Automation and Controls Engineer

Cayuga Milk Ingredients, LLC

Auburn, NY

Pay: $115,000-$140,000/yr

Shift: Full time

Description:

**Position Overview:**

The Automation and Controls Engineer owns the process control systems that run both Cayuga Milk Ingredients plants, and leads our move to a connected, data-driven operation built on Ignition.

This is a hands-on, senior process controls role. We need an engineer who has spent years tuning loops, writing sequences, and commissioning process systems in a running plant — and who can stand at a panel at 2 a.m. and get a line back up.

**Key Responsibilities:**

**Own Process Controls**

• Own the control systems for continuous and batch dairy processes: receiving, separation, HTST/UHT, membranes, evaporation, drying, batching, aseptic/ESL processing, CIP, and utilities.
• Design, program, and tune control loops (PID, cascade, ratio, feed-forward) for flow, level, temperature, pressure, density, and conductivity.
• Write and maintain sequence, phase, and interlock logic to ISA-88 batch practice.
• Own instrument and valve specification, calibration requirements, and loop checks with Maintenance and Quality.
• Set and enforce controls standards: code templates, tag naming, alarm management (ISA-18.2), backups, and management of change.

**Keep Production Running**

• Be the senior escalation point for line stoppages, alarms, and equipment faults. Restore production safely and fast. Troubleshoot across PLCs, drives, instruments, valve clusters, and industrial networks on processing, packaging, and utilities.
• Lead root cause analysis on recurring controls downtime and put permanent fixes in place — not resets.
• Support startups, changeovers, CIP, sterilization cycles, and planned shutdowns, including off-hours when needed.
• Keep critical spares, PLC/HMI backups, and drawings current so any shift can recover.
• Take part in a shared on-call rotation for after-hours production support.

**Lead Ignition SCADA**

• Own the Ignition platform: gateway architecture, Perspective/Vision screens, alarming, tag historian, redundancy, and backups.
• Lead the migration of legacy HMIs (FactoryTalk View and OEM panels) to Ignition.
• Build the plant data backbone: Unified Namespace with MQTT/Sparkplug B, OPC UA, and clean, contextualized data models.

**Deliver Data and Digital Tools**

• Deliver MES-type functions in Ignition: OEE and downtime tracking, batch genealogy, electronic batch and CIP records, and SPC.
• Integrate plant data with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, LIMS, CMMS, and Power BI using SQL, REST APIs, and Python.
• Support food safety and quality compliance (FSMA, PMO, SQF) with reliable, auditable process data.
• Apply OT cybersecurity practice (ISA/IEC 62443) with IT: network segmentation, patching, and access control.

**Capital Projects**

• Lead controls scope on capital projects: functional specs, I/O lists, P&ID review, panel design review, FAT/SAT, commissioning, and handover.
• Manage integrators and OEMs to CMI controls standards so what we receive can be supported by our team.

**Build the Team**

• Mentor controls engineers and technicians. Review their code and designs.
• Train maintenance technicians and operators on control systems, alarms, and first-level troubleshooting.

Requirements:

**Education & Experience:**

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Controls, Chemical, Mechatronics, or Computer Engineering. Equivalent hands-on experience considered.
• Ignition Gold certification preferred (Core at minimum, or within 6 months of hire).
• Preferred: PE or Certified Automation Professional (CAP), ISA/IEC 62443 training, and NFPA 70E awareness.
• 7+ years of hands-on process controls and automation experience in a manufacturing plant, ideally dairy, food, beverage, pharma, or another regulated continuous or batch process.

**Skills & Competencies:**

• Rockwell ControlLogix/CompactLogix in Studio 5000 at an expert level: ladder, structured text, and function block.
• Process instrumentation and control: flow, level, temperature, pressure, density, and conductivity; control valves, VFDs, and valve clusters.
• Reading and marking up electrical drawings, loop sheets, and P&IDs.
• Industrial networking: EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, OPC UA, and managed switch configuration.
• SQL and Python scripting.
• Strong plus: ISA-88/ISA-95, Unified Namespace (MQTT/Sparkplug B), Sepasoft MES modules, historians (Canary, PI), and dairy equipment — HTST/UHT, separators, membranes, evaporators, dryers, aseptic/ESL fillers.

**Additional Requirements:**

• A true process controls background: loop tuning, sequence and phase logic, interlocks, instrumentation, and final control elements. Discrete or packaging-only automation experience does not meet this requirement.
• Hands-on Ignition experience is required: Perspective or Vision development, alarming, tag historian, gateway configuration, and scripting.
• Led controls scope on capital projects through FAT/SAT, commissioning, and startup.
• Track record troubleshooting live production equipment under time pressure in a 24/7