Process Automation Engineer - Berkeley

Whitsons Culinary Group•Berkeley, IL

17h•$105,000 - $125,000

About The Position

The Process Automation Engineer – Berkeley Facility designs, optimizes, and supports automated systems to improve production line efficiency, equipment reliability, and product consistency across Whitsons’ Culinary Services manufacturing environment. This role drives operational performance by implementing advanced automation technologies, enhancing line throughput, reducing downtime, and ensuring seamless integration of equipment and controls. The engineer collaborates with cross-functional teams to support continuous improvement, food safety, and scalable manufacturing processes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field required.
3–7 years in automation or process engineering within high-volume manufacturing.
Proficiency in PLC programming (Allen-Bradley, Siemens), HMI design, SCADA, MES.
Strong knowledge of robotics, conveyors, PID loops, sensors, instrumentation, and industrial controls.
Ability to read schematics, P&IDs, and technical engineering documentation.
Experience with data systems, OEE tools, and digital integration platforms.
Production Line Optimization
Automation Engineering & Controls
Problem Solving & Root Cause Analysis
Continuous Improvement & Lean
Project Management
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Innovation & Systems Thinking
Safety & Quality Mindset

Nice To Haves

Professional certifications preferred (Rockwell/Siemens, ISA, robotics, controls engineering).
Food, beverage, pharma, or protein manufacturing experience highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Design, program, troubleshoot, and optimize PLC, HMI, SCADA, MES, and automated control systems.
Implement automation solutions including robotics, smart sensors, vision systems, automated batching, and conveyor controls.
Ensure integration with plant digital systems, interlocks, alarms, traceability tools, and data platforms.
Lead commissioning of new automation equipment, upgrades, and modifications.
Conduct line studies to improve throughput, cycle times, and OEE.
Reconfigure line layouts to eliminate bottlenecks and strengthen flow, ergonomics, and efficiency.
Optimize mixing, cooking, seasoning, packaging, and conveyor processes using engineering and Lean methodologies.
Collaborate with operations on planning and execution of new lines, expansions, and automation enhancements.
Lead CI initiatives (Kaizen, 5S, SMED, RCA, TPM) to improve reliability and reduce scrap, rework, and downtime.
Identify systemic issues and implement standardized processes and improvements.
Analyze equipment data to drive predictive maintenance and technology upgrades.
Partner with Maintenance to diagnose automation and electromechanical issues.
Support equipment selection and ensure compatibility with automation and integration requirements.
Develop equipment lifecycle strategies including upgrades and modernization plans.
Build real-time dashboards to monitor OEE, downtime, yields, throughput, and performance KPIs.
Integrate automation systems with ERP/MES platforms for improved data visibility.
Use analytics to support decision-making and identify continuous improvement opportunities.
Ensure automated processes comply with USDA, HACCP, GMP, and sanitation requirements.
Validate changes to automated processes for safety, quality, and critical control points.
Troubleshoot quality deviations caused by automation and implement corrective actions.
Lead automation and engineering projects from concept to implementation.
Develop project scopes, budgets, timelines, and communication plans.
Collaborate with Culinary, R&D, QA, Production, Logistics, and Facilities to support new products and process changes.
Train operators, supervisors, and maintenance teams on automation systems.
Support emergency response for critical system failures.
Participate in facility expansion initiatives, pilots, and strategic projects.
Perform other duties as assigned.