Control Systems Technician

Creekstone Farms Premium Beef•Arkansas City, KS

23h•Onsite

About The Position

This position will be responsible for supporting & maintaining electrical and control systems throughout the facility. Specific responsibilities scale with level, with lower levels performing a subset of tasks under supervision and higher levels performing all tasks independently. The role involves hands-on work with electrical components, instrumentation, PLCs, HMIs, and SCADA systems, as well as participation in ongoing training and safety programs.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Comfortable working in a USDA-inspected food production environment.
Reliable attendance and a safety-first attitude.
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, climb ladders, work at heights, work in cold environments (28–40°F), and stand or walk for full 12-hour shifts.
LOTO certification (current) — or willing to complete during onboarding.
Entry Technician: Mechanical aptitude and willingness to learn.
Level 1: 3–6 months as Entry Technician at Creekstone, OR equivalent industrial maintenance experience. Comfortable with hand tools, multimeter, and basic conduit work.
Level 2: 1+ year of industrial controls or maintenance experience. Comfortable with VFDs (any major brand), schematics, and 4–20mA loops.
Level 3: 3+ years industrial controls experience. Demonstrated independent troubleshooting on Allen-Bradley PLCs (ControlLogix or CompactLogix).

Nice To Haves

Beef, pork, or poultry plant experience — you understand chain speed, CCPs, and one-way product flow without us having to explain it.
OSHA 10 General Industry certification (we will sponsor if not yet held).
Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drive experience (PF525, PF700, or similar).
Inductive Automation Ignition SCADA experience (any version).
HACCP awareness and food-safety mindset in a maintenance context.
Vocational/technical school graduate or military electronics background.
Level 4: All Level 3 qualifications plus LV4 credentials — Rockwell CCP299 Advanced Logix, Inductive Automation Ignition Core Certification, Rockwell RACT (Logix) or equivalent.

Responsibilities

Supporting & maintaining electrical and control systems throughout the facility.
Pulling, dressing, terminating, and labeling wire in panels and field junction boxes.
Installing rigid conduit and EMT — cutting, bending, coupling, mounting.
Replacing motors, contactors, overload relays, pushbutton devices, and basic field components.
Using a digital multimeter for voltage, continuity, resistance, and current measurements.
Completing all assigned MaintainX work orders accurately with proper labor and parts entries.
Performing preventive maintenance tasks per the PM schedule.
Maintaining tool inventory, organization, and shop cleanliness.
Diagnosing and repairing faults on VFDs, soft starters, and motor control circuits.
Troubleshooting 24VDC and 120VAC control circuits from prints — identifying open circuits, shorted coils, and failed contacts.
Replacing and calibrating proximity sensors, photoeyes, encoders, and pressure or temperature transmitters.
Troubleshooting 4–20mA analog signal loops and instrument calibration.
Navigating Allen-Bradley ControlLogix and CompactLogix programs to diagnose faults — read ladder, function block, and structured text.
Making minor, pre-approved program modifications under supervision.
Diagnosing EtherNet/IP communication faults between PLCs, drives, and remote I/O.
Performing first-response HMI troubleshooting on PanelView Plus terminals.
Operating Ignition SCADA Designer and Gateway interfaces for verification and view-only configuration.
Mentoring lower-level technicians during their work.
Signing off OJT milestones for technicians at junior levels (LV3+).
Authoring detailed maintenance reports and presenting findings during downtime debriefs (LV3+).
Attending monthly Creekstone Controls Academy (CCA) training sessions.
Completing required external certifications and training appropriate to your level.
Participating in all required safety training, drills, and refresher courses.