Automation Controls Engineer: Improve Throughput & Uptime

Materion Corporation

Buffalo (NY)

On-site

USD 79,000 - 119,000

Full time

9 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Job summary

Materion Corporation in Buffalo, NY, is seeking a Controls Engineer to support daily plant operations by ensuring reliable automation and control systems. This role serves as a technical bridge between Operations, Engineering, Maintenance and IT to translate production needs into effective system solutions while maintaining safe, efficient controls infrastructure.

The ideal candidate has a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Controls/Automation Engineering and 2–5 years of experience with PLCs, HMIs

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation, or related field.
2–5 years of experience in industrial controls or automation.
Practical experience with PLCs, HMIs, and industrial networks (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or similar).
Understanding of industrial communication protocols (EtherNet/IP, Profinet, OPC, etc.).
Strong troubleshooting and communication skills; ability to work well with cross-functional teams.
Exposure to IT/OT networking is a plus.

Responsibilities

Partner with Operations to understand production requirements and translate them into control system functionality.
Monitor automation system performance, identify bottlenecks, and implement improvements to enhance throughput and reduce downtime.
Provide real-time troubleshooting and support for production-critical controls issues.
Work closely with Engineering on new equipment installations, upgrades, and process improvements.
Develop and review control system designs, PLC logic, HMI screens, and networking architecture for new projects.
Ensure all engineering changes are documented, validated, and compliant with internal standards.
Support Maintenance teams through root cause analysis, advanced troubleshooting, diagnostic tools, and training.
Develop and maintain standard operating procedures for controls-related maintenance activities.
Coordinate with Maintenance on preventive and predictive strategies that involve instrumentation, sensors, and automated components.
Collaborate with IT to ensure secure and robust interfaces between industrial control systems and enterprise networks.
Manage data flow from plant-floor systems to MES, SCADA, historians, and other business systems.
System Ownership & Continuous Improvement
Maintain PLC, SCADA, HMI, and network documentation, backups, and version control.
Lead automation upgrades and migrations (e.g., PLC platform changes, HMI software updates, network modernization).
Champion standardization across all controls platforms within the facility.