Automation Engineer

Overview
An established leader in the advanced materials and high-tech manufacturing industry is seeking an Automation Engineer to support plant automation systems and equipment integrations. In this role, you will work as part of both a local engineering team and a wider global automation network, ensuring equipment reliability, system connectivity, and data availability across the manufacturing environment.

You'll be involved from early equipment specification through to commissioning, while helping the organisation stay ahead by adopting modern automation and data technologies.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and troubleshoot PLC-based control systems (Siemens or similar).

• Integrate new and existing equipment with plant-wide systems and IT/OT infrastructure.

• Design and support data logging, historian, and process-monitoring solutions.

• Provide day-to-day technical support for automation and control systems.

• Assist with the deployment and integration of MES and connected manufacturing systems.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date system documentation.

• Collaborate closely with maintenance teams and provide troubleshooting guidance.

• Manage external vendors during installations, upgrades, and system validations.

• Lead and participate in automation projects from planning through successful delivery.

Required Skills & Experience

• Degree in Electrical, Electronic, Automation, or related engineering field.

• Minimum 1 year industrial control systems experience.

• Proficiency in Siemens PLCs or equivalent platforms.

• Understanding of OEM machine control systems and equipment integration.

• Strong skills in designing, testing, and debugging control systems.

• Ability to work independently and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment.

Desirable Skills

• Experience with Siemens TIA Portal and Step 7.

• Knowledge of OPC communication technologies (e.g., Kepware).

• Familiarity with SQL databases and writing optimised queries.