SCADA/MES Software Engineer

empirical foods, inc.; Dakota Dunes (SD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Empirical Foods, Inc. seeks an experienced engineer to lead SCADA, MES, historian, and industrial data systems development and support.

You will guide automation software, data collection, and operational reporting, translating operational needs into scalable solutions. The role requires hands-on design for historian, dashboards, and interfaces, plus strong SQL, Python, and PLC troubleshooting skills across OPC UA, Modbus, and related protocols.

Qualifications

• Progressive SCADA/HMI development experience in manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of MES and manufacturing data systems is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in PLC diagnostics, communications, and scripting languages.
• Experience with SQL queries, dashboards, and data interfaces in industrial settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead SCADA & MES engineering efforts, maintain standards for graphics, tags, alarms, databases.
• Provide system monitoring, troubleshoot PLCs, historians, databases, and reporting issues.
• Design and improve historian and operational data systems, dashboards, and interfaces.
• Develop scripts and tools using SQL, Python, VBA to automate tasks and improve deployment.
• Configure OPC UA, Modbus TCP, and related protocols across plant networks.
• Support Proficy Historian configuration, data collection, retention, and analytics.
• Drive continuous improvement, standards, and collaboration across teams.

Skills

SCADA/HMI development

Automation troubleshooting

SQL development

Python scripting

OPC/Modbus/iFIX experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Computer/Software/Industrial Engineering or related

Tools

OPC

Modbus

iFIX

Historian platforms

Job description

Overview

We are looking for a motivated person to develop and maintain SCADA/MES systems. Qualified applicants will provide technical leadership for automation software, industrial communications, data collection, and operational reporting. Position is responsible for designing, developing, supporting, and improving SCADA, MES, historian, and industrial data systems.

Responsibilities

• SCADA & MES Engineering: Lead application development, enhancement, and lifecycle support. Translate operational requirements into solutions; maintain graphics, tag, alarm, database, and deployment standards. Support commissioning, startup, upgrades, validation, and software-change review and approval.
• System Monitoring & Troubleshooting: Serve as an escalation resource for SCADA, MES, PLC, historian, database, communications, and reporting issues. Lead root-cause investigations; improve performance and reliability through corrective actions and tools that reduce recurring incidents.
• Industrial Data Systems & Integration: Design and improve historian, reporting, and operational data systems. Develop and optimize SQL queries, stored procedures, dashboards, reports, and interfaces; integrate plant-floor and business platforms. Maintain data collection, equipment-context, naming, and quality standards.
• Programming & Automation Development: Develop applications, scripts, utilities, and reusable tools using SQL, Python, VBA, and related technologies. Automate manual work and improve deployment, diagnostics, reporting, and monitoring using documentation, testing, version control, change management, and rollback planning.
• Industrial Communications: Design, configure, integrate, and troubleshoot OPC UA, Modbus TCP, and related protocols across PLCs, SCADA, historians, MES, networks, gateways, and external interfaces. Maintain communication, naming, polling, and reliability standards.
• Proficy Historian Support: Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot systems and collectors. Establish collection, compression, retention, and archive standards; resolve missing, stale, flatlined, or inconsistent data. Support trending and production analysis; coordinate upgrades, security, backups, and recovery with IT.
• Industrial AI & Advanced Analytics: Evaluate opportunities and prepare validated data. Support proofs of concept and pilots with success metrics and implementation; integrate approved solutions under change-control and cybersecurity standards. Monitor business value and operational outcomes.
• Reliability, Standards & Continuous Improvement: Improve availability, maintainability, and performance. Maintain engineering standards, design guidelines, procedures, and documentation; drive permanent corrective actions and project reviews. Promote standardization, scalability, and long-term supportability across facilities.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Provide guidance during projects, commissioning, and support. Coordinate vendors, contractors, and integrators with company standards. Communicate issues and recommendations across operations, maintenance, engineering, IT, and leadership.
• After-Hours Support:Participate in critical-system support and escalation. Provide remote or on-site incident response; communicate status and recovery plans. Document incidents, corrective actions, and long-term improvements.

Additional

• Ability to perform all essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Must have regular and punctual attendance.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Skills and Abilities

• Progressive experience in SCADA/HMI development required, knowledge of MES and manufacturing data systems highly desirable.
• Proficient in automation and controls troubleshooting; working knowledge of PLC programming, diagnostics, and communications.
• SQL development and database troubleshooting required; experience with Python, VBA, or related scripting languages a plus.
• Experience with one or more of the following; OPC, Modbus, iFIX or historian platforms.

Demonstrated Competencies

• Ability to communicate with all levels of employees in written or verbal form.
• Ability to solve and communicate complex problems.
• Strategic planning and organizational ability.
• Provide data driven results to lead and influence decisions.
• High level of ambition and motivation for success, be solutions oriented, results driven, and self-starter.

Physical Requirements

• Office setting and industrial manufacturing setting.

Experience: Minimum of 3 years relevant SCADA/HMI development. Experience in a manufacturing environment is desired. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline; OR an equivalent combination of technical education and applicable automation, controls, SCADA, MES, or software engineering experience. Department: Systems Automation