Automation Engineer

Mizkan Europe Ltd

Manchester

On-site

GBP 50,000 - 75,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Early Friday finishes

No night or weekend shifts

Up to 10% Pension Contribution

Annual 5% bonus

Health plan

Free food Wednesdays

Job summary

Mizkan Europe Ltd at our Middleton site is seeking an Automation Engineer to support our shift engineers, resolve PLC issues beyond quick fixes, and help drive improvements across the bottling hall and brewery floor.

You'll work with Siemens and Allen-Bradley PLCs, develop both legacy and modern systems, contribute to site upgrades and the automation roadmap, and collaborate with external partners in a fast‑paced FMCG environment.

Qualifications

Strong PLC fault-finding and problem-solving skills.
Exposure to writing PLC programmes from scratch desirable.
Experience with Allen Bradley and Siemens PLCs.
Exposure to HMI/SCADA systems - quick to learn.
Experience in an FMCG environment preferred; continuous improvement/project leadership a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead automation improvements across the site.
Own and enhance PLC, HMI and SCADA systems.
Identify repeat issues and engineer fixes into the process.
Contribute to critical site upgrades and automation roadmap.
Collaborate with external Siemens/AB support.

Skills

PLC fault-finding

PLC programming exposure

Allen-Bradley PLCs

Siemens PLCs

HMI/SCADA systems

Continuous improvement

FMCG experience

Tools

Siemens PLCs

Allen-Bradley PLC

HMI/SCADA

Job description

Week 1 – Mon to Thurs 6am-2pm, Friday 6am-1pm

Join Mizkan Euro - Makers of Sarson’s, Branston & More

Are you an Automation Engineer who enjoys rolling up your sleeves, solving tough problems and driving real improvements?

Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment where no two days are the same and where your ideas don’t just get heard, they get actioned?

Welcome to Mizkan Euro’s Middleton site: where heritage meets innovation and we're building something to be proud of.

What You’ll Be Doing

You’ll be the go-to expert when things get tough, supporting our shift engineers when PLC issues go beyond a quick fix.

From the bottling hall to the brewery floor, you'll work across a mix of modern tech and legacy systems. We run Siemens and Allen Bradley PLCs, confident in both? Perfect. Skilled in one? We’ll help you master the other.

But this isn’t just firefighting. You’ll also:

Lead and support automation improvement projects across the site
Own and enhance our PLC, HMI and SCADA systems
Identify repeat issues and engineer them out of the process
Contribute to critical site upgrades
Help shape the automation roadmap behind some of the UK’s best-loved brands

Why This Role?

Real autonomy: You’ll have the freedom to manage your work, with a manager who trusts your judgment and supports your growth.
Immediate impact: You’ll step into a site rich with opportunities, with improvement projects waiting for you.
Legacy meets innovation: Our brewery has stood since the 1800s. Now we’re investing in its future and you’ll help shape it.
Strong support network: Work closely with two other automation engineers, backed by external support from Siemens and AB.
Genuine culture: We value attitude over ego. You’ll thrive here if you stay calm under pressure and pull together with the team.

What We’re Looking For

Strong PLC fault-finding and problem-solving skills
Exposure to writing PLC programmes from scratch is desirable, you don’t have to be an expert but some experience would be great
Experience with Allen Bradley and/or Siemens PLCs
Exposure to HMI/SCADA systems - ours are simple to pick up
Ideally, experience in an FMCG environment (but we welcome brilliant engineers from any sector)
If you have any continuous improvement or project leadership experience that is a big plus

The Details & Benefits