Software and Controls Engineer

Warburtons; Farnworth; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

A slice of the annual profits (discré

Extra annual leave option

Award winning pension scheme

Private medical insurance and life an

Staff product deals for you and family

Personal development investment

Fully stocked kitchens with product

Health and wellbeing support including

Job summary

Warburtons is seeking a Software Controls/Automation Engineer for our Bolton site. In a day-based role, you’ll deliver automation improvement solutions, fault finding, and reliability enhancements across PLC-controlled equipment and networks.

You’ll join a skilled engineering team, focus on improving plant performance, reducing downtime, and supporting continuous improvement initiatives within a fully automated production facility.

Qualifications

• Experience fault finding and maintaining existing control systems.
• Knowledge of Allen Bradley PLC platforms (RSLogix500/Logix5000).
• Experience with ladder logic and PLC programming.
• Knowledge of communications protocols and networks.
• Strong project management and continuous improvement mindset.
• Awareness of functional safety in automation.

Responsibilities

• Maintain software, hardware infrastructure and control systems on site.
• Identify and complete continuous improvement projects to boost plant efficiency.
• Support RCA investigations to prevent recurrence of issues.
• Drive reliability initiatives and cross-functional collaboration.
• Coach engineers to build competency in PLC/control systems.
• Ensure safety standards across activities and manage contractor safety.

Skills

Fault finding

Ladder logic

Electrical knowledge

Project management

Functional safety

Continuous improvement

Tools

Allen Bradley RSLogix500/Logix5000

PLC/Control systems

Networks & protocols

Job description

At Warburtons, family is at the heart of our business. Five generations' worth of expertise that goes into making our bakery products allows us to continue a tradition of baking inherited over the past 150 years.

Warburtons is the largest bakery brand in the UK, but that doesn't allow us to rest on our laurels. We are pioneers of the industry and ambitious market leaders, always seeking to challenge ourselves and convention. It is part of our philosophy to provide honest good sense on issues of health and well-being, helping the whole family to enjoy our products as part of a healthy, balanced diet, through a range of products to suit all meal occasions, lifestyles and tastes.

Shift Pattern: Monday to Friday (Days based role)

Location: Bolton Bakery

Are you a Software Controls Engineer, Automation Engineer or an Electrical Engineer with a passion for automation and improving plant performance?

Due to a promotion, we have an exciting opportunity for a Software Controls/Automation Engineer. Working in a day-based role as part of a highly skilled and well-established engineering team, you’ll be driven and skilled at both delivering automation improvement solutions and in finding and rectifying faults on plc-controlled equipment and networks.

At our Bolton site, you’ll join colleagues working across 3 operating plants – with a culture that values teamwork, development, and innovation.

Now is a great time to join a business that’s thriving, evolving, and investing in the future.

The Recipe

You’ll be working to maintain all software, hardware infrastructure and control systems. You’ll also identify and complete continuous improvement projects to increase plant efficiency, reduce downtime and save energy and associated costs.

Your work will focus on improving plant performance and efficiency, supporting in breakdown resolution followed by taking a leading role in the investigation into route cause analysis (RCA) to prevent future occurrences. You’ll enjoy the variety of a manufacturing environment and be keen to get involved in other work such as safety teams and improvement initiatives.

You’ll be encouraged and supported to foster new ideas and perspectives whilst driving change. We promote a culture of continuous improvement whilst working on a changing approach to reliability centred maintenance in a highly automated production facility.

The Role

Requirement to ensure knowledge of latest technologies and practices are continually updated with obligations identified to optimise manufacturing processes.

Safety – Adherence to relevant safety standard across all activities (including external contractors). Ensure plant controls are safe to operate, maintain and personnel conform to health & safety legislation, policies and standards.

Through effective software and hardware management processes, supports and manages site implementation of a Business led engineering reliability strategy.

Support the development of site revenue and capital budgets, whilst identifying and leading the execution of relevant capital projects.

Drive a proactive Engineering Continuous Improvement culture cross-functionally. Through contributing to the improvement and development of manufacturing hardware & software activities.

Training and coaching of Engineers to an agreed working knowledge in PLC / control systems to ensure they have the required competency and capability to support bakery performance.

Ensure supplier contract content & supplier relationship is maintained, and supplier effectiveness is reviewed.

Essential Ingredients

You’ll have a strong drive to identify opportunities for equipment improvement using plant-based automation and related solutions to help improve efficiency and performance.

Experience in fault finding and maintaining existing control systems, preferably with Allen Bradley (Rockwell) platforms (RSLogix500, Logix5000 etc.)

Experience of software development and programming languages including ladder logic.

Knowledge of communication protocols and networks.

Strong electrical knowledge and understanding of control related systems.

Knowledge and experience of project management.

Knowledge / awareness off functional safety.

Proven experience of improvements resulting in a reduction of breakdowns or increased efficiency.

Formal electrical automation training with an awareness of process and mechanical engineering.

Successful candidates must have, or be eligible to obtain, the right to work in the UK before commencing employment.

Extra Dough

At last and by no means least you will want to know what your breads worth.

• A slice of the annual profits (discretionary profit share)
• Family time is important to us so as well as your holiday entitlement, we'll give you the opportunity to purchase up to an extra weeks annual leave
• Award winning pension scheme with company contributions
• Private medical insurance and life assurance
• Products you will love along with deals and discounts for you and the family through our Extra Dough website
• Continued investment in your personal development
• Fully stocked kitchens filled with our delicious products for you to enjoy with your daily brew!
• Support for your health and wellbeing, including access to free physiotherapy, 24/7 access to a confidential helpline for practical advice and a comprehensive occupational health service

We respect and value difference. We look to create an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Companies that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, or any other aspect which makes them unique, are proven to be better companies. More importantly, creating an environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work, is the right thing to do