Automation Technician

Peak Energy•Sacramento, CA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Peak Energy Technologies is seeking an Automation Technician for their Manufacturing team at their Sacramento facility, supporting Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) manufacturing automation. This role involves building out automation equipment, including mounting valves and sensors, running cable, and wiring field devices. It also includes a sustaining role in keeping the equipment operational during full production, acting as the first responder to equipment failures and a technical mentor to another technician. The ideal candidate is a hands-on technician comfortable with both building new automation cells and troubleshooting under pressure, understanding when to fix issues independently versus escalating to Controls/Automation Engineering, and documenting all outcomes clearly. Peak Energy operates on a two-shift manufacturing schedule, and this role covers a single shift, coordinating with the opposing-shift technician to ensure continuous automation operation.

Requirements

15+ years of hands-on experience as an Automation, Controls, or Electrical Technician in an industrial or manufacturing environment, spanning both equipment build/installation and sustaining production support
Working knowledge of PLC-based control systems (e.g., Beckhoff TwinCAT, Allen-Bradley, or Siemens), including IO troubleshooting, network diagnostics, and basic program monitoring/forcing
Comfortable working safely around 24VDC control power and 480VAC three-phase industrial power distribution; able to read electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and panel prints
Proven ability to diagnose and repair mechanical, pneumatic, electrical, and controls issues on automated equipment under production time pressure
Strong documentation habits and demonstrated ability to guide, train, and direct the work of a less experienced technician
High school diploma or equivalent required

Nice To Haves

Technical/trade school training or an Associate's degree in Electronics or Industrial Automation is a plus
Journeyman or master electrician license
Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT, Ignition by Inductive Automation, or similar SCADA/HMI/historian platforms
OSHA 10/30 certification and NFPA 70E arc-flash safety training
Experience supporting battery, energy storage, or other 24/7 industrial manufacturing environments

Responsibilities

Build and install automation equipment: mount and align valves, actuators, and sensors; run cable and conduit; and terminate field wiring back to power distribution panels per mechanical and electrical drawings — comfortable around both 24VDC control power and 480VAC three-phase machine supply distribution
Commission new equipment: perform point-to-point IO checks and loop checks, diagnose and resolve network connectivity issues, assign and configure device IP addresses, and flash and update PLC and device firmware
Respond to down equipment: serve as first responder to automation failures on your shift, diagnose root cause using PLC, HMI, and network diagnostics, and restore equipment to production as quickly and safely as possible
Escalate and document: document equipment assessments, repairs, and downtime root cause, and escalate issues beyond technician scope to Controls/Automation Engineering with clear, actionable handoff notes
Guide a second technician: provide day-to-day work direction, technical mentorship, and on-the-job training to a second Automation Technician on shift, ensuring consistent troubleshooting practices across shifts
Support preventive maintenance: perform and help develop PM routines for PLC I/O modules, sensors, servo/VFD drives, and pneumatic/hydraulic components to reduce unplanned downtime
Follow safety procedures: apply lockout/tagout (LOTO), arc flash, and NFPA 70E electrical safety practices, and maintain safety interlocks and emergency stop circuits on automated equipment
Track spares and work orders: maintain critical spare parts inventory and log work orders, downtime, and repairs in the CMMS; support commissioning and FAT/SAT activities alongside Engineering