Director, Automation & Controls

Air Liquide - Branchburg, NJ

Full-time - Director

Branchburg, NJ

Chemical Manufacturing

About the position

The Director of Automation & Controls at Air Liquide Advanced Materials plays a pivotal role in driving the culture of safety and excellence within the organization. This position is responsible for managing multiple global teams that focus on the implementation, continuous improvement, and troubleshooting of automation and control systems used in the manufacturing of ultrahigh purity materials for the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries. The director will lead a team of 10-15 resources in the U.S. and manage additional resources in Asia, with the potential to expand operations into other regions such as France and China as the semiconductor materials market globalizes. In this role, the director will oversee all design and support activities related to industrial power distribution, process instrumentation, industrial networks, and controls platforms on a global scale. This includes providing significant operational support in a 24/7 multi-site production environment, managing an on-call trouble ticket system for operational technology and distributed control system issues, and establishing industry-standard best practices across various geographies. The director will also be responsible for delivering code-compliant industrial control systems for both greenfield and brownfield projects, ensuring that the team is well-equipped to handle various execution models, including self-perform, third-party, and EPC models. The position requires a deep understanding of standard industrial network architectures and compliance with various industry standards, including ISA-99 for Cyber Security, ISA-85 for Control System Integration, and ISA-84 for Safety Instrumented Systems. The director will manage the integration of projects into existing site-specific industrial networks and power distribution systems, ensuring that resources are adequately allocated to meet the demands of both capital projects and operational support. Additionally, the director will be responsible for planning and articulating a roadmap for controls upgrades, focusing on best practices, internal requirements, and obsolescence remediation. Creativity and leadership in problem-solving are essential for success in this role.

Responsibilities

• Drive a culture of 'Do It Safe, Do It Right the First Time' within the organization.
• Manage multiple global groups responsible for automation and control systems in manufacturing.
• Lead a team of 10-15 resources in the U.S. and manage additional resources in Asia.
• Oversee design and support activities related to industrial power distribution and process instrumentation.
• Provide operational support in a 24/7 multi-site production environment.
• Establish industry-standard best practices across global geographies.
• Deliver code-compliant industrial control systems for various projects.
• Ensure sufficient cross-trained staff for different execution models globally.
• Develop and maintain engineering standards for project design and execution.
• Coordinate with other design disciplines for efficient project development and implementation.
• Maintain compliance with internal engineering project execution standards.
• Manage integration of projects into existing industrial networks and power distribution systems.
• Plan and articulate a roadmap for controls upgrades and best practices adoption.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in chemical, mechanical, or electrical engineering, or equivalent.
• 15+ years of relevant experience in programming PLC/DCS for chemical plant design and operation.
• Knowledge of a wide range of industrial communications protocols.
• Experience with applicable codes and standards for process control hardware and software.
• 10+ years of experience managing automation & controls personnel.
• Excellent communication skills.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in a rapid-growth environment.
• Trained in standard procedures for safe gas and chemical handling.
• Chemical plant operation experience strongly preferred.
• Strong organizational and planning skills with the ability to multi-task.
• Team player with leadership abilities.
• Self-starter with the ability to perform well under pressure.
• Problem-solving and decision-making skills.

Benefits

• Diverse and inclusive workplace culture.
• Learning and development opportunities.
• Collaborative and respectful work environment.