PLC Programmer Automation Engineer

Job Description

Job Description:\n\nPLC Programmer / Automation EngineerTwin Electric Inc. Pay: $40.00–$60.00 per hour (DOE) Join One of California’s Growing Industrial Automation Contractors Twin Electric Inc. is seeking an experienced PLC Programmer / Automation Engineer to join our industrial automation team. We specialize in industrial electrical construction, PLC and SCADA systems, process controls, instrumentation, equipment integration, food-processing facilities, manufacturing plants, agricultural facilities, and heavy-industrial installations throughout California. This is not an entry-level or office-only programming position. The successful candidate must be capable of developing reliable control systems, understanding complete industrial processes, supporting field installation, and taking projects from initial design and programming through startup, commissioning, and final documentation. We are looking for a field-capable automation professional—not someone who only makes minor logic changes. If you enjoy solving complex control problems, building organized and maintainable programs, and working directly with electricians, engineers, plant personnel, and equipment manufacturers, we would like to meet you. What You’ll Be Working On Projects and systems include: • Industrial manufacturing facilities• Food-processing and agricultural facilities• Process equipment and production lines• PLC and distributed I/O systems• HMI and SCADA applications• Instrumentation and process-control systems• Motor Control Centers (MCCs)• Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)• Industrial Ethernet and communication networks• Motor control and sequencing systems• Safety PLCs and machine-safety systems• Data collection and production reporting• Legacy control-system migrations• Plant shutdowns and scheduled cutovers• New industrial construction• Equipment upgrades and retrofits• Startup and commissioning• Remote and on-site troubleshooting Primary Responsibilities PLC Programming and Control-System Development • Develop, modify, test, and troubleshoot PLC programs for industrial equipment and process systems• Program Rockwell Automation platforms, including PLC-5, SLC 500, CompactLogix, and ControlLogix• Develop PLC logic using ladder logic, function block, structured text, and sequential control methods• Develop organized, documented, and maintainable control programs• Develop equipment sequences, permissives, interlocks, alarms, fault handling, and process-control logic• Create PLC and SCADA tag databases using consistent naming and documentation standards• Develop control narratives, functional descriptions, and sequences of operation• Perform control-system migrations from legacy PLC platforms to current Allen-Bradley systems• Convert and document existing programs, including Allen-Bradley PLC-5 and SLC 500, Schneider Electric Modicon, ProWORX, and other legacy platforms• Back up, organize, and maintain customer PLC, HMI, SCADA, VFD, and network configuration files• Document all programming changes and maintain accurate revision histories HMI and SCADA Development • Develop and modify HMI and SCADA applications• Develop Inductive Automation Ignition screens, tags, alarms, trends, reports, scripts, and database connections• Configure and modify FactoryTalk View Machine Edition and Site Edition applications• Support Wonderware InTouch and System Platform applications• Create clear and functional operator interfaces that accurately represent the controlled process• Develop alarm management, equipment status, process trending, historical data, and production-reporting functions• Coordinate PLC and SCADA tag development to maintain consistent system architecture Instrumentation and Process Controls • Integrate motors, VFDs, motor starters, instrumentation, control valves, actuators, safety devices, and process equipment• Configure and calibrate flow meters, pressure transmitters, level transmitters, RTDs, thermocouples, and other industrial instruments• Work with digital, analog, pulse, serial, and networked field signals• Perform instrument loop checks and verify proper scaling, calibration, alarming, and control response• Develop and tune process-control loops, including PID-controlled systems• Troubleshoot instrumentation loops, control wiring, field devices, and process-related problems Industrial Communications and Networking • Configure and troubleshoot Ethernet/IP, Modbus TCP, Modbus RTU, RS-485, and other industrial communication protocols• Configure remote I/O systems, communication gateways, managed Ethernet switches, and industrial network devices• Integrate third-party equipment and packaged systems into PLC and SCADA platforms• Configure and troubleshoot ProSoft and similar industrial communication modules• Diagnose PLC, HMI, SCADA, VFD, remote I/O, and industrial network communication failures Electrical and Panel Coordination • Read and interpret electrical schematics, panel wiring diagrams, control-panel layouts, P&IDs, instrument loop diagrams, I/O lists, and one-line diagrams• Develop and redline control schematics, wiring diagrams, panel layouts, and instrument loop drawings• Review control-panel designs for proper PLC hardware, I/O, power supplies, networking, terminals, and field wiring• Provide technical direction to electricians and panel fabricators during control-panel construction and field installation• Support and verify control-panel wiring, terminations, I/O routing, and field-device connections• Coordinate with electrical crews to ensure installed systems match the approved control design Testing, Startup, and Commissioning • Develop and execute Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) procedures• Perform point-to-point I/O checkout and device verification• Perform loop checks, functional testing, sequence testing, and process tuning• Lead or support startup and commissioning activities in active industrial facilities• Troubleshoot PLC logic, HMIs, networks, electrical controls, VFDs, instrumentation, and field devices• Provide production-startup support and resolve problems under time-sensitive shutdown conditions• Verify control-system operation against project requirements and approved sequences of operation• Train customer operations and maintenance personnel on completed systems• Provide remote technical support when required Project Coordination and Documentation • Coordinate