Electrical and Controls Engineer

Sediver; West Memphis (AR); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Sediver in West Memphis, AR, USA, seeks an experienced Electrical and Controls Engineer to lead plant-level electrical systems, automation architectures, and capital projects. This role oversees Siemens-based and Allen Bradley platforms, driving reliability and cybersecurity readiness while building maintenance and operations capability.

The position involves work at Sediver’s new Canadian plant as it expands automation oversight.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, Automation Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive industrial controls and electrical experience in manufacturing, leading complex projects.

Responsibilities

• Own plant controls architecture, standards, and roadmaps for PLCs, HMIs, networks, safety circuits, and change management.
• Lead Siemens automation platform design, programming, validation, commissioning, and lifecycle support.
• Drive root-cause analysis for downtime, safety-system faults, and performance losses; deliver engineered corrective actions.
• Identify automation opportunities to improve safety, quality, yield, and throughput; integrate robotics, vision, and motion systems where value justifies.
• Develop control plans, interlocks, alarms, and process-monitoring solutions with operations and quality teams.
• Maintain documentation: drawings, I/O lists, networks, BOMs, backups, revision histories, and commissioning records.

Skills

Leadership

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Industrial automation

Cybersecurity awareness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Siemens PLCs/HMI

Allen-Bradley PLCs

Fanuc robotics

VFDs/soft starters

PROFINET/PROFIBUS

Electrical schematics & drawings

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

We are seeking an experienced and skilled Electrical and Controls Engineer to provide plant-level technical leadership for electrical systems, industrial automation, controls architecture, and capital execution. This role owns the reliability, standardization, cybersecurity readiness, and continuous improvement of Siemens-based and Allen Bradley control platforms while developing the technical capability of maintenance and operations teams. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in enhancing efficiency, driving performance, and ensuring the seamless coordination of various operational activities.

This position will be located in West Memphis, AR in the USA. However, there will be work in Sediver’s newest Canadian plant being built currently. This role will eventually be responsible for both plant’s automation and controls.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Controls Strategy, Architecture & Governance

• Own the plant controls architecture and technical roadmap, establishing standards for PLCs, HMIs, industrial networks, safety circuits, electrical design, backups, version control, and change management.
• Lead the design, programming, validation, commissioning, and lifecycle support of Siemens automation platforms, including PLC, HMI, drive, motion, and network applications.
• Conduct technical design reviews and ensure new equipment complies with plant standards, applicable codes, machine safety requirements, and long-term maintainability expectations.

2. Reliability, Troubleshooting & Root Cause Elimination

• Serve as the senior escalation point for high-impact electrical and controls failures, using structured troubleshooting to restore production and prevent recurrence.
• Lead root cause analysis for chronic downtime, control instability, safety-system faults, and equipment performance losses. Convert findings into engineered corrective actions.
• Use downtime, alarm, cycle-time, and failure data to prioritize improvements in availability, mean time between failures, mean time to repair, and production throughput.

3. Process Optimization & Advanced Automation

• Identify and implement automation opportunities that improve safety, quality, yield, scrap, labor efficiency, cycle time, traceability, and process repeatability.
• Integrate robotics, vision systems, servo motion, variable-frequency drives, instrumentation, data acquisition, and manufacturing systems where justified by operational value.
• Partner with operations and quality to develop control plans, interlocks, mistake-proofing, recipes, alarming, and process-monitoring solutions.

4. Electrical Safety, Compliance & Cybersecurity

• Ensure electrical and controls work complies with company requirements and applicable standards, including NFPA 70, NFPA 70E, OSHA expectations, and machine-safety practices.
• Support arc-flash risk controls, lockout/tagout, electrical safe-work practices, functional safety reviews, and corrective actions from audits or incidents.
• Coordinate with IT and corporate engineering on secure industrial networking, access control, backups, patching, remote connectivity, asset inventories, and recovery plans for operational technology.

5. Technical Leadership & Capability Development

• Mentor engineers, technicians, maintenance personnel, and operations staff in controls diagnostics, electrical systems, structured problem solving, and safe work practices.
• Create and maintain training materials, troubleshooting guides, standard work, critical‑spares strategies, and competency matrices.
• Provide technical direction without relying on direct authority and communicate effectively with plant leadership, technical teams, vendors, and global stakeholders.

6. Documentation & Configuration Control

• Maintain accurate electrical drawings, I/O lists, network diagrams, panel layouts, bills of material, software backups, revision histories, and commissioning records.
• Implement disciplined management of change for electrical and automation modifications, including risk review, testing, approval, documentation, and training.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE / SKILLS

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Mechatronics, Automation Engineering, or a closely related discipline.

Professional Experience:

• 5 or more years of progressive industrial controls and electrical engineering experience in a manufacturing environment, including ownership of complex projects and plant‑critical systems.

Technical Proficiency:

• Advanced hands‑on experience with Siemens PLCs and HMIs, preferably within the TIA Portal / SIMATIC ecosystem.
• Working knowledge of Rockwell Automation platforms (including Allen Bradley PLCs) in addition to Siemens systems.
• Demonstrated hands‑on experience with Fanuc robotics systems.
• Working knowledge of variable‑frequency drives (VFDs) and soft starters, including the ability to support them.
• Demonstrated experience with industrial networks such as PROFINET and PROFIBUS, variable‑frequency drives, instrumentation, safety circuits, and electrical troubleshooting.
• Ability to interpret and develop electrical schematics, control narratives, functional specifications, and technical documentation.
• Strong analytical, communication, prioritization, and cross‑functional leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with robotics, machine vision, servo systems, data historians, SCADA, manufacturing execution systems, or SQL‑based production data.
• Experience applying NFPA 70, NFPA 70E, UL 508A, IEC 60204‑1, ISA‑88/ISA‑95 concepts, or machinery risk‑assessment methods.
• Functional safety training or certification, Siemens technical certifications, TÜV certification, CAP, PE, PMP, or Lean Six Sigma credentials.
• Experience in high‑volume, process, glass, ceramics, electrical‑products, or other high‑temperature manufacturing environments.

Leadership Scope & Decision Authority

• Acts as the plant technical authority for electrical and controls standards and provides recommendations on capital priorities, equipment acceptance, obsolescence risk, and controls lifecycle strategy.
• Authorized to stop or escape work when electrical safety, machine safety, product quality, cybersecurity, or equipment integrity is at risk.
• Expected to independently plan and execute assignments, influence cross‑functional teams, and present recommendations and project status to senior plant leadership.

Performance Measures

• Safety: electrical safety compliance, closure of corrective actions, and risk reduction.
• Reliability: reduction in controls‑related downtime, repeat failures, and recovery time.
• Execution: delivery of projects to approved scope, schedule, budget, and performance targets.
• Operations: measurable gains in throughput, yield, scrap, cycle time, process capability, and equipment availability.
• Sustainability: completeness of documentation, backup integrity, obsolescence planning, spare‑parts readiness, and workforce capability.

Reporting Line

• This position reports to the Director of Operations and works closely with Production, Maintenance, Quality, EHS, IT, Supply Chain, corporate engineering, OEMs, and system integrators.

Physical demands and work environment:

• Frequently required to stand, walk, sit