
Automation Controls Engineer
- Muscatine, IA
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Develop methods and practices to enhance product quality, broaden product offerings, and reduce manufacturing costs using automation technology.
- Design, develop, and manage engineering projects focused on improving production efficiency, reducing costs, and improving product quality.
- Maintain and optimize precision closed-loop industrial control systems.
- Provide expert troubleshooting, advice, and hands-on support for Maintenance and Operating teams, ensuring compliance with industry standards. Focus areas include:
- Reheat Furnace control: heat transfer, heat content, and process development.
- Steckel Mill control: AGC, AWC, shape control, thermal modeling, gap control, and other related functions.
- Electrical systems, with expertise in Ansaldo, Siemens, and Allen Bradley equipment.
- Other equipment such as down coilers, plate levelers, cold static shear, and slitter.
- Plan and oversee the design, bidding, evaluation, construction, and maintenance of facility equipment.
- Establish installation, modification, quality control, testing, and acceptance standards for project implementation.
- Perform programming and software maintenance for Level 2 process control systems related to steel plate heating and rolling when needed.
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related scientific field.
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience in programming industrial process control systems.
- In-depth knowledge of process interactions between control systems and physical processes in steel plate manufacturing.
- Strong engineering judgment, with the ability to assess both technical and economic impacts of process improvements.
- Familiarity with industrial control processors, multi-tasking operating systems, real-time communications, PLCs, and steel casting and rolling concepts.
- Proficiency in C, C++, C#, or VB.NET programming languages.
- Experience in working with DEC VMS or Open VMS, DEC Alpha processors, DEC UNIX, Ethernet, ARCNET, and Allen Bradley PLCs.
- Database management skills (MS SQL or Oracle preferred).
- Project management experience is required.
- Strong problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills.
- Primarily operates in an office environment, using standard office equipment (computers, phones, etc.).
- Requires occasional physical activity, such as walking, bending, kneeling, and handling materials (up to 30 lbs).
- Occasionally requires work in industrial settings with exposure to heat, cold, noise, and use of protective safety equipment.
- Occasional travel by car or airplane, less than 5% of the time.
- Full-time, exempt position.
- Standard eight-hour day shift (Monday through Friday), with potential overtime as needed.