Industrial Electrical & Automation Specialist

Overview

The Industrial Electrical & Automation Specialist supports 24/7 manufacturing operations through hands-on electrical and controls troubleshooting, Allen-Bradley PLC/HMI programming, field verification, and technical documentation. Based primarily in Goshen, this position provides local and remote support to company facilities, documents existing electrical and controls infrastructure, and assists with reliability improvements and capital projects. The role will work directly with the company's Electrical & Automation Engineering Manager and progressively assume greater technical and project responsibility as experience is gained.

Responsibilities

• Provide remote and onsite electrical/controls troubleshooting support for critical production issues, working directly with operators, maintenance personnel, contractors, vendors, and IT resources as needed.
• Program, troubleshoot, modify, and commission Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI systems, including ControlLogix/CompactLogix, Studio 5000/RSLogix, FactoryTalk View or comparable platforms, remote I/O, and EtherNet/IP-connected equipment.
• Troubleshoot industrial electrical systems including 480V distribution, MCCs, motors, starters, VFDs, soft starters, control circuits, transformers, switchgear, panelboards, and associated field devices.
• Troubleshoot and integrate instrumentation and process-control equipment including weighing/batching systems, load cells, scale indicators, temperature and level devices, hazard monitoring, motor protection, and other sensors.
• Perform field verification surveys of existing electrical, controls, instrumentation, and OT infrastructure; trace feeders, control circuits, communications, PLC I/O, and equipment connections to establish accurate as-built conditions.
• Develop and maintain AutoCAD electrical and controls drawings, including one-lines, control schematics, wiring/elementary diagrams, PLC I/O drawings, panel layouts, network diagrams, and as-built documentation.
• Assign, verify, reassign, and update instrumentation and equipment labels, tag numbers, and nomenclature; correct missing, duplicate, obsolete, or inconsistent identification in the field and associated records.
• Reconcile equipment nomenclature across field labels, electrical drawings, PLC/HMI programs, network documentation, maintenance records, and operator terminology to support consistent plant standards.
• Support industrial networking and OT infrastructure including managed Ethernet switches, plant control networks, remote access, industrial PCs, servers/virtual machines, HMIs, thin clients, and third-party communications.
• Investigate recurring failures and production downtime, identify root causes, and recommend safe, reliable, maintainable long-term corrective actions rather than temporary component replacement alone.
• Assist with electrical and automation projects from concept through startup, including scope development, equipment selection, budgeting, proposal review, contractor/vendor coordination, shutdown planning, commissioning, and closeout documentation.
• Support electrical safety and compliance activities including NEC, NFPA 70E, arc-flash documentation/labeling, hazardous-location requirements, Management of Change, and company electrical/automation standards.
• Work with electrical contractors, automation integrators, engineering consultants, utilities, equipment manufacturers, and internal stakeholders on installations, upgrades, troubleshooting, and modernization projects.
• Maintain accurate technical records, backups, device/IP inventories, drawings, and system documentation; ensure completed field changes are reflected in current records.
• Obtain and maintain required certifications for industrial vehicles, lifts, aerial work platforms, confined-space activities, and other assigned work; follow all company safety requirements and applicable codes.
• After-Hours Support: This position supports 24/7 manufacturing operations and will occasionally be required to provide after-hours remote or onsite technical support for critical production issues.
• Travel to other company facilities as technical needs and projects require and perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Automation, Industrial Technology, or a related technical field preferred, but not required; equivalent industrial experience will be considered.
• Three or more years of relevant industrial electrical, controls, automation, or manufacturing experience preferred.
• Hands-on Allen-Bradley PLC programming experience is required, with demonstrated ability to read, troubleshoot, modify, and develop PLC logic.
• Hands-on industrial HMI programming and troubleshooting experience is required.
• Experience troubleshooting industrial electrical and controls systems and reading electrical one-lines, control schematics, wiring diagrams, and PLC logic.
• AutoCAD electrical/control drawing experience strongly preferred; candidates with comparable CAD experience and the ability to transition to AutoCAD will be considered.

Skills

• Strong systematic troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills with the ability to support facilities both remotely and onsite.
• Working knowledge of industrial power distribution, VFDs/motor controls, instrumentation, EtherNet/IP, and industrial networking.
• Ability to perform detailed field surveys, trace undocumented systems, and translate actual field conditions into accurate technical drawings and equipment records.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, communicate clearly with technical and non-technical personnel, and take ownership of issues through resolution.
• Commitment to safety, documentation accuracy, system reliability, and continuous improvement.

Programming Work Samples:

Candidates are encouraged to provide non-confidential or sanitized examples of PLC and/or HMI programming work, such as program files, ladder-logic excerpts, HMI screens, or personal/training projects, when legally permitted to share them. Candidates should not provide proprietary or employer-owned material without authorization.

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to perform job duties while wearing a respirator
• Must be able to lift and work overhead, to stoop and to crouch
• Must be able to lift and/or move up to 50 lbs on a regular basis
• Must be able to climb ladders and work at elevations of 175 ft

Environment

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be regularly exposed to work near moving mechanical and electrically energized parts
• The employee will be regularly exposed to very dusty and noisy conditions
• The employee will be exposed to outdoor weather conditions
• The employee may be exposed to chemicals used in the process