Controls System Engineer

Refresco Group; Chesterfield; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

28 days annual leave

Extra leave option

Life assurance

Income protection

Virtual GP

Eye-care vouchers

Referral bonuses

GroceryAid

Cheers platform

Job summary

Refresco is seeking a Control & Automation Engineer for the Kegworth site to champion hardware and software automation standards and act as the automation SME. You will provide technical leadership, support capital projects and drive continuous improvement to enhance equipment reliability and performance.

You will work closely with engineering teams to develop automation capability, minimize downtime, and maintain robust systems while coaching others.

Qualifications

• Strong electrical engineering background with automation focus.
• Experience in fast-paced manufacturing environments.
• Ability to lead coaching and knowledge sharing.

Responsibilities

• Lead automation standards and support PLC/HMI networks.
• Develop and implement automation upgrades.
• Collaborate with engineering teams on reliability and efficiency improvements.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI systems

Automation standards

Electrical engineering

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Siemens PLC

TIA Portal

SCADA

Job description

Control & Automation Engineer Permanent Kegworth

What's in it for you?

• Annual bonus and regular pay reviews
• 28 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
• Option to purchase additional leave, increasing your allowance to 31 days plus bank holidays
• Life assurance coverage
• Income protection
• 24/7 virtual GP access for you and your family
• Free eye-care vouchers and discounted glasses
• Employee referral scheme with bonuses for successful referrals
• GroceryAid support services offering financial, legal, wellbeing and practical guidance
• Cheers benefits platform providing discounts, free perks and wellbeing tools

About The Role

Reporting to the Engineering Manager, the Control & Automation Engineer will champion hardware and software automation standards across the site. Acting as the site Subject Matter Expert for automation, you will provide technical leadership, support capital projects and drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance equipment reliability, efficiency and performance. You will work closely with engineering teams to develop automation capability, minimise downtime risks and ensure robust automation systems are maintained across the site.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Acting as the site automation lead, providing technical expertise and support on PLC, HMI and networked control systems.
• Maintaining and developing automation standards, software backup strategies and critical automation assets to minimise operational risk.
• Supporting capital projects, equipment installations and automation upgrades, ensuring compliance with Refresco engineering standards.
• Identifying and delivering automation improvements that enhance plant reliability, performance and energy efficiency.
• Evaluating automation obsolescence risks and developing upgrade strategies to support long-term site performance.
• Developing engineering capability through coaching, training and knowledge sharing, building in-house expertise and reducing reliance on external support.

About You

The successful candidate will be a proactive and technically capable automation professional with a strong electrical engineering background and experience working within a fast-paced manufacturing environment. You will be passionate about technology, continuous improvement and developing others, with the ability to influence and support engineering teams through coaching and knowledge sharing. We want someone who will lead and role model the Refresco core values of Agile, Responsible, Excellent, Passionate and Entrepreneurial. Find out more about our values here: About Refresco Refresco is the global independent beverage solutions provider for Global, National and Emerging brands, and retailers with production in Europe, North America, and Australia. Refresco offers an extensive range of product and packaging combinations from juices to carbonated soft drinks and mineral waters in carton, PET, Aseptic PET, cans, and glass. Refresco continuously searches for new and alternative ways to improve the quality of its products and packaging combinations in line with consumer and customer demand, environmental responsibilities, and market trends. Refresco is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and has more than 13,500 employees. www.refresco.com Our drinks on every table. That's the Refresco vision. We're the proud owners of six drinks manufacturing sites within the UK, employing over 1,800 colleagues who produce private label soft drinks and fruit juices for many of the UK's leading retailers. Whether it's packed in cartons, bottles, or cans, we ensure that our products are made to the highest quality standards and delivered to our customers when and where they need them.

About Refresco

Refresco believes that equal opportunity for all is fundamental to our company's values and all our applicants can expect fairness and transparency in our recruitment process.