Title: Automation Engineer
Location: Montreal, QC
Target Start Date: ASAP
Type: Direct Hire
Salary: $110-$140K/yr (CAD)
Summary
Our client, a global leader in the food ingredients & bioprocessing industry, is seeking a hands-on Automation Engineer to take ownership of automation and controls at one of its North American manufacturing facilities. As the sole Automation Engineer at the facility, this individual will be responsible for PLC programming, controls integration, troubleshooting, commissioning, capital projects, and day-to-day production support.
The role is part of a North American automation organization supporting four manufacturing facilities and will provide technical leadership to automation engineers at the other plants. The position offers a significant opportunity to grow into a broader automation leadership role while remaining hands-on with plant-floor technology.
Key Responsibilities
- Program, modify, troubleshoot, and maintain PLC-based control systems using Ladder Logic, Structured Text, Function Block, and/or SFC.
- Develop and maintain SCADA/HMI systems, including operator interfaces, alarms, trends, and process visualization.
- Troubleshoot automation, instrumentation, controls, networking, and equipment issues directly on the plant floor.
- Support capital projects, equipment upgrades, commissioning, startup, and system integration.
- Develop control sequences, interlocks, and automation solutions aligned with process and production requirements.
- Work alongside electricians and instrumentation technicians on installation, calibration, I/O checkout, and troubleshooting.
- Analyze production and control-system issues, identify root causes, and implement lasting solutions.
- Create and maintain control-system documentation, electrical drawings, P&IDs, sequence descriptions, and operating procedures.
- Support industrial communications and networking, including EtherNet/IP and Modbus TCP.
- Collaborate with process engineering, manufacturing, operations, maintenance, and system integrators to improve reliability, throughput, and automation performance.
- Provide technical guidance and mentoring to automation engineers across the broader North American organization.
- Participate in an on-call rotation and provide remote or on-site support for critical automation issues.
- Travel to the other North American facilities as needed—approximately 50% initially, decreasing to approximately 25% as the organization is established.
Key Requirements- 5+ years of hands-on industrial automation and controls experience in a manufacturing or process environment.
- Strong PLC programming and troubleshooting experience, including the ability to program from scratch, modify existing systems, and diagnose complex faults.
- Proficiency with Ladder Logic, Structured Text, Function Block, and/or SFC.
- Strong SCADA/HMI configuration and development experience.
- Solid understanding of industrial instrumentation and process control, including 4-20mA, VFDs, sensors, actuators, flow, pressure, and temperature.
- Experience with industrial communication protocols such as EtherNet/IP and Modbus TCP/IP.
- Proven plant-floor experience with commissioning, troubleshooting, equipment integration, and production support.
- Strong root-cause analysis and problem-solving skills with a practical, hands-on approach.
- Ability to work independently, take ownership, and provide technical leadership across multiple facilities.
- Bilingual English/French required; conversational French is acceptable, with full fluency preferred.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience in food & beverage manufacturing, fermentation, liquid batch processing, or other process manufacturing environments.
- Experience with Schneider Electric Modicon PLCs.
- Experience with Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or similar PLC platforms.
- Experience with SCADA platforms such as FactoryTalk, Ignition, WinCC, or Red Lion.
- Experience supporting capital projects from controls design through commissioning and startup.
- Engineering or technical degree in Electrical, Controls, Automation, Mechanical, Software, or a related discipline; equivalent hands-on experience will be considered.
- Previous experience mentoring or providing technical leadership to automation/controls engineers.
Leadership & Growth Opportunity
This role is designed to provide hands-on technical ownership today and broader automation leadership tomorrow. The successful candidate will work closely with the current North American automation leadership team during a planned knowledge-transfer period and will have the opportunity to develop into a larger leadership role overseeing automation across the organization.
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