Automation & Controls Engineer - San Leandro, CA

Pivotal Solutions; San Leandro (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Pivotal Solutions in California seeks a Principal Automation & Controls Engineer to maintain, troubleshoot, and improve PLC/SCADA environments, collaborating with Production, Maintenance, and Quality to ensure safe, reliable operations and clear documentation.

In the first 12–24 months you’ll become the Automation Systems Expert, lead automation scopes on projects, and advance IT/OT data connectivity while upholding safety and compliance standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Computer, or Mechanical Engineering.
• 5+ years of automation/controls engineering experience; 7+ preferred.
• 2+ years embedded in a manufacturing environment supporting live production systems.
• Experience working with or alongside system integrators delivering automation solutions (preferred).
• Proven experience leading automation/electrical scopes for small-to-medium projects.
• Hands‑on experience with Rockwell Automation platforms (ControlLogix, CompactLogix).
• Experience troubleshooting instrumentation with multimeters and analog/digital signals.
• Experience supporting SCADA systems (FactoryTalk View SE or Ignition).
• Familiarity with industrial networks/protocols (EtherNet/IP, AS-i).
• Experience integrating OT systems with IT infrastructure (SQL, Active Directory, managed networks, virtual environments).
• Familiarity with ThinManager, AssetCentre, and Niagara‑based BMS systems (preferred).
• Familiarity with food manufacturing standards and automation frameworks (GMP, ISA88, ISA95 preferred).
• Experience supporting commissioning, validation, and startup activities.
• Safety‑first mindset with experience supporting compliance and risk awareness.

Responsibilities

• Maintain, troubleshoot, and improve PLC and SCADA environments.
• Collaborate on floor with Production, Maintenance, and Quality to keep systems stable and documented.
• Lead automation workstreams within capital and improvement projects from requirements to commissioning.
• Support IT/OT data connectivity and secure shop-floor integration with enterprise systems.
• Drive continuous improvement through standards, libraries, and KPI analysis.

Job description

Reporting to the Principal Automation & Controls Engineer, you’ll maintain, troubleshoot, and improve PLC and SCADA environments that keep our plant running safely and efficiently. You’ll bring strong internal customer service, technical ownership, and a calm, solutions-first approach while you work side‑by‑side with Production, Maintenance, and Quality to keep systems stable, well‑documented, and continuously improving. From project execution to day‑to‑day reliability support, you’ll help strengthen the automation foundation that enables consistent performance, smart decision‑making, and long‑term scalability.

Success Factors (First 12–24 Months)

• Automation Systems Expert: You became a trusted technical resource across Production, Maintenance, and Quality by keeping our PLC, SCADA, and HMI environments stable, consistent, and easy to support. Documentation, version control, and clear standards helped operators and technicians troubleshoot confidently, while system updates were made thoughtfully and communicated clearly to the people who rely on them most. Your attention to best practices and compliance ensured electrical and automation work aligned with plant expectations, safety requirements, and long‑term reliability.
• Operational Reliability Partner: When performance was at risk, you showed up as a steady partner on the floor—helping Production maintain flow, Maintenance restore system health, and Quality stay confident in process integrity. You responded quickly to line upsets tied to PLCs, HMIs, instrumentation, and control networks, restoring stability while also helping teams understand what happened and why. Issues didn’t just get resolved, they were closed out well, with root cause analysis, shared learnings, and corrective actions that reduced repeat failures and strengthened overall performance.
• Project & Contractor Leadership: You successfully led automation workstreams within capital and improvement projects by keeping technical execution tightly aligned with operational reality. From early requirements through commissioning and handoff, you coordinated integrators, panel builders, and installers in a way that kept Production, Maintenance, and Quality informed, involved, and ready to support what was being built. Your practical approach to change control, documentation, and testing ensured systems came online smoothly—with minimal disruption and a clean transition into daily use.
• IT/OT Integration & Data Connectivity: You helped connect the shop floor to enterprise systems by translating what Production, Maintenance, and Quality needed into practical IT/OT solutions that worked in the real world. In close partnership with Engineering and IT, you supported secure connectivity between PLCs, managed networks, servers, and data tools—making sure information flowed reliably while protecting system integrity. Your working knowledge of Rockwell platforms, FactoryTalk Services, VFDs, and industrial networks helped reduce friction between platforms and kept teams aligned around shared system performance.
• Continuous Improvement Mindset: You made automation better over time by turning day‑to‑day problems into long‑term improvements, using insights from the floor to guide what changed and why. Working alongside Production, Maintenance, and Quality, you helped simplify controls where needed, improve repeatability through standards and libraries, and modernize aging systems without disrupting operations. KPIs, downtime trends, and historian insights became tools for learning, not just reporting, and supporting a culture where technical excellence and operational excellence grew together.
• You’ll have Fun!

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Computer, or Mechanical Engineering
• 5+ years of experience in automation/controls engineering (7+ preferred)
• 2+ years embedded in a manufacturing environment supporting live production systems
• Experience working with or alongside system integrators delivering automation solutions (preferred)
• Proven experience leading automation/electrical scopes for small-to-medium projects
• Hands‑on experience with Rockwell Automation platforms (ControlLogix, CompactLogix)
• Experience troubleshooting instrumentation with multimeters and analog/digital signals
• Experience supporting SCADA systems (FactoryTalk View SE or Ignition)
• Familiarity with industrial networks/protocols (EtherNet/IP, AS-i)
• Experience integrating OT systems with IT infrastructure (SQL, Active Directory, managed networks, virtual environments)
• Familiarity with ThinManager, AssetCentre, and Niagara‑based BMS systems (preferred)
• Familiarity with food manufacturing standards and automation frameworks (GMP, ISA88, ISA95 preferred)
• Experience supporting commissioning, validation, and startup activities
• Safety‑first mindset with experience supporting compliance and risk awareness