Controls Engineer

Premier Foods; Lifton; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Attendance bonus

Enhanced pension with life assurance

Share Save scheme

Canteen subsidy

Staff shop discounts

Cycle to Work

EV Car scheme

Job summary

Premier Foods seeks a Controls Engineer for the Ambrosia Creamery in Lifton, Devon. You will support Siemens-based controls on food processing and packaging equipment, diagnosing faults and delivering improvements for safety and efficiency.

The role involves PLC/HMI/SCADA fault-finding, commissioning support, and CI projects, using S7/S5 with TIA Portal. Shift pattern is 4 on, 4 off (days).

Qualifications

• Recognised electrical/electronic/controls qualification (NVQ3, HNC or equivalent).
• Practical Siemens PLC fault-finding and programming with S7 and TIA Portal; S5 is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Diagnose and resolve PLC/HMI/SCADA faults to minimise downtime.
• Develop and modify control systems to improve reliability and performance.
• Support commissioning and FAT/SAT for new or modified equipment.
• Ensure safety standards and functional safety principles are met.
• Lead CI projects using control expertise to improve equipment performance.
• Assist RCA and structured problem solving using production data.

Skills

Siemens PLC fault-finding

HMI/SCADA understanding

Industrial networks

Fault resolution & data analysis

Education

NVQ Level 3 / HNC or equivalent

Tools

Siemens S7

TIA Portal

Siemens S5 legacy

Job description

Location: Ambrosia Creamery, Lifton, Devon, PL16 0BB

Shift pattern: 4 on, 4 off (days)

Salary - £57,000 per annum

About The Role

We are looking for a Controls Engineer to join our engineering team at the Ambrosia Creamery. You will support the control systems behind our food processing, filling and packaging equipment, resolving faults and making improvements that keep production safe, reliable and efficient.

Siemens is our site standard, with S5 and S7 PLCs and TIA Portal engineering software. The role combines practical fault finding with analysis, continuous improvement projects and commissioning support, working closely with engineering and operations colleagues to improve equipment performance.

What you will be doing

• Diagnosing and resolving PLC, HMI, SCADA and industrial network faults to minimise downtime and prevent repeat failures.
• Developing and modifying control systems to improve reliability and performance, incorporating OT cyber security requirements.
• Identification of obsolescence and creation of asset lifecycle plans.
• Supporting commissioning and factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT) for new and modified equipment and control systems.
• Supporting the preparation and review of functional and hardware design specifications (FDS/HDS).
• Planning work under permits and management of change procedures, ensuring software changes are backed up, tested and documented.
• Leading and contributing to continuous improvement (CI) projects, using controls expertise to improve equipment reliability, efficiency and performance.
• Supporting root cause analysis (RCA) and structured problem solving, using control system diagnostics and production data to identify causes and develop lasting solutions.
• Ensuring controls work meets relevant electrical standards, site requirements and functional safety principles.

What we are looking for

• A recognised electrical, electronic or controls engineering qualification (NVQ Level 3, HNC or equivalent), supported by practical industrial experience.
• Practical Siemens PLC fault-finding and programming experience, particularly with S7 and TIA Portal. Experience with legacy S5 systems would be an advantage.
• A sound understanding of PLC, HMI and SCADA systems, industrial networks and how they interact with production equipment.
• Experience of commissioning, testing and making controlled changes to existing control systems.
• Experience of delivering continuous improvement projects and supporting structured problem solving or root cause analysis.
• Working knowledge of functional safety, OT cyber security and relevant electrical standards, with a responsible approach to safe working.
• The ability to work collaboratively with engineering and operations colleagues, explain technical issues clearly and maintain accurate records.
• Experience in food manufacturing, process plant or packaging equipment would be beneficial, but is not essential.

What is in it for you

• Comprehensive training, including machine-specific OEM training.
• Career development opportunities within Premier Foods.

Benefits

• Salary of £57,000 per annum
• Attendance bonus
• Additional service days and long-service rewards
• Enhanced pension scheme with life assurance
• Access to employee benefits including the Share Save scheme, Cycle to Work, EV Car scheme and more.
• Heavily subsidised canteen.
• Staff shop with major discounts on the Premier Foods range.

At Premier foods we believe in inclusion, authenticity and individuality. We aim to ensure all existing and future colleagues are given equitable opportunities and are respected, valued and encouraged to bring their true authentic selves to work no matter who they are, what they look like, who they love or what they believe in. Our culture is one where everyone is welcome.

We're proud to be a Disability Smart employer and are committed to supporting disability inclusion throughout our recruitment process. If you experience any access issues or require reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know so we can ensure you have the support you need.