Operational Technology Engineer

Syensqo • Winona, MN

22h • Onsite

About The Position

The Operational Technology (OT) Engineer reports to the Maintenance and Engineering Manager and is responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, and upgrading plant operational systems, including controls, safety controls, system indications, reporting, and communications. The role works closely with plant and corporate personnel to develop, plan, procure, and implement solutions, modifications, and upgrades for production and support machinery, and supports plant technicians in troubleshooting and repairing equipment and systems when needed.

The OT Engineer develops, plans, and implements controls and associated systems for maintenance and capital projects. The position requires independent decision-making as well as the ability to work with a team. It also conducts routine plant safety and maintenance-performance audits, collaborates with plant personnel on short- and long-term actions, and facilitates meetings and presentations related to plant controls initiatives and incident investigations.

The engineer owns the health and performance of plant control systems and related field instrumentation, indications, and controls; establishes plant-wide OT standards; and drives modernization roadmaps. The role supports process control, data collection and traceability, documentation and change management, equipment reliability, technician and operator training, and controls and electrical systems work during plant turnarounds. It also coordinates with outside agencies and contractors on safe and effective preventive, predictive, and repair work.

Requirements

• A four-year degree in an information technology-related field, such as Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Mechatronics/Industrial Automation, plus at least 5 years of hands-on OT systems and controls experience; alternatively, at least 8 years of hands-on OT/controls experience in industrial manufacturing environments.
• Strong safety mindset.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated expertise in PLC programming, troubleshooting, and industrial controls design and support.
• Experience with automation devices, including controllers, drives, HMIs, sensors, and controls.
• Experience with HMI/SCADA configuration and support.
• Knowledge of Rockwell software, including Studio 5000, FTView, and FT Optix.
• Panel design and building experience.
• Experience implementing change, versioning and backup practices, and documentation standards.
• CMMS system experience.
• Self-motivated, able to follow directions, and able to meet deadlines.
• Strong background in control systems, ladder logic, and drive systems.
• Ability to create, read, and update blueprints, P&IDs, schematics, and other drawings.
• Creative and innovative approach to addressing issues.
• Strong problem-solving abilities for controls and electrical applications.

Nice To Haves

• SAP experience.

Responsibilities

• Maintain strong adherence to plant and company safety, health, and environmental guidelines, and promote active safety participation and compliance with safety permitting and other key processes.
• Own the health and performance of plant control systems and related field instrumentation, indications, and controls.
• Set plant-wide OT standards and drive modernization roadmaps.
• Anticipate obsolescence and reliability risks and develop mitigation strategies to keep plant controls systems ready for operation.
• Lead improvement efforts across plant equipment and departments to understand and meet plant needs.
• Develop and maintain standards for PLC/HMI code, alarm philosophy, naming conventions, documentation, backups, and change control.
• Support and improve process control for temperature, pressure, vacuum curing, ovens and autoclaves, resin mixing and handling, material handling, and material storage systems.
• Maintain interlock matrices, SIF testing systems, documentation, and records, and apply change management when appropriate.
• Work with Operations, Quality, and Reliability personnel to implement, maintain, and upgrade data collection and traceability, including historians, batch/recipe data, and OEE/downtime tagging.
• Assist with formal systems and processes for quality analysis, cycle-time improvement, variation reduction across product lines, and operational accountability.
• Update, modify, and create plant controls and electrical drawings, diagrams, and schematics to document changes and support ongoing documentation efforts.
• Train and coach plant technicians, operators, supervisors, and managers on plant control system operation, indications, and troubleshooting.
• Work with plant maintenance technicians to restore equipment to full readiness after controls or electrical systems breakdowns.
• Lead planning and support for plant controls and electrical systems during plant turnaround periods.
• Coordinate with outside agencies and contractors to plan safe and effective preventive, predictive, and repair work for plant controls and electrical systems.
• Facilitate meetings and presentations related to plant controls and systems initiatives and incident investigations.
• Support plant technicians in troubleshooting and repairing production and support machinery and systems as necessary.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Bonus and/or other incentives as part of total compensation.
• 16 or more weeks of maternity, paternity, and co-parenting leave, according to local regulations.
• Training platform for all employees.
• Free physical and psychological well-being sessions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior