quality assurance, or in any other function, your role is integral to our success. You will make contributions that matter, all while working alongside colleagues who genuinely care about your success and who will roll up their sleeves to help.

The material contained herein is provided for informational purposes only. All open jobs offered by Saputo Inc. and all companies, corporations, partnerships, limited partnerships and other entities controlled by Saputo Inc. (collectively, "Saputo") on Saputo's web site are subject to specific job skill requirements. The job skill requirements, qualifications, and preferred experience are determined by a Saputo subsidiary, office or department, and all positions are subject to local prevailing employment laws and restrictions. This would include immigration laws pertaining to work authorization requirements and any other applicable government permissions or compliance. The materials on this site are provided without warranties of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information contained on this site or in any referenced links. While Saputo attempts to update this site on a timely basis, the information is effective only as of the time and date of posting. Strict confidentiality will be observed at all times. Saputo is an equal opportunity employer. The information on this site is for information purposes only and is not intended to be relied upon with legal consequence.

We support employment equity. Saputo strives to embed diversity and inclusion in its operations and invites candidates from all horizons to join its family. Saputo welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations up to the point of undue hardships, are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.