Senior Automation & Controls Engineer - Life Sciences

Excel Engineering, Inc.; Mounds View, Northern (MN, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Growth & Development

Retirement Benefits (401(k))

Comprehensive Health Coverage (medical

Wellness programs

Work–Life Balance

Flexible work environment

Employee referral program

Job summary

Excel Engineering, Inc. in Mounds View, MN is seeking an Automation Engineer for its Life Sciences division. You will design and implement industrial control and automation solutions, working with PLCs, HMI/SCADA, VFDs, P&IDs, and GMP/compliance workflows.

Collaboration with engineers, project managers, vendors, and clients is essential. You will develop specifications, programs, and validation activities while contributing to capital and operational projects.

Qualifications

• Engineering degree from an ABET-accredited institution or equivalent.
• GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
• Minimum 5+ years’ experience as an industrial control systems/automation engineer.
• Experience in pharmaceuticals, biotech, food & beverage, nutritionals, nuclear, or chemical industries is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Understand client manufacturing processes to support control system design.
• Develop functional and design specifications for client review.
• Create PLC programs, HMI applications, and batch recipes from requirements.
• Perform control system validation per project requirements.
• Develop project scopes, estimates, and proposals in response to client requests.
• Configure and commission VFDs based on project scope.
• Design network layout and analyze data traffic for control systems.

Skills

Automation engineering

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Education

ABET-accredited engineering degree

GPA 3.0+

Tools

Rockwell ControlLogix

FactoryTalk View SE/ME

FactoryTalk Batch

FactoryTalk Historian / AVEVA PI Historian

ThinManager

FTDirectory

Job description

Description

At Excel Engineering, we are the power behind our clients’ processes.

We are a full-service engineering consulting firm specializing in electrical engineering, industrial automation, and power systems. For over 30 years, we’ve partnered with leading companies across industries to deliver solutions that improve safety, efficiency, and performance.

Our work spans sectors including life sciences, consumer goods, chemical, oil & gas, and utilities, giving our team the opportunity to work on complex, high-impact projects.

What sets us apart is our approach, we build long-term partnerships by understanding our clients’ operations and acting as an extension of their team. If you’re looking to grow your skills, take on meaningful challenges, and make a real impact, Excel Engineering offers the opportunity to do just that.

Excel Engineering is seeking an Automation Engineer for its Life Sciences division located in our main office in Mounds View, MN. This position will execute projects both independently and in a team structure, delivering engineered industrial control & automation solutions to our clients in support of their manufacturing processes. Knowledge of PLCs, HMI/SCADA, VFDs, P&IDs, Good Manufacturing Practices, and validation workflows within the pharmaceutical/biotech industries is fundamental to this role. This position works closely with other engineers, project managers, vendors, contractors, and client team members in support of both capital and operational improvement projects.

Role Overview

• Understand client manufacturing processes to support the design of associated control systems and automation integration.
• Develop functional specification and design specification documents for client review and subsequent code development.
• Create programmable logical controller (PLC) programs, HMI applications, and batch recipes from user requirements and functional specifications.
• Perform control system validation based on specification documents and project requirements, either developing and executing directly or as automation support for designated validation resources.
• Develop project scopes and estimates based on discussions with clients. Develop and issue proposals in response to client requests.
• Specify, configure, and commission variable frequency drives (VFDs) based on project scope.
• Design network layout and analyze data traffic and server requirements to support the control system design.
• Perform calculations for power, heat dissipation, wire sizing, fusing, and other activities required for control panel design.
• Delegate and assign work to team members on larger-scope projects and independently execute multiple concurrent small projects as needed.

Requirements

Experience and Education

• Engineering degree from an ABET accredited institution or equivalent experience.
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
• Minimum of 5 or more years’ experience as an industrial control systems/automation engineer.
• Experience in one or more of the following industries highly preferred: pharmaceuticals, biotech, food and beverage, nutritionals, nuclear, and chemical.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of industrial control system technology including the following: Rockwell ControlLogix, FactoryTalk View SE and ME, FactoryTalk Batch, FactoryTalk Historian / AVEVA PI Historian
• Distributed control systems and platforms (e.g. ThinManager, FTDirectory)
• Process engineering knowledge including PID control, batch manufacturing, and associated process equipment.
• Problem solving skills and ability to assess and overcome challenges and project hurdles.
• Ability to travel up to 25%

We offer…

• Growth & Development: Ongoing continuing education, hands‑on training, and opportunities to expand your skills.
• Career Advancement Support: Assistance in earning professional certifications and pursuing further education.
• Retirement Benefits: 401(k) plan with employer matching.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance options.
• Wellness Focus: Access to programs designed to support your overall well‑being.
• Work–Life Balance: Paid time off and flexible work environment
• Flexibility & Trust: A flexible schedule and work environment built around mutual trust and accountability.
• Share the Talent, Share the Rewards: We value great people recommending great people, which is why our employee referral program is designed to reward you continuously

We offer a competitive salary and great benefits. At Excel Engineering, we’re proud of our positive, high-performing culture where teamwork, continuous improvement, and a service-oriented mindset help us do our best work every day. If you enjoy a fast-paced and rewarding environment, you’ll love being part of our team!

Excel Engineering, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, or any other protected characteristic.

We value diverse perspectives and believe they strengthen our work, our teams, and the solutions we deliver to clients. We encourage candidates from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in engineering to apply. If you need accommodations during the application or interview process, please contact our Human Resources team at [e-mail].