PLC Controls Specialist

Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.•Albuquerque, NM

About The Position

The PLC Controls Specialist facilitates new site construction, expansion, renovation, and equipment and facility design, bringing expertise in process controls, electrical engineering, and related systems and equipment. The position primarily supports a single-plant facility and assists other facilities with controls support and refinement as needed. The specialist provides management with information and guidance on controls, electrical design, construction, and maintenance matters; investigates problems and recommends solutions; and develops and maintains process-control and electrical-engineering specifications, standards, and operational parameters. The role develops and manages control and electrical-engineering plans and projects for the assigned location, manages related projects, vendors, and contractors, and maintains capital budgets and equipment schedules in line with plant and product objectives. It also serves as a technical authority, communicates project information to DFA personnel, and identifies technical solutions to reduce operating costs and improve internal systems. Additional duties include coordinating preventive-maintenance tasks and spare-parts inventory with equipment manufacturers and maintenance staff; tracking, maintaining, and closing work orders; maintaining machine manuals, prints, and schematics; and entering procurement and inventory records in EAM/SAP. The role follows DFA good manufacturing practices and corporate regulatory, food safety, quality, and sanitation requirements. Other duties may be assigned.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in engineering, preferably electrical engineering, or a related curriculum, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
5 to 8 years of multidisciplinary technical experience in the food industry, preferably dairy, including plant construction or expansion, or a related field.
Experience with HMI and ControlLogix programming, one-line and electrical schematic design, electrical equipment, or relevant technologies such as pump and VFD control, configuration, and instrumentation.
Knowledge of architectural, mechanical, electrical, and process engineering, with emphasis on process controls.
Knowledge of FDA, GMP, OSHA, and USDA policies and regulations.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and company computer systems.
Knowledge of regulatory codes and translating them into blueprints and schematics.
Knowledge of project-management processes, techniques, and tools.
Planning, organization, analysis, and leadership skills.
Contractor and vendor management skills.
Clear and effective verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to plan ahead for a one- to three-year timeframe.
Ability to analyze and resolve problems at strategic and functional levels.
Ability to manage projects for multiple plants simultaneously.
Ability to lead people and achieve results through others.
Ability to communicate with diverse individuals to ensure needs and requirements are met.
Ability to think creatively and develop short- and long-range innovation.
Must be able to read, write, and speak English.

Responsibilities

Provide management with information and guidance on controls, electrical design, construction, and maintenance matters; investigate problems and recommend solutions.
Develop, organize, and maintain process-controls and electrical-engineering specifications, standards, and process-equipment operational parameters to promote process stability and manufacturing efficiency.
Develop and manage process-control and electrical-engineering plans and projects for the assigned location, including management of multiple projects, vendors, and contractors.
Maintain capital budgets and equipment schedules in accordance with plant construction, expansion, and new-product objectives.
Communicate with DFA personnel about projects, priorities, timetables, and budgets.
Serve as technical authority on process controls and electrical engineering, and approve related technical specifications on drawings and literature.
Reduce facility and manufacturing operating costs by recommending technical solutions and analyzing methods to improve internal systems.
Keep current with engineering trends and developments and recommend policy or procedure changes as appropriate.
Follow DFA GMP and corporate regulatory, food safety, quality, and sanitation requirements.
Work with equipment manufacturers and maintenance staff to establish preventive-maintenance tasks and spare-parts inventory for supported equipment.
Coordinate, track, and maintain work orders; close corrective and preventive maintenance work orders upon completion and include pertinent equipment-file information.
Maintain an up-to-date library of machine manuals, prints, and schematics.
Enter procurement and inventory records into the appropriate system, such as EAM/SAP, by category.
Print or provide corrective and preventive maintenance work orders and parts automatic orders on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.