Automation & Controls Engineer

Role Summary

Automation and Controls Engineer based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, supporting Perrigo Nutritionals' automation and control systems. This role provides support and maintenance of manufacturing automation to minimize downtime and leads continuous improvement across process, automation, and control systems. It involves planning and executing capital projects aligned with site objectives while ensuring FDA/GMP compliance. The position reports to the Engineering Manager.

Responsibilities

• Plan, manage, and execute projects that support strategic site objectives, continuous improvement initiatives, and mitigation of hardware/software obsolescence.
• Full life cycle project management: planning, system design, programming, vendor/contractor management, procurement, project schedule and budget adherence, installation, startup, validation, etc.
• Compliance with site documentation practices: change management, validation, and GMP requirements, etc.
• Technical writing: functional descriptions/specifications, engineering standards, investigation findings, engineering analysis/studies and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Maintain site electrical and control panel drawings
• Provide technical support and act as SME for new and existing systems
• Provide advanced troubleshooting support for maintenance, calibration and automation technicians
• Limited after-hours support for urgent issues

Qualifications

• Required: 5+ years relevant experience
• Required: Project engineering and project management
• Required: Rockwell Automation ControlLogix and CompactLogix PLCs
• Required: Rockwell Automation VFDs/MCCs
• Required: AVEVA (Wonderware) System Platform or similar SCADA
• Preferred: Food/pharmaceutical industry experience
• Preferred: Electrical/Control panel design and applicable standards (NEC, UL508A, etc.)
• Preferred: Electrical distribution up to 480VAC and applicable standards (NEC, NFPA 70E, etc.)
• Preferred: Machine safety standards
• Preferred: Networking and switch configuration (Cisco, Stratix, Siemens)
• Preferred: Industrial communication networks (EtherNet/IP, IO-Link, ControlNet, DeviceNet, ASI, PROFIBUS)
• Preferred: Virtual machines (VMware vSphere)
• Preferred: Thin client architecture (ThinManager)
• Preferred: Active Directory user and group management
• Preferred: Microsoft SQL Server, Management Studio, Reporting Services
• Preferred: Siemens MCCs/VFDs
• Preferred: GE iFix/iBatch
• Preferred: Keyence vision systems

Education

• B.S. degree in Engineering or related field