Automation Engineer

SPX FLOW, Inc. is a company focused on providing advanced engineering solutions, and they are seeking an Automation Engineer to develop and execute automation systems for various projects and proposals. The role involves ensuring that automation solutions meet project requirements, providing technical support, and collaborating with team members to deliver successful outcomes.

Responsibilities:

• Developing an automation solution which meets the requirements of the proposal or project
• Ensuring design and execution outputs are delivered in line with the time schedule and quality requirements
• Providing technical support regarding automation design aspects throughout project and bid lifecycles
• Undertaking other technical tasks as required (e.g. site surveys, feasibility studies, support to sales, etc)
• Providing aftermarket support for customers with on 24/7 support up to 1 week per month (possible travel)
• Ensuring that automation solutions are safe
• Ensuring that e-stop, isolation & maintenance aspects of solutions have been considered appropriately
• Participating in relevant reviews, as defined in SPX Flow procedures and, additionally, customer contracts, and ensuring that her/his resultant actions have been completed. (Example reviews include: Design Reviews, Risk Assessments)
• Ensuring compliance with local legislation and regulations (for the locality of the plant/process) which apply to engineering design (e.g. EU Machinery Directive)
• Acting in a safe fashion, particularly when operating outside of the known office environment (e.g. on customer and supplier sites)
• Automation architecture diagrams
• Hardware and software selection and specification
• Control philosophy
• Software structure
• Functional design descriptions (e.g. FDS)
• Detailed design specifications (e.g. DDS)
• PLC software code (e.g. device logic, equipment modules, control modules, etc)
• Network and comms configuration
• Design and configuration of HMI applications
• Design and configuration of SCADA applications
• Interface with SCADA systems, I/O servers, etc
• Interface with MIS/MES systems and databases, where applicable
• Interface with ERP systems, where applicable
• Signal exchange / interfaces with other systems
• Generating automation solutions and defining and implementing their characteristics by means of (for example):
• Adhering to SPX Flow procedures, and utilising applicable tools and design standards, during the development of automation solutions
• Completing design calculations (e.g. estimating number of tags) to support automation design and equipment selection
• Undertaking software simulation / Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Customer Acceptance Testing (CAT)
• Ensuring that tasks are completed in accordance with the project schedule, to the required quality and within the allocated budget
• Ensuring that all design information is captured, stored and maintained, in the allocated location, in a structured and accessible fashion
• Preparing user manuals
• Compiling operating & maintenance manuals, including preparation of spares lists
• Assisting in compilation of technical files, or equivalent, as defined by relevant legislation (e.g. EU Machinery Directive)
• Attending pre-contact customer meetings to provide technical support to the sales team
• Undertaking pre-contract studies (e.g. feasibility, site surveys)
• Reviewing technical aspects of quotation text
• Providing input into continuous improvement initiatives (e.g. tools development, standardisation)
• Documenting and communicating “lessons learned”
• Involvement in knowledge sharing initiatives (e.g. documenting best practices)
• Supporting Installation & Commissioning team during the site execution phase e.g.:
• Communicating design intent
• Assisting with planning of commissioning activities
• Undertaking automation commissioning
• Owning resolution of automation snags
• Communicating information to stakeholders in a timely fashion
• Supporting other disciplines, during the design phase, to achieve project or proposal deliverables e.g
• Supply Chain (e.g. initial specification, review of supplier quotes, purchase requisitions, etc)
• Process design (e.g. liaising re functional requirements)
• Electrical design (e.g. sharing I/O lists to allow allocation to panel, agreeing tagging and addressing standard)
• Assisting with hand-over of records (e.g. source files) to aftermarket team
• Participating in design reviews as an “external” expert
• Acting as a “subject matter expert” in areas where they have appropriate experience and partake in knowledge sharing as required
• Supporting other staff in areas where they are inexperienced
• Providing general technical support outside of the specific projects/proposals for which they are responsible. Examples include:
• Ensuring that S88 based software structures are maintained and applied consistently across an installation
• Ensuring that the solution, for which they are responsible, is functional, and is executed in line with:
• Ensuring that design output is complete and of a consistent standard. Examples include ensuring that:
• Ensuring all scope elements/sub-systems for which they are responsible integrate coherently and that external interfaces are clearly understood and defined
• Considering economic factors with a view to ensuring that the overall project is delivered on budget

Requirements:

• Degree level qualification in appropriate engineering discipline (e.g. Electrical)
• Automation execution experience in food, beverage, pharmaceutical and/or other hygienic industries
• Understanding of control requirements for common hygienic processes (e.g. pasteurisation, CIP) beneficial
• Experience of working within, and leading, a technically oriented team
• Good level of competence in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Knowledge and experience of Siemens and AB Rockwell programming environments (e.g. S7, TIA Portal, Control Logix)
• Experience of Wonderware SCADA and associated products (e.g. InTouch) beneficial
• SAP experience beneficial
• Fluent English – both spoken and written
• Good communication skills
• Ability to work on multiple tasks, within a matrix environment
• Ability and willingness to work and build relationships with colleagues across multiple functions and geographically diverse sites
• Good analytical/problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Good initiative and ability to work independently
• The ability to meet high performance standards in a team whilst maintaining ethics and integrity
• Must have experience with Studio5000 from Rockwell
• Must be proficient with Wonderware InTouch
• Must have experience with Microsoft Excel
• C++, C#, Visual Studio an advantage
• Ability to travel globally up to approximately 40% of the time
• Spanish Language skills preferable
• Preferable experience with Siemens SimaticNET and TIA Portal