Senior Controls & Automation Engineer

Yolk Recruitment; Bridgwater; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Yolk Recruitment is seeking a Senior Controls & Automation Engineer to join our Bridgwater team. You will own the electrical controls and software elements of bespoke machinery, from concept through to commissioning, across the UK and beyond.

You’ll design PLC and HMI systems, integrate servo drives, motion control, robotics and vision systems, and work closely with mechanical engineers to ensure seamless operation.

Qualifications

• Strong experience programming PLC and HMI systems within industrial automation.
• Experience designing and developing control systems for automated machinery.
• Experience with servo drives, motion control and associated automation technologies.
• Knowledge of industrial robotics and vision systems, ideally including ABB or FANUC.
• A good understanding of electrical control systems, schematics and control panel design.
• Knowledge of machinery safety, risk assessments and safety-related control systems.
• Experience commissioning automated machinery, including FAT and SAT.
• The ability to take technical ownership of projects and work collaboratively with mechanical engineers and customers.
• Strong problem-solving, communication and fault-finding skills.
• Flexibility to travel within the UK and internationally as required.
• Experience with MES integration would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Designing, developing and programming PLC and HMI systems for bespoke automated machinery.
• Taking technical ownership of control systems from initial specification through to commissioning and customer acceptance.
• Developing electrical control designs, schematics and associated technical documentation.
• Integrating servo drives, motion control, industrial robotics and vision systems into automated equipment.
• Working closely with mechanical engineers to ensure all aspects of machinery design and automation operate effectively together.
• Developing control solutions for new machinery, equipment upgrades and modifications to existing installations.
• Ensuring control systems comply with relevant machinery safety standards and functional safety requirements.
• Troubleshooting software, electrical and control system issues during development, testing and commissioning.
• Supporting Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) and machinery commissioning.
• Liaising with customers, suppliers and engineering teams to deliver projects on time and to specification.
• Travelling to customer sites across the UK and internationally when required to support commissioning and technical activities.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI programming

Control system design

Servo drives

Motion control

Industrial robotics

Vision systems

Electrical controls

Machinery safety

FAT/SAT

Technical ownership

Travel readiness

Job description

Senior Controls & Automation Engineer

Location: Bridgwater, Somerset
Salary: £55,000 - £75,000 per annum
Working Pattern: Monday to Friday - Hybrid (3 days office / 2 days home)
Contract: Permanent

Are you an experienced Controls or Automation Engineer looking for the opportunity to take ownership of technically challenging projects, working with PLCs, robotics, servo systems and bespoke automated machinery?

Would you enjoy being involved throughout the entire engineering process, from initial concept and software development through to commissioning and seeing your machinery operating successfully at customer sites?

This is an opportunity to work on the design, development and delivery of complex automated equipment for customers across the UK and internationally. You'll have significant technical responsibility, working alongside mechanical engineers and other specialists to develop new machinery, upgrade existing equipment and deliver innovative automation solutions.

With a salary of up to £75,000, hybrid working and a varied mix of software development, controls engineering and commissioning, this is an excellent opportunity for an experienced engineer looking for greater ownership and technical variety.

This is what you'll be doing

As Senior Controls & Automation Engineer, you'll take responsibility for developing and delivering the electrical controls and software elements of machinery projects, ensuring systems are designed, tested and commissioned to meet customer requirements.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Designing, developing and programming PLC and HMI systems for bespoke automated machinery.

• Taking technical ownership of control systems from initial specification through to commissioning and customer acceptance.

• Developing electrical control designs, schematics and associated technical documentation.

• Integrating servo drives, motion control, industrial robotics and vision systems into automated equipment.

• Working closely with mechanical engineers to ensure all aspects of machinery design and automation operate effectively together.

• Developing control solutions for new machinery, equipment upgrades and modifications to existing installations.

• Ensuring control systems comply with relevant machinery safety standards and functional safety requirements.

• Troubleshooting software, electrical and control system issues during development, testing and commissioning.

• Supporting Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) and machinery commissioning.

• Liaising with customers, suppliers and engineering teams to deliver projects on time and to specification.

• Travelling to customer sites across the UK and internationally when required to support commissioning and technical activities.

The experience you'll bring

We're interested in speaking with experienced Controls Engineers, Automation Engineers and PLC Software Engineers with a background in machinery design, systems integration or industrial automation.

Ideally, you'll have:

• Strong experience programming PLC and HMI systems within industrial automation.

• A background designing and developing control systems for automated machinery or specialist equipment.

• Experience with servo drives, motion control and associated automation technologies.

• Knowledge of industrial robotics and vision systems, ideally including ABB or FANUC.

• A good understanding of electrical control systems, schematics and control panel design.

• Knowledge of machinery safety, risk assessments and safety-related control systems.

• Experience commissioning automated machinery, including FAT and SAT.

• The ability to take technical ownership of projects and work collaboratively with mechanical engineers and customers.

• Strong problem-solving, communication and fault-finding skills.

• Flexibility to travel within the UK and internationally as required.

Experience with MES integration would be advantageous.

And this is what you'll get in return

• Salary of £55,000 - £75,000, depending on experience.

• Hybrid working, with three days per week in the Bridgwater office and two days working from home.

• The opportunity to work on complex, bespoke automated machinery and engineering projects.

• Exposure to advanced robotics, servo control, motion systems and industrial automation technologies.

• Responsibility for projects throughout the full engineering lifecycle, from design to commissioning.

• A varied role combining software development, electrical controls engineering and practical problem-solving.

• Opportunities to work with customers and engineering teams across the UK and internationally.

You'll be joining an established engineering business where you have the opportunity to influence technical solutions, contribute to machinery development and take genuine ownership of challenging automation projects.

Are you up to the challenge?

If you're an experienced Controls or Automation Engineer looking for greater technical responsibility, interesting engineering projects and the flexibility of hybrid working, I'd be keen to hear from you.

We also offer a referral scheme, so if you know somebody who could be suitable for this opportunity, please get in touch.

Please note, whilst we do our best to contact all candidates, due to the high number of applications we receive, we cannot guarantee a response to every application. If you have not heard from us within seven days, unfortunately you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.