Senior Automation Engineer

IFF • Wilmington, DE

5d • Onsite

About The Position

IFF is a global leader in flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, and health & biosciences, delivering sustainable innovations that elevate everyday products. The Health & Biosciences division channels passion for nature and bioscience into sustainable, life-enhancing technologies for healthcare, food, consumer, and industrial markets. Located at the DuPont Experimental Station, this role supports a business that applies science, engineering, and bioscience innovation to develop enzymes, cultures, probiotics, and other solutions that improve product performance, advance sustainability, and enhance health and wellness. The Senior Automation Engineer will help enable reliable, efficient, and scalable operations in a highly collaborative R&D environment. This role involves designing, implementing, and evolving automation systems in a flexible R&D setting, requiring strong PLC programming skills, hands-on system integration experience, and the ability to translate process needs into robust control and data solutions.

Requirements

• 7+ years as an automation and/or controls integration engineer in an industrial or R&D setting.
• Development of non-Ladder Logic PLC automation systems to control existing processes and field instruments.
• Knowledge and experience implementing and managing custom SCADA and MES.
• Safety-oriented approach to system design and control logic.
• Familiarity with electrical system design, including panel layouts, I/O architecture, and applicable standards (UL 508A, NFPA 70E).
• Understanding of industrial communication protocols (e.g. OPC, Modbus, serial communication).
• Experience using SQL for database updating and retrieval.
• Excellent record keeping and attention to detail.
• Team player with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, evolving R&D environment.

Nice To Haves

• B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical/Controls Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field; equivalent industry experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Familiarity with natural language query (NLQ) and AI-enabled analytics platforms.
• Proficiency with data visualization tools such as Spotfire and statistical software such as JMP.
• Experience with database development and management.
• Ability to work effectively within existing corporate network and firewall constraints.
• Experience supporting automation initiatives across both industrial and R&D environments.
• Hands-on troubleshooting experience within electrical enclosures.

Responsibilities

• Design and support automation for flexible, experimental process systems, requiring frequent modification, rapid iteration, and integration of new instrumentation.
• Collaborate closely with engineers, scientists, and technicians to translate process requirements into control strategies and data systems.
• Own automation systems from concept through implementation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.
• Programming and maintaining PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, and data historians.
• Select, integrate, and troubleshoot process instrumentation (e.g., flow, pressure, temperature, gas analysis).
• Diagnose and resolve issues in field wiring, I/O signals (analog/digital), and industrial communication networks.
• Provide hands-on support, including working within electrical enclosures, validating signals, and commissioning control systems.
• Support automated data collection, reporting systems, and integration with local networks.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, vision, and wellness programs
• Competitive retirement savings plan with company contribution
• Generous paid time off, holidays, and parental leave
• Career development programs and tuition reimbursement opportunities
• Employee assistance programs and well-being resources
• Collaborative work environment with opportunities to contribute to impactful innovation

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree