Process Automation Controls Engineer III

TekniPlex; Winston-Salem (NC); On-site; USD 100,000 - 114,000; Full time

Job summary

TekniPlex is seeking a Process Automation Controls Engineer III in Winston-Salem, NC to own automation, controls, and plant-floor data systems for a multi-building facility.

You will program PLCs/HMIs, develop Ignition SCADA, manage data historians, and support production uptime and OEE improvements. This role blends lab and shop-floor work with IT-like responsibilities and requires hands-on troubleshooting and collaboration across teams.

Qualifications

• Five+ years of controls-related experience.
• Experience with Rockwell/Allen-Bradley PLCs.
• Experience with HMI/SCADA applications (Ignition or similar).
• Strong networking and PLC troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to read electrical schematics and troubleshoot panels.

Responsibilities

• Program, troubleshoot, and modify PLCs and HMIs across multiple vendors.
• Develop Ignition SCADA for monitoring and reporting.
• Maintain data historians and databases (SQL, PostgreSQL).
• Administer industrial network and OT servers.
• Train technicians and ensure safety practices.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI/SCADA

SQL databases

Industrial networking

Electrical schematics

Tools

Rockwell Studio 5000

RSLogix

Ignition

Kepware TOP Server

SQL Server PostgreSQL

Job description

Process Automation Controls Engineer III

Job Category: Engineering

Requisition Number: PROCE006460

• Full-Time
• On-site

Locations

Showing 1 location

Winston Salem, NC 27105, USA

Description

Imagine: A Career with Purpose and Possibility

Picture this: You are part of a global team of problem-solvers whose innovations in materials science can make life better. Every day, you help turn ideas into impact using science, technology, and creativity to tackle real-world challenges. You’re part of a company whose work helps improve patient outcomes in healthcare and protects essential consumer goods that people around the world rely on every day.

At TekniPlex, you’ll join more than 8,000 colleagues across 12 countries, all united by one purpose: creating safer, smarter solutions that touch daily life. Through our divisions, TekniPlex Healthcare and TekniPlex Consumer Products, you’ll help shape industries that matter: healthcare, pharmaceutical, food & beverage, beauty, and personal care.

Here, your ideas count and your work matters. You’ll be encouraged to think boldly, collaborate across cultures, and keep growing every step of the way. You will help protect the integrity of essential products, support patient safety and comfort, and contribute to innovations that make everyday life better, all while building a career that makes an impact.

Because at TekniPlex, you don’t just deliver products – you help shape what’s next.

What is the role where you will make an impact?

Process Automation Controls Engineer III:

As theProcess Automation Controls Engineer owns the automation, controls, and plant-floor data systems that keep a multi-building manufacturing facility running.

This role spans PLC and HMI programming, SCADA and data historian systems, the industrial network, and the servers that support them. The engineer supports daily production, drives reliability and OEE improvements, and leads controls upgrades from design through commissioning. It is a hands-on role for someone who is as comfortable with a laptop plugged into a PLC on the floor as with SQL queries and network switches.

What will you do in this technical role?

Controls & Equipment

• Program, troubleshoot, and modify PLCs and HMIs across a mixed-vendor plant, primarily Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, with Siemens, Schneider/Modicon, Omron, AutomationDirect, and Unitronics equipment.
• Support production equipment including extruders, laminators, presses, winders, and utility systems (HVAC, cooling tower, tank farm); respond to controls-related downtime.
• Lead drive upgrades, retrofits, and machine revamps: scope, design, electrical schematics, panel changes, programming, and startup.
• Read, create, and maintain electrical drawings, size power supplies, protection, and components.

SCADA, Data & Software

• Develop and maintain Ignition SCADA (Perspective and Vision) for HMI, OEE tracking, recipe management, and machine and utility monitoring.
• Maintain data historian and database systems (PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server), including tag historization, named queries, and audit logging.
• Manage OPC and connectivity layers such as Kepware / TOP Server; support legacy FactoryTalk and Wonderware systems during migration.
• Support production-monitoring platforms (e.g., Shoplogix) and plant display boards; build dashboards and reports for operations and process engineering.
• Write and maintain scripts (Python/Jython, SQL) for automation, data handling, and reporting.

Infrastructure & Network

• Administer the industrial/OT network: managed switches, VLANs, and device IP management, in coordination with corporate IT.
• Maintain control-system servers and virtual machines, backups, software licensing, and Windows / Active Directory accounts for OT systems.
• Support plant security systems such as badge access and camera systems (UniFi).
• Identify and implement automation projects that improve uptime, quality, safety, and OEE.
• Keep programs, network drawings, IP lists, credentials, and system documentation current and backed up.
• Work closely with maintenance, process engineering, production, and IT; train technicians and operators on new systems.
• Follow and promote plant safety practices, including LOTO, arc-flash, and machine guarding requirements.

What skills do you bring to the role?

• Five or more years of controls related experience
• Strong PLC programming and troubleshooting skills in Rockwell Studio 5000 / RSLogix (ladder logic required; structured text a plus).
• Experience developing HMI/SCADA applications (Ignition preferred; FactoryTalk View or similar acceptable).
• Working knowledge of SQL databases and industrial communication protocols (EtherNet/IP, Modbus, OPC UA).
• Ability to read and create electrical schematics and troubleshoot control panels, VFDs, and field I/O.
• Solid networking fundamentals: IP addressing, subnets, VLANs, managed switches.
• Willingness to support production outside normal hours when needed.

Preferred

• Ignition Core or Gold certification.
• Experience with Kepware, FactoryTalk Transaction Manager, Wonderware, or Grafana.
• Python or Jython scripting experience.
• Experience with OEE systems, recipe management, or historian migrations.
• Background in plastics, extrusion, or converting processes.
• Exposure to Siemens TIA Portal, Omron, or other non-Rockwell platforms.
• Familiarity with UniFi / Ubiquiti network and security products, VMware or Hyper-V, and Active Directory.

We offer a competitive compensation package in the range of $100k-$114k to include an annual bonus.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.