Engineer, Automation and Controls

Torani (R. Torre & Co.); San Leandro (CA); Hybrid; USD 128,000 - 142,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)

Fully covered healthcare

401(k) company match

Job summary

Torani in San Leandro is seeking an Automation Systems Engineer to anchor our PLC/SCADA environments, supporting Production, Maintenance, and Quality. You’ll troubleshoot, document, and improve automation systems, collaborating across teams to ensure reliability and continuous improvement.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years in automation, Rockwell/FactoryTalk experience, and strong PLC programming skills, with a track record in manufacturing environments and IT/OT data connectivity.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in automation/controls engineering; 7+ preferred.
• 2+ years embedded in a manufacturing environment supporting live production systems.
• Experience leading automation/electrical scopes for small-to-medium projects.
• Hands-on Rockwell Automation platform experience (ControlLogix/CompactLogix).
• Strong PLC programming skills (ladder logic; SFC/FBD a plus).
• Experience with SCADA systems (FactoryTalk View SE or Ignition).
• Familiarity with industrial networks and protocols (EtherNet/IP).
• Experience IT/OT integration (SQL, Active Directory, managed networks).

Responsibilities

• Maintain, troubleshoot, and improve PLC/SCADA/HMI environments to keep plant operations safe and efficient.
• Lead automation workstreams within capital and improvement projects; coordinate contractors.
• Ensure documentation, version control, and change management are in place.
• Support IT/OT connectivity and data flows between shop floor and enterprise systems.
• Provide on-floor reliability support and root-cause analysis with actionable corrective actions.

Skills

PLC programming

SCADA systems

Automation/controls engineering

IT/OT integration

Industrial networks

Instrumentation troubleshooting

Rockwell controls experience

HMI/FactoryTalk View

VFDs and motor control

Documentation and standards

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Computer, or Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Rockwell Automation platforms (ControlLogix, CompactLogix)

FactoryTalk View SE

Ignition (SCADA)

ThinManager

AssetCentre

Niagara-based BMS

Job description

At Torani, we’re entering an exciting phase of hypergrowth and transformation as we build the systems that will support our journey toward a $1 Billion business. We’re introducing new manufacturing technologies, modernizing legacy platforms, and expanding automation across our operations. To support this work, we’re looking for an Automation Systems Engineer to serve as a key technical anchor for our automation systems.

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.

At Torani, a Certified B Corporation, we flavor more than just drinks—we flavor lives. You’ll join a people-first, purpose-driven team and help build foundational data capabilities that will shape how Torani makes decisions for years to come. If you’re excited to build something meaningful, visible, and lasting, you’ll thrive here.

Success Factors (First 12–24 Months)

• Automation Systems Expert: You became a trusted technical resource across Production, Maintenance, and Quality by keeping Torani’s 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)
• Strong PLC programming skills (ladder logic + modular design; SFC/FBD a plus)
• 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
• Control panel design experience (preferred)
• Safety-first mindset with experience supporting compliance and risk awareness

Why People Love Working Here

Why Torani

• Become an owner: Every regular team member participates in Torani's Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), giving you the opportunity to share in the long-term success you're helping create: Profit Sharing, an annual bonus, and a 401(k) company match are just a few of the additional ways we celebrate and reward that success together.
• Growing with purpose: For more than 35 years, Torani has grown year after year. That growth creates opportunities to build new skills, work with new technologies, and take on new challenges to keep building our business.
• Better together: We work across teams, solve problems together, and support one another through both successes and setbacks.

More to Love

• Healthcare that's fully covered: We pay 100% of medical, dental, and vision premiums for our team members.
• Celebrate together: From Company Day and cultural heritage celebrations to team lunches and milestone celebrations, we make time to connect and celebrate.
• The perks are pretty delicious: Enjoy unlimited Italian sodas, flavored lattes, and plenty of opportunities to taste the products we're creating together.
• And, of course, the essentials: Competitive pay, paid time off, and a comprehensive benefits package to support you.

Work Location: San Leandro, Hybrid, 3 days on site and 2 days work from home.

Salary Range: $127,517 - $141,686