Senior Controls Engineer – PLC/Automation & Startups

West Fraser, Inc; Fairfax (SC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits starting Day 1

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401k with company matching

Employee Stock Purchase plan

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Paid vacations and holidays

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

West Fraser seeks an Automation Engineer to lead maintenance and improvement of PLC and automation systems in a large-scale manufacturing setting. You will train mill staff, address needs across the mill, and collaborate with vendors to push the project forward.

The role requires 5+ years in machine automation, strong troubleshooting skills with AB PLCs, HMI, and power drives, plus solid electrical design experience. A degree or equivalent experience is required.

Qualifications

• Associates or Bachelor’s degree or equivalent related experience.
• 5+ years of experience designing and/or operating machine automation solutions in the manufacturing industry.
• Proven experience in working on large-scale manufacturing operations.
• Excellent troubleshooting skills – Drives, PLC issues, control issues, electrical.
• Allen-Bradley PLC Programming and HMI Programming.
• Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 525 and PowerFlex 755 experience.
• Electrical Design and Drive Configuration and Network Design.
• Good communication skills, both written and verbal.

Responsibilities

• Assist in maintaining and improving PLC and other automation control systems safely and reliably.
• Train mill personnel and elevate their skill level to match current systems.
• Engage with mill personnel to understand needs and deliver effective support.
• Maintain and service various optimization systems (software and hardware).
• Respond to emergency situations and identify improvement opportunities.
• Assist in project planning, startups, and vendor collaboration to move the mill ahead of vendor scope.
• Conduct or supervise installation, commissioning and operation of electrical/electronic equipment and systems.
• Diagnose, test and analyze performance of electrical/electronic components and systems.

Skills

Automation troubleshooting

Allen-Bradley PLC Programming

HMI Programming

PowerFlex 525/755

Electrical design

Education

Associates or Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

None

Job description

West Fraser seeks an Automation Engineer to lead maintenance and improvement of PLC and automation systems in a large-scale manufacturing setting. You will train mill staff, address needs across the mill, and collaborate with vendors to push the project forward.

The role requires 5+ years in machine automation, strong troubleshooting skills with AB PLCs, HMI, and power drives, plus solid electrical design experience. A degree or equivalent experience is required.