Automation Engineer

Andrews Recruitment Group; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Pension

Enhanced holidays

Employee discounts

Wellbeing support

Technical training

Job summary

Andrews Recruitment Group is seeking an Automation Engineer for a large-scale heavy process site near Macclesfield. This permanent role (37.5 hours) focuses on reliability, integrity and continuous improvement of plant automation and control systems.

You'll work with electrical, maintenance and production teams to reduce downtime, support CAPEX projects, and ensure safe, tested modifications from specification to commissioning.

Qualifications

• Experience with industrial automation or control systems.
• Strong PLC fault-finding and programming capability.
• Experience with HMI, SCADA or process-control systems.
• Electrical, Controls, Automation background.
• Experience in manufacturing or heavy industrial environments.
• Ability to diagnose complex control-system faults.
• Experience modifying and commissioning automated plant or machinery.
• Understanding of industrial communications and control architecture.
• Commitment to plant reliability and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and improve plant automation and control systems.
• Diagnose PLC, software and control-system faults.
• Prevent production downtime caused by automation issues.
• Modify and develop control-system programming.
• Support operators with plant control and system issues.
• Integrate new equipment into existing control systems.
• Support automation upgrades and CAPEX projects.
• Assist with specification, programming, testing and commissioning.
• Ensure modifications are properly tested before implementation.
• Develop robust control-system procedures and documentation.
• Work with electrical, maintenance and production teams.
• Identify opportunities to improve plant reliability and performance.

Skills

PLC fault-finding

Control system programming

HMI/SCADA experience

Industrial automation

Mechanical-electrical interfacing

Cross-functional teamwork

Tools

PLC Software

SCADA Systems

HMI programming

Job description

Automation Engineer

Macclesfield
Excellent Salary + Bonus + Benefits
Permanent | 37.5 hours per week

Are you an Automation Engineer, Controls Engineer or EC&I Engineer with strong PLC and industrial control systems experience?

We’re recruiting for an Automation Engineer to join a large-scale heavy process manufacturing site near Macclesfield.

This is a hands‑on technical role responsible for the reliability, integrity and continuous improvement of plant automation and control systems. You’ll work closely with electrical, maintenance, production and control‑room teams to reduce downtime, resolve control‑system issues and deliver automation improvements across the site.

You’ll also play a key role in plant upgrades and CAPEX projects, supporting everything from specification and programming through to testing, integration and commissioning.

The Role

• Maintain and improve plant automation and control systems


• Diagnose PLC, software and control‑system faults


• Prevent production downtime caused by automation issues


• Modify and develop control‑system programming


• Support operators with plant control and system issues


• Integrate new equipment into existing control systems


• Support automation upgrades and plant improvement projects


• Assist with specification, programming, testing and commissioning


• Support CAPEX projects from development through to commissioning


• Ensure modifications are properly tested before implementation


• Develop robust control‑system procedures and documentation


• Support server virtualisation and testing of program modifications


• Work closely with electrical, maintenance and production teams


• Identify opportunities to improve plant reliability and performance


• Ensure automation work is completed safely and appropriately risk assessed

What We’re Looking For

• Experience with industrial automation or control systems


• Strong PLC fault‑finding and programming capability


• Experience with HMI, SCADA or process‑control systems


• Electrical, Controls, Automation, EC&I or similar engineering background


• Experience within manufacturing, process or heavy industrial environments


• Comfortable diagnosing complex control‑system faults


• Experience modifying and commissioning automated plant or machinery


• Understanding of industrial communications and control architecture


• Strong approach to plant reliability and continuous improvement


• Able to work effectively with operators and multidisciplinary engineering teams

Experience within cement, aggregates, quarrying, minerals, steel, chemical, food, glass, brick, ceramics or another continuous‑process/heavy manufacturing environment would be particularly relevant.

What’s On Offer

Excellent salary alongside bonus, pension, enhanced holiday entitlement, employee discounts, wellbeing support and ongoing technical training and development.

This is an excellent opportunity for an Automation Engineer looking to take ownership of automation and controls within a complex, highly automated production environment.