Manufacturing Automation & Controls Engineer

Kaiser Aluminum; Spokane (WA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid holidays

Paid leave

401K with company match

Quarterly bonus

Job summary

Kaiser Aluminum in Spokane, WA is seeking a Manufacturing Support Automation & Controls Engineer to join the Trentwood site. This onsite role reports to the Process Improvement Engineering Manager and supports/advances Manufacturing Excellence initiatives across equipment, PLCs, HMIs, and control systems.

Ideal candidates have 0–5 years in electrical engineering, experience with PLC/HMI and data-driven improvement, and strong teamwork and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• 0–5 years of electrical engineering experience.
• Experience with PLC/HMI/dcs or relevant lab education.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Strong PC skills (Windows, Word, Excel) and good communication.
• Ability to work in teams and manage multiple tasks.

Responsibilities

• Validate and maintain control system design/architecture for new and existing equipment.
• Support equipment start-ups and maintenance outages.
• Troubleshoot equipment control and electrical systems.
• Provide engineering support for maintenance and operations during troubleshooting and RCA.
• Perform changes in PLC/HMI and related servers; coordinate with vendors and production teams.
• Develop project scope, cost estimates, and schedules for assigned projects.
• Prepare and update project documentation (manuals, spare parts, drawings).
• Promote lean thinking and right‑first‑time practices.

Skills

Electrical Engineering

PLC

HMI

Analytical skills

Teamwork

Multitasking

Communication

Education

Electrical Engineering degree

Computer Engineering degree (substitute)

ME Automation degree substitute

Tools

Industrial PLC systems

HMI systems

Distributed control systems

CMMS (MAXIMO)

Python programming

Database tools

Job description

Kaiser Aluminum in Spokane, WA is seeking a Manufacturing Support Automation & Controls Engineer to join the Trentwood site. This onsite role reports to the Process Improvement Engineering Manager and supports/advances Manufacturing Excellence initiatives across equipment, PLCs, HMIs, and control systems.

Ideal candidates have 0–5 years in electrical engineering, experience with PLC/HMI and data-driven improvement, and strong teamwork and communication skills.