Manufacturing Systems & OT Engineer

TFC Poultry; Winchester (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

TFC Poultry is seeking an Manufacturing Systems & OT Engineer to design, implement, and continuously improve plant-level technology. You will partner with the Technology Team Leader and operations to enhance system reliability, data visibility, and integration between shop-floor equipment and business systems.

The role requires strong knowledge of Ignition, OT networks, and ERP/MRP/MES integrations, plus hands-on troubleshooting and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a technical field and 3+ years in manufacturing systems/OT environments.
• Ignition development/administration experience preferred.
• Experience integrating ERP/MRP/MES, labeling, traceability, or BI platforms.
• Knowledge of OT networks, Ethernet, VLANs, switches, and cybersecurity fundamentals.

Responsibilities

• Own and improve manufacturing systems linking production equipment, OT infra, Ignition, MES/ERP integrations, and reporting.
• Develop Ignition dashboards, tags, connections, scripts, alarms, and historian functions.
• Support integration between shop-floor controls, ERP/MRP/MES, and data historians.
• Maintain OT software health, patching, backups, and lifecycle management.
• Coordinate with IT, vendors, and operations to secure updates and cyber hygiene.
• Troubleshoot system issues affecting data collection, labeling, traceability, and OEE reports.

Skills

Ignition development

ERP/MRP/MES integrations

Industrial networks

SCADA/HMI

Troubleshooting

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

Ignition

Business Central

Job description

Title: Manufacturing Systems & OT Engineer

Reports to: Technology Team Leader

Job Purpose:

Develops, supports, and continuously improves manufacturing systems, OT software platforms, and plant-level technology infrastructure across production operations. Partners with the Technology Team Leader, operations, maintenance, engineering, IT, controls, and vendors to strengthen system reliability, cybersecurity, data visibility, production support, and integration between shop-floor equipment and business systems.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Own, support, and continuously improve manufacturing systems that connect production equipment, OT infrastructure, Ignition, MES/MRP workflows, ERP integrations, reporting tools, and business data needs
• Develop and maintain Ignition applications, dashboards, tags, device connections, scripts, alarms, historian functions, and interfaces that improve production visibility and decision-making
• Support integration between shop-floor controls, manufacturing systems, Business Central, MRP/MES functions, data historians, databases, and reporting platforms
• Maintain OT software health through patch planning, version management, backups, change control, lifecycle tracking, license management, and documented recovery procedures
• Partner with the Controls Engineer, maintenance, operations, and IT to support industrial networks, production equipment connectivity, edge devices, servers, virtual machines, workstations, and related OT infrastructure
• Coordinate secure updates, patching, firmware review, endpoint hardening, remote-access controls, and cybersecurity practices for production-facing systems without disrupting operations
• Troubleshoot manufacturing system issues affecting production, data collection, labeling, traceability, OEE/downtime reporting, recipe management, equipment connectivity, and operator-facing applications
• Create and maintain system architecture diagrams, network documentation, data maps, backup registers, SOPs, support procedures, access lists, change logs, and technical standards
• Work with vendors, OEMs, IT, automation resources, and internal stakeholders to specify, test, validate, commission, and support technology solutions that meet company standards
• Promote a professional company image through ownership, clear communication, safe work practices, strong documentation, proactive risk escalation, and effective collaboration with plant and corporate teams

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Industrial Technology, or related technical field preferred; equivalent manufacturing systems, OT, or industrial technology experience may be considered
• 3+ years of experience supporting manufacturing systems, OT software, industrial networks, plant-floor data systems, SCADA/HMI platforms, databases, ERP/MRP/MES integrations, or production technology environments
• Strong experience with Ignition development or administration preferred, including tags, gateways, device connections, visualization, scripting, alarms, historian functions, and role-based access
• Experience supporting integrations with ERP, MRP, MES, labeling, traceability, reporting, or business intelligence platforms; Business Central experience preferred
• Working knowledge of OT network concepts, industrial Ethernet, VLANs, managed switches, firewalls, remote access, server/workstation management, backups, disaster recovery, and cybersecurity fundamentals
• Ability to manage software updates, patching, version control, firmware review, change control, validation, and lifecycle planning in a production environment
• Ability to read and maintain system architecture diagrams, network drawings, data-flow documentation, control narratives, equipment documentation, and support procedures
• Strong troubleshooting, root cause analysis, communication, documentation, vendor management, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Ability to support occasional off-hours troubleshooting, production outages, maintenance windows, implementations, plant shutdown work, and vendor/OEM commissioning activities as business needs require
• Manufacturing, food processing, packaging, utilities, refrigeration, regulated-industry, or multi-site operations experience preferred