programming and commissioning activities with project managers, engineers, electricians, panel fabricators, vendors, equipment manufacturers, and customer personnel• Participate in project planning, design reviews, programming reviews, startup meetings, and customer coordination• Maintain accurate as-built drawings, I/O lists, loop sheets, network drawings, control narratives, and programming records• Contribute to operations manuals, training materials, commissioning reports, and final turnover documentation• Communicate technical issues, project status, material needs, and potential schedule impacts clearly and promptly• Take ownership of assigned automation projects from initial development through final customer acceptance Minimum Qualifications Applicants without industrial PLC programming and field-commissioning experience will not be considered. Required: • Minimum five years of industrial PLC programming, control-system integration, or automation experience• Demonstrated experience programming Allen-Bradley ControlLogix or CompactLogix systems• Proficiency with Studio 5000 Logix Designer and RSLogix 5000• Experience developing and troubleshooting ladder logic• Experience with industrial HMI or SCADA development• Experience performing field startup and commissioning• Understanding of digital and analog I/O systems• Experience with instrument loop wiring, scaling, calibration, and troubleshooting• Experience integrating motors, VFDs, instruments, valves, and industrial equipment• Working knowledge of Ethernet/IP and industrial communication networks• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, control drawings, P&IDs, panel layouts, I/O lists, loop diagrams, and one-line diagrams• Understanding of 24VDC, 120VAC, and 480VAC industrial control systems• Strong industrial troubleshooting and problem-solving ability• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision• Ability to organize programming files, backups, revisions, and project documentation• Ability to communicate professionally with customers, project managers, engineers, electricians, vendors, and plant personnel• Willingness to perform hands-on field commissioning and troubleshooting Preferred Qualifications • Associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation, Automation, Computer Science, or a related field; equivalent industrial experience will also be considered• Inductive Automation Ignition development experience or certification• FactoryTalk View ME or SE development experience• Wonderware InTouch or System Platform experience• Allen-Bradley PLC-5 and SLC 500 experience• Schneider Electric Modicon or ProWORX experience• Experience converting legacy PLC systems to current Allen-Bradley platforms• ProSoft communication module experience• SQL database and production-reporting experience• Python, Java, or other scripting experience applicable to industrial automation• Experience with industrial network design and managed Ethernet switches• Experience with PowerFlex VFDs and other industrial motor-control equipment• Experience with safety PLCs, safety networks, and SIL-rated devices• Knowledge of NEC, NFPA 70E, UL 508A, ISA, and applicable industrial control standards• Control-panel design or electrical CAD experience• Food and beverage, agricultural, manufacturing, water/wastewater, oil and gas, mining, or heavy-industrial experience• Experience working in active production facilities• OSHA 30 Certification• MSHA Certification What We’re Looking For The ideal candidate is: • Self-motivated• Honest and dependable• Safety-focused• Detail-oriented• Organized and methodical• Strong at logical and process-based troubleshooting• Able to understand complete industrial processes• Able to recognize potential problems before startup• Comfortable working under production and shutdown deadlines• Capable of communicating directly and professionally with customers• Willing to support electricians and field personnel• Able to document work clearly and accurately• Committed to developing reliable and maintainable control systems• Willing to train and mentor less-experienced programmers and technicians• Willing to accept responsibility for project results• Proud of delivering systems that operate safely, efficiently, and consistently Position Requirements • Valid California Driver’s License with a clean driving record• Reliable transportation• Ability to pass pre-employment drug and alcohol screening• Willingness to travel throughout California approximately 75% of the time• Willingness to work overtime, nights, and occasional weekends during shutdowns, cutovers, and startups• Excellent attendance and dependability• Ability to work in operating industrial, manufacturing, and food-processing facilities• Ability to work outdoors and in varying weather conditions• Ability to climb ladders, access industrial equipment, and work from aerial lifts when required• Ability to safely lift and carry computers, test equipment, and tools• Ability to remain on-site during extended commissioning and production-startup activities Compensation and Benefits • $40.00–$60.00 per hour, depending on experience• Overtime eligibility and opportunities• Per diem and travel-expense reimbursement for qualifying field assignments• 401(k)• 401(k) company match• Health insurance• Dental insurance• Vision insurance• Life insurance• Paid holidays• Paid time off• Referral bonus program• Career advancement opportunities• Ongoing technical training and professional development• Opportunities to lead automation projects from design through commissioning Why Twin Electric? Twin Electric is built on craftsmanship, accountability, integrity, and teamwork. Our automation team works on some of California’s most challenging industrial electrical and control-system projects. Our programmers and engineers work directly with experienced industrial electricians, project managers, equipment manufacturers, and plant personnel to deliver complete, reliable, and maintainable systems. We invest in quality people, quality work, and long-term careers—not short-term labor. If you are looking for a position where your technical ability is respected, your work has a direct impact on project success, and you can continue developing your industrial automation career, we would like to talk with you. Twin Electric Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating a safe, professional, and respectful workplace for every employee.