Automation Engineer

Lucas James Talent Partners; Mount Pleasant (WI); On-site; USD 75,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Solutions Healthcare Utilities Inc. is seeking an Automation Engineer for its Mount Pleasant, WI site to help bring a new plant online.

The role involves developing PLC programs, integrating equipment and control systems, and collaborating with suppliers and engineering leadership through commissioning and startup. You’ll contribute to equipment installation, testing, and production readiness while supporting cross-functional teams in a lean startup environment.

Qualifications

• Requires an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation, Controls, Mechatronics or related field.
• Hands-on industrial controls experience and ability to develop PLC programs independently.
• Experience with PLC platforms such as Allen-Bradley/Rockwell or Siemens and related HMI/SCADA tools.
• Ability to troubleshoot using electrical schematics, control-panel drawings, and process documentation.
• Familiarity with industrial networks, sensors, drives, and field instrumentation.

Responsibilities

• Write, configure, test, and troubleshoot PLC programs, including developing logic from scratch.
• Develop and improve HMI and SCADA applications and support communication between equipment, controls, and manufacturing systems.
• Support equipment installation, acceptance testing, commissioning, and production readiness.
• Work with equipment manufacturers and vendors to learn systems, resolve issues, and transfer knowledge to the plant team.
• Troubleshoot electrical, mechanical, instrumentation, and control-system issues on the production floor.
• Support controls for manufacturing equipment, packaging systems, material handling, and plant utilities.
• Develop and maintain control narratives, I/O lists, electrical documentation, P&IDs, and network diagrams.
• Partner with Quality and Validation on equipment qualification, change control, data integrity, and regulatory requirements.
• Train operators and maintenance personnel and improve equipment reliability, safety, and performance.
• Provide occasional off-hours support for critical equipment and automation issues as operations develop.

Skills

PLC programming

Industrial controls

HMI/SCADA

Electrical schematics

Electrical instrumentation

Education

Bachelor’s or Associate in Electrical Engineering/Automation/Controls/Mechatronics

Tools

Allen-Bradley/Rockwell

Siemens

HMI/SCADA software

Job description

Location: Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin — onsite

Employment: Full time

Lucas James Talent Partners is partnering with Solutions Healthcare Utilities Inc. to recruit an Automation Engineer for its first manufacturing operation in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin.

This is an opportunity to join during equipment installation and testing and help bring a new plant into production. You’ll develop PLC programs, integrate equipment and control systems, and work directly with suppliers and engineering leadership through commissioning and startup.

We welcome candidates from manufacturing companies, equipment suppliers, and systems integrators. Experience in automotive, food and beverage, packaging, chemicals, or other industrial environments can translate well. Previous pharmaceutical experience is not required.

What you’ll do

• Write, configure, test, and troubleshoot PLC programs, including developing logic from scratch.
• Develop and improve HMI and SCADA applications and support communication between equipment, controls, and manufacturing systems.
• Support equipment installation, acceptance testing, commissioning, and production readiness.
• Work directly with equipment manufacturers and vendors to learn systems, resolve issues, and transfer technical knowledge to the plant team.
• Troubleshoot electrical, mechanical, instrumentation, and control‑system issues on the production floor.
• Support controls for manufacturing equipment, packaging systems, material handling, and plant utilities.
• Develop and maintain control narratives, I/O lists, electrical documentation, P&IDs, and network diagrams.
• Partner with Quality and Validation on equipment qualification, change control, data integrity, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Train operators and maintenance personnel and improve equipment reliability, safety, and performance.
• Provide occasional off‑hours support for critical equipment and automation issues as operations develop.

What you bring

• An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation, Controls, Mechatronics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Hands‑on industrial controls experience and demonstrated ability to develop PLC programs independently.
• Experience with PLC platforms such as Allen‑Bradley/Rockwell or Siemens and relevant HMI/SCADA tools. Experience with every listed platform is not expected.
• Ability to troubleshoot using electrical schematics, control‑panel drawings, and process documentation.
• Familiarity with industrial networks, sensors, drives, and field instrumentation.
• Clear communication skills and comfort working directly with suppliers, operators, maintenance personnel, and other engineers.
• Willingness to work broadly in a lean startup environment and learn unfamiliar equipment and processes.

Earlier-career candidates are encouraged to apply when they can demonstrate practical PLC programming and project ownership.

Helpful additional experience

• Equipment commissioning, factory acceptance testing, or site acceptance testing.
• Batch processing, recipe management, MES connectivity, or data historians.
• Plant utilities, process instrumentation, or clean‑in‑place systems.
• Regulated manufacturing, cGMP, IQ/OQ/PQ, or electronic‑record requirements.

Work environment and travel

This is an onsite, hands‑on position involving time on the manufacturing floor and in controlled production areas. Supplier visits to Europe are anticipated for equipment testing, training, and knowledge transfer. Travel schedules will be discussed during the interview process.

The role requires following applicable safety, PPE, and gowning procedures and may involve occasional lifting of components or tools up to 40 pounds.