Automation Engineer (Food Manufacturing)

ConAgra Foods•Imlay City, MI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Engineering Manager at our Imlay City, Michigan manufacturing facility, you will serve as a technical leader for our automation systems, driving operational reliability, standardization, and continuous improvement across manufacturing and facilities while advancing site automation capability and workforce technical depth.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in a related technical field such as engineering, electronics, or programming
Experience working in a regulated manufacturing environment governed by organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, or process safety management requirements.
3+ years experience in manufacturing or process engineering environments.
3+ years of experience programming logic and supervisory controllers and data acquisition systems in an industrial environment.
Strong communication skills when collaborating with individuals inside and outside the organization.
Experience presenting technical information to employee groups or external audiences.
Experience reading and interpreting safety rules, blueprints, electrical schematics, piping and instrumentation diagrams, and equipment manuals.
Technical knowledge of automation components such as human machine interfaces, servo controllers, variable frequency drives, sensors, and process instrumentation.

Responsibilities

Provide daily, hands‑on automation support to Operations and Facilities teams to sustain safe, stable, and efficient manufacturing performance.
Lead and execute automation‑related capital and improvement projects, including system design, programming, testing, commissioning, and lifecycle support.
Design, develop, and implement structured training programs to strengthen the technical capability of the automation engineering and integration workforce.
Align site information technology and operational technology infrastructure, control programming, and automation equipment with established company standards and architectures.
Participate in Production Cell Daily Direction Setting meetings, contributing automation insight to drive performance and issue resolution.
Serve as an active contributor to site Early Management or Preventive Maintenance pillar teams.
Partner with the Early Management pillar team to support the site equipment obsolescence plan and long‑term automation strategy.
Enforce site safety, environmental, and good manufacturing practice requirements in all automation activities.
Ensure automation work is executed safely, efficiently, and to a high standard of technical quality.
Communicate technical information clearly and effectively with cross‑functional partners, vendors, and leadership.
Flex work hours, including providing off‑hours support, to ensure reliable operation of critical automation systems.