SCADA/MES Software Engineer

empirical foods, inc.•Dakota Dunes, SD

About The Position

The SCADA/MES Software Engineer develops, maintains, supports, and improves SCADA, MES, historian, and industrial data systems. The role provides technical leadership for automation software, industrial communications, data collection, and operational reporting, translating operational requirements into reliable solutions. The engineer supports system lifecycle activities, including application development, commissioning, startups, upgrades, validation, and software-change review. The position also troubleshoots SCADA, MES, PLC, historian, database, communications, and reporting systems; leads root-cause investigations; and improves system performance and reliability. The role designs and improves industrial data systems and integrations, develops SQL queries, stored procedures, dashboards, reports, interfaces, scripts, and reusable tools, and supports industrial protocols and Proficy Historian. It also evaluates industrial AI and advanced analytics opportunities, maintains engineering and data standards, and collaborates with operations, maintenance, engineering, IT, leadership, vendors, contractors, and integrators. Participation in critical-system after-hours support and incident response is required.

Requirements

At least 3 years of relevant SCADA/HMI development experience.
Progressive experience in SCADA/HMI development.
Proficiency in automation and controls troubleshooting.
Working knowledge of PLC programming, diagnostics, and communications.
SQL development and database troubleshooting experience.
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or an equivalent combination of technical education and applicable automation, controls, SCADA, MES, or software engineering experience.
Ability to communicate with employees at all levels, in writing and verbally.
Ability to solve complex problems and communicate them effectively.
Strategic planning and organizational ability.
Ability to provide data-driven results to lead and influence decisions.
Ambition, motivation for success, a solutions-oriented and results-driven approach, and ability to work as a self-starter.
Ability to perform all essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of MES and manufacturing data systems.
Experience in a manufacturing environment.
Experience with Python, VBA, or related scripting languages.
Experience with one or more of OPC, Modbus, iFIX, or historian platforms.

Responsibilities

Lead SCADA and MES application development, enhancement, and lifecycle support.
Translate operational requirements into solutions and maintain graphics, tag, alarm, database, and deployment standards.
Support commissioning, startup, upgrades, validation, and software-change review and approval.
Serve as an escalation resource for SCADA, MES, PLC, historian, database, communications, and reporting issues.
Lead root-cause investigations and implement corrective actions and tools to reduce recurring incidents.
Design and improve historian, reporting, and operational data systems.
Develop and optimize SQL queries, stored procedures, dashboards, reports, and interfaces, and integrate plant-floor and business platforms.
Maintain data collection, equipment-context, naming, and data-quality standards.
Develop applications, scripts, utilities, and reusable tools using SQL, Python, VBA, and related technologies.
Automate manual work and improve deployment, diagnostics, reporting, and monitoring using documentation, testing, version control, change management, and rollback planning.
Design, configure, integrate, and troubleshoot OPC UA, Modbus TCP, and related protocols across PLCs, SCADA, historians, MES, networks, gateways, and external interfaces.
Maintain industrial communication, naming, polling, and reliability standards.
Configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Proficy Historian systems and collectors.
Establish historian collection, compression, retention, and archive standards; resolve missing, stale, flatlined, or inconsistent data.
Support trending and production analysis; coordinate historian upgrades, security, backups, and recovery with IT.
Evaluate industrial AI and advanced analytics opportunities, prepare validated data, and support proofs of concept and pilots with success metrics and implementation plans.
Integrate approved analytics solutions under change-control and cybersecurity standards, and monitor business value and operational outcomes.
Improve system availability, maintainability, and performance; maintain engineering standards, design guidelines, procedures, and documentation.
Drive permanent corrective actions and project reviews and promote standardization, scalability, and long-term supportability across facilities.
Provide guidance during projects, commissioning, and support; coordinate vendors, contractors, and integrators with company standards.
Communicate issues and recommendations across operations, maintenance, engineering, IT, and leadership.
Participate in critical-system support and escalation, provide remote or on-site incident response, communicate status and recovery plans, and document incidents, corrective actions, and long-term improvements.
Maintain regular and punctual attendance and perform other duties as assigned.