Automation Engineer

Pangea Recruitment Ltd; Costessey; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Pangea Recruitment Ltd is recruiting an Automation Engineer (Controls Systems Engineer) for a high-speed food manufacturing environment in the United Kingdom. The role focuses on end-to-end automation projects, programming PLCs, HMI, SCADA, and integration of robotic cells.

Travel up to 20% is expected, with hours 08:00–16:30, Monday to Friday. The successful candidate will design, program, test and commission control systems, prepare technical documentation, and collaborate with

Qualifications

• 5-7 years' experience in automation engineering.
• Expertise in PLC programming, HMI, SCADA, CAD, Eplan.
• Strong analytical, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Willingness to travel 20%.
• Qualified electrician with testing/verification credentials.

Responsibilities

• Lead automation projects from concept through commissioning.
• Design and engineer motor control systems and automated equipment.
• Prepare Functional Design Specifications and project deliverables.
• Prepare quotations, cost estimates and technical scopes.
• Specify hardware and control solutions compliant with standards.
• Design electrical schematics and control panel layouts.
• Program and commission PLC, HMI and automation systems.
• Lead system integration and FAT/SAT activities.
• Act as technical liaison for clients and suppliers.
• Support fabrication, installation and commissioning phases.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI

SCADA

Analytical skills

Team collaboration

Education

Degree qualification in a relevant discipline

Tools

EPLAN

CAD

Job description

Automation Engineer (Controls Systems Engineer)
- High Speed Food Manufacturing Equipment (Processing, Packaging, Inspection & Materials Handling Solutions)
(Monday to Friday: 08:00 - 16:30)
Previous Relevant Experience is Essential OR Transferable Skills from a Relevant Technical Industry

Our Client is a Market Leading Company in the sector with an excellent reputation and over 40 years of experience providing high-performance automation solutions to various sectors including food & beverage, meat, poultry and seafood, dairy and bakery, ready meals, snacks and convenience foods, fresh produce, health & beauty, home care, pet food and other industrial sectors.
Due to substantial growth we are looking for a Automation Engineer (Controls Systems Engineer) focused on Capital Equipment Food Manufacturing/Production and Complex Engineering Solutions and Integration.

Overview

This is an exciting opportunity for an Automation Engineer/Controls Systems Engineer to join a leading engineering company focused on developing excellence in-house for design, build and testing. This is a project-focused Automation Engineer role with hands-on programming on a variation of projects.
The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in leading end-to-end automation projects from initial concept through to development and implementation within an engineering environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead automation and control projects from initial concept and feasibility through design, manufacture, installation, testing, and commissioning.
• Design and engineer motor control systems, automated equipment, robotic cells, tooling, fixtures, and custom machines.
• Produce Functional Design Specifications (FDS), technical documentation and project deliverables throughout the project life cycle.
• Prepare accurate quotations, cost estimates, and technical scopes for medium to large-scale automation projects.
• Specify and design hardware and control solutions compliant with applicable standards.
• Design electrical schematics, control panel enclosure layouts, and backplate layouts using ECAD tools.
• Develop and maintain Bills of Materials (BOMs), assembly instructions and technical documentation.
• Design, program, configure, test, and commission PLC, HMI, and automation control systems, including integration of external devices and systems.
• Design, program, and integrate robotic systems, including external axes
• Lead system integration, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), and support Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) and commissioning activities.
• Act as a technical point of contact for clients, suppliers, subcontractors and internal stakeholders throughout project delivery.
• Support fabrication, assembly, installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting phases of automation projects.
• Provide ongoing production and operational support to improve reliability, efficiency, and performance of manufacturing systems.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (customers, tooling, project management, manufacturing, and engineering) to define requirements and deliver complete automation solutions.
• Participate in design reviews, prototyping, testing, and process simulations to validate solutions prior to deployment.
• Improve existing systems to achieve optimal performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.
• Research, evaluate, and apply new automation technologies, devices, and components to enhance system capability and efficiency.

Requirements

• Degree qualification in a relevant discipline (or similar).
• 5-7 years' experience in automation engineering.
• Expertise in PLC programming, HMI, SCADA, CAD, Schematic tools (Eplan).
• Strong analytical, communication, and collaboration skills.
• Project management certification (PMP) is desirable but not essential.
• Qualified electrician with testing and verification credentials.
• Valid passport for international installs
• Valid driving licence
• The Company has two main locations. The ideal candidate must be able to travel 20% of the time.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a talented team of individuals with an exceptional company culture that is fun, friendly, fast paced and focused on growth! Customer service and satisfaction is at the heart of this business.