Engineering Manager, Controls & Industrial Automation

Nordion (Canada) Inc.; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Nordion is seeking an Engineering Manager, Controls & Industrial Automation to lead electrical, control, and automation systems for production irradiator facilities.

The role requires a strong background in PLCs, SCADA, and safety systems, with a focus on reliability, regulatory compliance, and lifecycle support. You will manage a team of engineers and external vendors, drive continuous improvement, and align roadmaps with business goals.

Qualifications

• Engineering degree with P.Eng designation required.
• Minimum 3 years managing Technicians and Controls Engineers.
• At least 10 years post-graduation in controls engineering.
• At least 8 years in leadership roles including people and project supervision.
• Experience in regulated environments preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for electrical, control, and automation systems.
• Staff, develop, andengage the Controls Engineering team and external resources.
• Manage budgets, vendor contracts, and resource planning.
• Shape roadmaps with Product Manager and Engineering leadership.
• Drive continuous improvement for safety, reliability, and efficiency.
• Ensure projects are delivered on time and within budget.

Skills

People management

Leadership

Regulated environment experience

Problem solving

Strong communication

Education

Engineering degree with P.Eng designation

Tools

Allen-Bradley PLCs

Aveva InTouch

Industrial automation platforms

Networking & cybersecurity

Virtual machines

Job description

The name Sotera Health was inspired by Soteria, the Greek goddess of safety, and reflects the Company’s unwavering commitment to its mission, Safeguarding Global Health®. Sotera Health Company is a leading global provider of mission-critical sterilization and lab testing and advisory services for the healthcare industry. With a combined tenure across our businesses of nearly 200 years and our industry recognized scientific and technological expertise, we help to ensure the safety of millions of patients and healthcare practitioners around the world every year. Across our 64 facilities worldwide, we have over 3,000 employees who are dedicated to safety and quality. We are a trusted partner to more than 5,800 customers in over 50 countries, including more than 40 of the top 50 medical device companies and 9 of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies. Nordion is seeking an Engineering Manager, Controls & Industrial Automation, who will provide strategic leadership and oversight for the electrical, control, and industrial automation systems that support production irradiator facilities. This role is accountable for ensuring that all control and automation systems operate safely, reliably, and in full compliance with regulatory and organizational standards. The Controls & Industrial Automation Engineering Manager is a working manager role and will guide a team of engineers and specialists, setting priorities, managing resources, and driving continuous improvement across system design, development, implementation, and lifecycle support. Note: This is a hardware- and systems-focused controls and industrial automation engineering role (PLCs, SCADA, and automation platforms) — it is not a software development position, and candidates from a pure software engineering background will not be considered.

Key Responsibilities

This position is a leadership role working closely with the other Engineering and Design teams, responsible for building team capability, establishing processes, coordinating cross‑functional efforts, and ensuring that projects are executed effectively. The role requires strong understanding of safety, PLC control, SCADA systems, and system integration. Manager responsibilities include staffing, performance management, employee development and engagement, and succession planning. Provide people leadership to both internal and external development teams Manage external vendors, including contract management, external resources, and budgets Build and develop the Controls, Electrical, and Industrial Automation Engineering team, by establishing structure, talent strategy, performance expectations, and long‑term capability growth within Nordion Drive service revenue to meet business objectives, develop new growth opportunities, and provide plans to meet those growth opportunities Engage with customers to define the long‑term Controls and Industrial Automation Systems Roadmap, ensuring alignment with business needs, operational goals, and our innovation direction with customers to define the long‑term Controls System Roadmap, ensuring alignment with business needs, operational goals, and our innovation direction. Partner with the Product Manager and Engineering leadership to shape product business cases and guide the innovation roadmap to support Nordion’s strategic objectives. Champion industrial automation initiatives that improve process efficiency, reliability, and safety across facilities Ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and successfully

Qualifications

• Engineering degree, with P.Eng designation
• Management experience: minimum 3 years managing Technicians and Controls Engineers (people management)
• Technical knowledge: at least 10 years combined experience post‑graduation in controls engineering
• Leadership: at least 8 years of experience (combination of people, project, and indirect supervision)

Skills and Competencies

• Experience with Allen Bradley/Rockwell PLCs (working/intermediate level)
• Experience with Aveva InTouch (working/intermediate level)
• Experience with industrial automation platforms and system integration
• Knowledge about virtual machines, networking, and cybersecurity
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Project management & budgeting skills
• Presentation skills
• Coaching and development skills
• Experience working in a regulated environment (preferred)
• Problem-solving and decision-making abilities under pressure

Additional Requirements

• This role includes occasional overtime to meet project requirements
• Travel requirements (10-60 days international travel requiring valid Canadian passport)
• Training Required Must complete all required training and certification as a Nuclear Energy Worker.

Sotera Health goes to market through its three best-in-class businesses – Sterigenics®, Nordion® and Nelson Labs®.

Sterigenics is a leading global provider of outsourced terminal sterilization and irradiation services for the medical device, pharmaceutical, food safety and advanced applications markets.

Nordion is the leading global provider of Co‑60 and gamma irradiators, which are key components to the gamma sterilization process.

Nelson Labs is a global leader in outsourced microbiological and analytical chemistry testing and advisory services for the medical device and pharmaceutical industries.

Come Make a Difference with Us.

Sotera Health is driven by its mission, Safeguarding Global Health®.

Along with our three best‑in‑class businesses – Sterigenics®, Nordion® and Nelson Labs® – we are a leading global provider of mission‑critical end‑to‑end sterilization solutions and lab testing and advisory services for the healthcare industry.