Controls System Engineer

REFRESCO; Kegworth; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

28 days annual leave

Additional leave purchase option

Life assurance

Income protection

24/7 virtual GP

Eye-care vouchers & discounts

Employee referral scheme

GroceryAid services

Cheers platform

Job summary

Refresco UK is seeking a proactive Control & Automation Engineer for our Kegworth site. You will champion automation standards across the manufacturing operation, acting as the site SME for automation and providing technical leadership on PLC, HMI and networked control systems.

You will work with engineering teams to develop automation capability, minimize downtime risks and maintain robust automation across the site, supporting capital projects and upgrade initiatives to drive reliability and

Qualifications

• Experience in site automation across a manufacturing environment.
• Ability to lead automation standards and improve reliability.
• Strong understanding of PLC/HMI and networked control systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the site automation strategy and provide technical expertise on PLC, HMI and networking systems.
• Support capital projects, equipment installations and automation upgrades per Refresco standards.
• Coach and develop engineering capability to reduce external reliance and improve uptime.
• Identify automation improvements to boost plant reliability, performance and energy efficiency.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI

Industrial automation

Electrical engineering background

Project leadership

Education

Electrical/Electronic Engineering degree

Tools

Siemens S7 PLC

SCADA

Job description

Requisition ID17626-Posted09/09/2026-United Kingdom-Kegworth

This is an exciting opportunity to join Refresco UK as a Control & Automation Engineer, where you will act as the site automation specialist, driving improvements in reliability, performance and efficiency across our Kegworth manufacturing operation.

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:

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.

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.