Senior PLC / Automation Engineer

Brookhaven National Laboratory; Upton (NY); On-site; USD 129,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading laboratory is seeking a Senior PLC / Automation Engineer to develop and maintain PLC-based equipment protection systems. The role involves collaboration with technical staff to ensure safety and reliability across various beamline instruments. Candidates should have extensive experience in automation and controls, with strong problem-solving and communication skills. This position offers a supportive work environment and competitive compensation based on qualifications and experience.

Qualifications

• 10 years experience with automation and controls using PLCs.
• Comprehensive understanding of equipment interlock logic, wiring, sensors, and actuators.

Responsibilities

• Maintain knowledge and materials for equipment protection development.
• Gather and document comprehensive requirements for equipment protection.
• Collaborate closely with controls experts to ensure robust user experience.

Skills

Automation

Controls

Problem Solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

PLC Programming

EPICS

Control System Studio

Job description

The National Synchrotron Light Source is a state-of-the-art, medium-energy (3 GeV) electron storage ring that produces x-rays up to 10,000 times brighter than the NSLS. The mission of the National Synchrotron Light Source is to provide extremely bright x-rays for basic and applied research in biology and medicine, materials and chemical sciences, geosciences and environmental sciences, and nanoscience. To support this program, the NSLS-II must design, fabricate, assemble, test, install, and operate unique research equipment to generate, transport, transfer, accelerate and focus electron and X-ray beams.This includes a combination of custom designed and built parts and vendor produced components developed by a collaboration of the NSLS-II scientific, engineering, and technical staff. As many of these instruments are of high value, a Beamline Equipment Protection System (EPS) is implemented to protect these with controls interlocks to ensure robust operations. The NSLS-II supports an international user community of over 2,200 researchers from 400 universities. The NSLS-II performs all these functions in an environmentally responsible and safe manner, under a rigorous conduct of operations approach.

Position Description

NSLS-II Data Science and System Integration Engineering and Equipment Group has an opening for Senior PLC / Automation Engineer. Reporting to the Engineering and Equipment group leader, the candidate will be responsible for performing development, maintenance, upgrade, and testing of PLC-based and other equipment protection interlock controls. This position will require close interaction with technicians, engineers, and scientific staff. The Engineer will be responsible for gathering and delivering on functional and technical requirements, from sensors and actuators to wiring, logic, and programming. Brookhaven National Laboratory and the Energy and Photon Sciences Directorate are committed to your success. We offer a supportive work environment and the resources necessary for you to succeed.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintain knowledge and materials on hand to address equipment protection development and support needs for 30-plus beamline instruments.

• Gather and document comprehensive requirements and version-controlled designs for equipment protection additions and changes.

• Develop and work to schedules and estimates of effort and materials costs for equipment protection development, installation, and testing.

• Regularly communicate to stakeholders and management regarding all beamline equipment protection efforts including development and support.

• Establish documentation and training enabling troubleshooting and maintenance of equipment protection components by a range of technical staff.

• Collaborate closely with controls experts to ensure a robust user experience

• Interface with technical experts from other groups to maximize facility reliability.

• Work with other engineers and technicians to achieve team goals.

• Maintain safety practices and procedures applicable to daily activities.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related engineering field.

• 10 years experience with automation and controls using PLCs.

• Comprehensive understanding of equipment interlock logic, wiring, sensors, and actuators. Comfortable working from schematics, diagrams, written procedures, and spreadsheets. Solid experience with logic design, programming, and wiring design. Hands-on troubleshooting skills and analytical problem-solving abilities with both software and hardware.

• Ability to define and execute technically complex projects of various size, including establishing scope and exit criteria, gathering requirements, providing effort estimates, maintaining work schedules, and managing a working inventory of needed hardware.

• Able to deliver robust operational capabilities, by maintaining documented standards and version control for program code and wiring design. Capable of producing designs, processes, test procedures, and training.

• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication skills. Ability to work well in a team environment, with people who have a range of interests and abilities.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering or related engineering field

• 15 years experience with automation and controls using PLCs

• Experience with PLC programming methods (e.g. Ladder Logic, Structured Text, Function Block), particularly as implemented on Allen Bradley or similar commercial PLC platforms.

• Experience with software integration of PLCs, particularly using EPICS, Control System Studio, or github.

• Creativity and knowledge sufficient to deliver robust and modern equipment protection solutions which can meet rapidly changing requirements.

• Ability to lead small teams, build consensus, and provide leadership.

Environmental, Health & Safety Requirements:

• May be required to walk up to 0.5 miles & climb stairs to access equipment.

• May be required to climb ladders for equipment inspection.

• May be required to occasionally work off-hours, nights and/or weekends to support mission critical projects.

Brookhaven Laboratory is committed to providing fair, equitable and competitive compensation. This is a multi-level role and the salary range for this position is $129,000.00 - $175,000.00 / year. You will be placed at the level and salary commensurate with your experience. Salary offers will be commensurate with the final candidate’s qualification, education and experience and considered with the internal peer group.