PLC Controls Leader - Maintenance

The J.M. Smucker Company; Columbus (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The J.M. Smucker Company PLC Controls Leader will oversee plant power and control systems, drive equipment reliability, and develop technician skills to support start-up and ongoing operations across the bakery facility.

You will partner with site engineers and managers to implement standards, optimize processes, ensure safety, regulatory compliance, and build data-driven improvements for PLC and MES workflows.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• 2 years of relevant controls experience is required.
• 5 years of manufacturing experience is required.
• Strong knowledge of machine and/or process control hardware, instrumentation and software including Allen Bradley PLC and Rockwell FactoryTalk platforms.
• Effective presentation, verbal, and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary administrator and troubleshooter for plant power and control systems.
• Builds and maintains a sustainable system for plant E&I skill development and onboarding.
• Develop power and control standards and ensure application in area of responsibility.
• Ensure compliance to local and national regulator codes and safety practices.
• Validate operating data from PLC into MES systems and condition PLC data for analysis.
• Owns sustainability metering equipment and analyzes power data to reduce consumption and costs.
• Provide design and implementation support for machine control and automation applications (HMI, KPI, MES).
• Identify losses with management to improve safety, quality, reliability and cost.

Skills

Communication skills

Controls experience

Education

High school diploma

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Tools

Allen Bradley PLC

Rockwell FactoryTalk

Proficy

Job description

Your Opportunity as the PLC Controls Leader

The Controls Leader will provide active support with regard to power and control systems, equipment specification and maintenance, proper operation, technician development, troubleshooting and repair to achieve or exceed reliability targets within the bakery or a specific department. Throughout the plant start-up process as well as in ongoing operations, this role has responsibility for systems optimization, compliance, personnel safety and technician skill development relative to plant electrical power and process control systems.

Location: 1969 Victory Dr. Columbus, GA (Hostess Manufacturing Facility)

Work Arrangements: 100% on-site, Day Shift 6AM-6PM - Flexibility required. Willingness to work off shift (including nights, weekends, and/or holidays) and flow to the work as needed

In this Role You Will:

• Serve as primary administrator and troubleshooter for plant power and control systems and is a key member of plant technical leadership

• Builds and maintains a sustainable system for plant E&I skill development; coaches on skill assessment and development of operating and E&I technicians within the department; Works with the site Technical Manager to build and maintain sustainable process and machine control onboarding and ongoing development systems for plant Process Engineers, Interns and Area Leaders

• Works with the site Technical Manager and Plant Engineer to develop power and control standards and ensure application of the standards in their area of responsibility

• Knows, communicates, and ensures technician compliance to local and national regulator codes; Is also responsible for ensuring equipment and safe practice compliance in their area of responsibility

• Responsible for validation of the operating data from PLC into Proficy or other MES systems; Support plant PEs in conditioning PLC data to accommodate effective data analysis including application development

• Owns the validity and ongoing system for maintaining the site sustainability metering equipment (power monitors and usage flow meters); Owns using the power monitoring data and developing plans to reduce overall consumption and costs

• Provides expertise in the design and implementation of machine control and process automation applications, such as control strategies, HMI design, MES applications and KPI development

• Works with site Technical Manager, other department management and technicians to identify losses, and develop plans and strategies to eliminate them, in the areas of safety, quality, reliability and cost

• Owns parts or whole Key Elements for systems related to power and control system

• Works closely with engineering and operations leaders on selection and installation/start-up of new equipment; Becomes the controls systems technical expert on new equipment and ensures the training of others

• Provides power and controls engineering support on capital initiatives in their area of responsibility

• Provides support throughout other parts of the plant on a daily basis

• Learns and applies advance control, simulation and process modeling technologies to analyze and improve overall process and packaging operations

• Install and technical support of PLC based hardware and software

• Troubleshoot and eliminate control systems issues and handle controls projects.

• Extend start up support and training for control and monitoring systems.

• Execute wireless communication systems for manufacturing.

• Create system map layouts, sequence of operations, drawing packages, PLC logic, and HMI screens

• Assisting in installation oversight

• Start-up and Debug machines

What We are Looking For:

Minimum Requirements:

• A high school diploma or equivalent is required

• 2 years of relevant controls experience is required

• 5 years of manufacturing experience is required

• Strong knowledge of machine and/or process control hardware, instrumentation and software including Allen Bradley PLC and Rockwell FactoryTalk platforms

• Effective presentation, verbal, and written communication skills

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:

• A bachelor's degree is preferred but not required

• Mechanical and electrical experience in food manufacturing is preferred

• Experience leading and influencing others is preferred

• Experience learning and integrating new technologies

• Experience leading the installation of equipment in food manufacturing environment

• Demonstrated results in manufacturing maintenance utilizing maintenance systems

• Experience with plant systems software (Proficy, Project Management, eAM, etc.)

• Understanding of technical systems and terminology

• Proficient in Microsoft Suite applications

Work Environment

This job operates in a manufacturing environment. The noise level in the work environment and manufacturing sites can be loud.

Physical Demands:

• Regularly required to talk and hear.

• Frequently required to stand; walk; use hands and fingers to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.

• Occasionally required to sit; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.

• Able to lift objects up to 50 pounds frequently.

• May push and pull heavy objects.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.