Senior Engineer, Electrical Controls & Automation

$96,800 - $113,900/Yr

The Scotts Company - Fort Madison, IA

Full-time - Mid Level

Fort Madison, IA

Administrative and Support Services

About the position

The Electrical Controls and Automation Engineer at Scotts Miracle-Gro plays a pivotal role in leading technical projects and addressing daily production needs. This position is essential for providing direction to a team of electricians, controls and instrumentation, and networking engineering technicians. The engineer will be responsible for aligning project outcomes with business goals, particularly in supporting manufacturing and facility electrical systems. This includes creating and executing long-range plans for prioritized controls upgrades for facility and manufacturing production equipment, which encompasses capital project requests and their implementation. In this key leadership role, the engineer will oversee the execution of Controls & Automation workstreams for capital projects aimed at enhancing the reliability, availability, reporting, and monitoring of plant facilities and equipment. The position also involves overseeing the installation and integration of power distribution systems, including Motor Control Centers (MCCs) and Power Distribution Panels. The engineer will serve as a technical resource, providing leadership and guidance to associates in the electrical discipline, ensuring compliance with plant safety regulations such as Arc Flash Electrical Safety (NFPA-70E), Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), and Energized Work Permits. Additionally, the engineer will act as a liaison with other departments, such as IT, for network maintenance and upgrades, and will design and manage systems for maintaining programmable logic controller (PLC) backup files and other software-related systems in the plant. As a Subject Matter Expert for PLCs, the engineer will be responsible for programming updates to Allen Bradley PLC ladder programs and connecting laptops to PLCs via network protocols. Effective management of resources, synchronization of project management concepts, and clear communication with all stakeholders are central to this role. The engineer will also develop and implement a robust pipeline of automation technology to improve productivity KPIs.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical projects and respond to day-to-day production needs.
• Provide direction to a team of electricians, controls and instrumentation, and networking engineering technicians.
• Create and execute long-range plans for prioritized controls upgrades for facility and manufacturing production equipment.
• Oversee execution of Controls & Automation workstreams for capital projects to enhance reliability and availability of plant facilities and equipment.
• Oversee installation and integration of power distribution systems including MCCs and Power Distribution Panels.
• Serve as a technical resource and provide leadership to associates training in the electrical discipline.
• Ensure compliance with plant safety regulations such as Arc Flash Electrical Safety and Lockout/Tagout procedures.
• Act as a liaison with other departments for network maintenance and upgrades.
• Design and manage systems for maintaining PLC backup files and other software-related systems.
• Provide programming updates to Allen Bradley PLC ladder programs and connect laptops to PLCs via network protocols.
• Manage resources efficiently and communicate effectively with all stakeholders.
• Develop and implement automation technology to improve productivity KPIs.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or a closely related discipline, or equivalent technical experience.
• 5+ years of applicable engineering, IT, and/or operational experience; 15+ years preferred.
• Experience as an Electrical Engineer or Electrician with PLC programming and troubleshooting in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated competence in controls engineering or maintenance experience.
• Experience leading and coaching in a TPM/Lean environment and utilizing practical problem-solving skills.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with project management concepts and methodologies.
• Familiarity with safety regulations and compliance standards in manufacturing environments.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their families.
• Wellness reimbursement program.
• 401K match up to 7.5%.
• 15% discount on company stock.
• Access to Maven Family Planning with up to $30,000 for adoption, fertility, and surrogacy support.
• Employee Resource Groups focusing on diversity and inclusion, family, education, and sustainability.
• Opportunities for community service and volunteerism.