Sr Controls Engineer - Altavista, VA

Abbott • Altavista, VA

5d • $78,000 - $156,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Sr Controls Engineer works at Abbott’s Altavista, Virginia location in the Abbott Nutrition division. The role provides technical leadership for the design, development, implementation, optimization, validation, and troubleshooting of packaging and wet processing equipment. It oversees installation and integration of manufacturing systems, including wet processing, filling, and secondary packaging systems.

The engineer leads or supports electrical control system design and improvement projects as part of cross-functional teams. Work includes preparing cost estimates and bid packages, defining equipment specifications, contributing to P&ID diagrams and electrical schematics, developing and executing validation and commissioning protocols, conducting factory and site acceptance tests, and supporting equipment after startup. The role also reviews equipment and instrument specifications, construction drawings, plant layouts, and vendor proposals, and provides feedback on needed changes.

The position is accountable for compliance with FDA, OSHA, and Abbott policies and procedures. The posted base pay range is $78,000 to $156,000; pay may vary in specific locations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• At least 5 years of experience applying engineering knowledge, problem solving, and ingenuity to assignments related to process or manufacturing systems.
• Experience in validated processes and systems.
• Experience with systems troubleshooting and root cause analysis.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in an FDA- or USDA-regulated facility.
• Technical experience with fillers, seamers, cappers, primary equipment such as depalletizers, unscramblers, and air rinsers; secondary equipment such as labelers, conveyors, coders, vision systems, rejection systems, and casepackers; wet processing equipment such as mixers, homogenizers, heat exchangers, and CIP systems; and tertiary equipment such as palletizers and stretch wrappers.
• Project management experience, including budget and scope management.
• Strong communication skills, including managing internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience managing engineering firms, suppliers, and contractors.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for the design, development, implementation, optimization, validation, and troubleshooting of packaging and wet processing equipment.
• Oversee installation and integration of manufacturing systems, including wet processing, filling, and secondary packaging systems.
• Work with PLC platforms including Delta-V, Allen-Bradley ControlLogix, and CompactLogix.
• Work with HMI/SCADA systems including FactoryTalk View SE/ME, Ignition, and iFix.
• Work with instrumentation, sensors, field I/O devices, manufacturing networks, electrical MCCs, and PDUs.
• Lead or assist with electrical control system design and improvement projects as part of cross-functional project teams.
• Prepare cost estimates and bid packages and outline equipment specifications.
• Participate in the design of P&ID diagrams and electrical schematics.
• Develop validation and commissioning protocols and execute factory and site acceptance tests for constructed equipment or systems.
• Provide post-startup support for constructed equipment and systems.
• Review equipment and instrument specifications, construction drawings, plant layouts, and vendor proposals, and provide feedback on needed changes.
• Meet compliance standards, including FDA, OSHA, and Abbott policies and procedures.

Benefits

• Career development opportunities with an international company.
• Employees may qualify for free medical coverage in the Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• Retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Freedom 2 Save student debt program.
• FreeU education benefit, an affordable and convenient path to earning a bachelor’s degree.

What This Job Offers

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