Controls Specialist – Dairy Foods (UHT & Cheese Manufacturing)

Gossner Foods•Logan, UT

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Controls Specialist supports and maintains automation and control systems across dairy processing operations, including UHT processing lines, cheese-making and cheese-cutting/packaging systems, and related utilities such as CIP, pasteurization, homogenization, and packaging equipment. The role focuses on Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI systems, interpreting PLC logic across multiple platforms, and upgrading legacy dairy processing equipment. It helps ensure consistent product quality, food safety compliance, and minimal downtime across critical processing systems. The position works with Quality, Food Safety, Maintenance, and Production teams; supports controls modernization and production-system integration; maintains documentation and backups; and provides technical training to maintenance and production staff. The work takes place in a dairy processing environment, including washdown areas, wet and humid conditions, cold storage, and high-temperature processing zones. Regular travel to the Heyburn, Idaho facility is required and may include overnight assignments. On-call support or off-shift work may be needed to address urgent equipment issues.

Requirements

Proven experience programming and troubleshooting Allen-Bradley PLCs and HMIs.
Ability to read and interpret PLC logic across multiple platforms and brands.
Experience upgrading, retrofitting, or modernizing legacy industrial control systems; food or dairy processing experience is ideal.
Strong understanding of electrical schematics, ladder logic, and industrial control principles.
Ability to troubleshoot temperature-critical and sanitation-critical control systems, such as pasteurization, sterilization, and CIP.
Comfort working in a food or dairy manufacturing environment, including washdown areas and cold or hot processing zones.
Strong troubleshooting skills and ability to diagnose issues quickly to minimize downtime on continuous-run production lines.
Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, regulated production environment.
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, climb ladders, and work in confined or elevated spaces as needed.
Ability to comply with food safety, GMP, and sanitation protocols for entry into production areas.
Availability for on-call support or off-shift work as needed.
Availability for regular travel to the Heyburn, Idaho facility, potentially including overnight work assignments.

Nice To Haves

Experience with UHT processing systems and aseptic packaging controls.
Experience with cheese-making equipment controls, including vats, presses, and brine systems.
Experience programming or troubleshooting industrial robots such as Fanuc, ABB, or KUKA used in palletizing or case packing.
Experience with SCADA systems, batch tracking, or data historian platforms.
Familiarity with food safety and regulatory standards, including HACCP, SQF, FDA, and PMO/Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance.
Familiarity with industrial networking protocols, including Ethernet/IP, DeviceNet, and Profibus.
Associate's degree or technical certification in Electrical, Industrial Automation, Controls, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on experience in dairy/food manufacturing.

Responsibilities

Program, troubleshoot, and maintain PLC and HMI systems, primarily Allen-Bradley ControlLogix, CompactLogix, and PanelView, across UHT, cheese production, and packaging lines.
Read, interpret, and troubleshoot PLC logic across multiple platforms, including Siemens, Omron, and GE, for legacy or vendor-installed equipment.
Support and maintain controls for UHT processing systems, including aseptic filling, sterilization, homogenization, and heat exchanger controls.
Support and maintain controls for cheese manufacturing systems, including vats, presses, brining, cutting, and packaging equipment.
Troubleshoot and maintain CIP systems and automated sanitation controls to support food safety and sanitation compliance.
Upgrade and modernize legacy dairy processing equipment, including control panel retrofits, PLC/HMI migrations, and obsolescence management.
Diagnose and resolve electrical and controls issues to minimize downtime on high-throughput production lines.
Collaborate with Quality, Food Safety, Maintenance, and Production teams to ensure controls support HACCP, SQF, and other food safety and regulatory requirements.
Assist with integration and troubleshooting of robotic palletizing, case packing, and material-handling systems as needed.
Support and maintain Ignition and other SCADA/data historian systems used for batch tracking, temperature logging, and traceability as needed.
Maintain electrical schematics, program backups, batch/recipe logic, and change logs.
Train and provide technical support to maintenance and production staff on control system operation.
Travel regularly to support the Heyburn, Idaho facility, potentially including overnight assignments.
Provide on-call or off-shift support for urgent equipment issues as needed.