Process Controls Engineer

Process Controls Engineer to Sr. Controls Engineer

Salary based on experience and education.$82,973- $103,716 Process Controls Engineer$95,419- $119,274 Sr. Process Controls Engineer

Job Summary/Purpose

Provides support to operations through troubleshooting and optimization of existing control and electrical systems. Coordinates upgrades to process control systems, ensures process data is historized accurately and facilitates reporting and analysis of process data. Implement automation projects needed to provide control of equipment at mining and milling locations. Helps support any projects that may impact plant electrical, control, and OT network systems. Ensure automation development meets the design and safety standards set by the Reliability and Automation group. Monitors the condition of plant electrical infrastructure, instrumentation, PLCs, networks, and servers to ensure the control systems are providing accurate, reliable information.

Job Scope/Dimensions

Based at and primarily support the Houston Mill and provide supplement support to other talc sites. Works independently but in close coordination with the Reliability & Automation Engineering Team. Assist technical staff (Engineering, Pilot Plant, and IT), location staff and employees of all Magris Talc locations. Role requires a working relationship with contractors, vendors, and suppliers of these locations as well as Governmental agencies (MSHA) that regulate them. Some travel to other sites will be required.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

Works with the Operations and Engineering Group to solve process control problems. Introduces new instrumentation to production management and new solutions to production control problems. Support of Rockwell Automation Control Systems, FANUC Robotics, and industrial networking. Works with Project Engineering on developing a list of projects and schedules for the capital forecast, instrumentation needs of capital projects, supports the design of project instrumentation and control logic. Acts as project engineer on projects that are primarily instrumentation and control related. Works with the Electrical maintenance department to insure that instrumentation and process control equipment are suitable for the application, installed correctly, properly maintained, documented properly, and updated with improved models where justified. Works with electrical maintenance to support new instrumentation, and with process engineers and operators to properly use new instrumentation and interpret the data they produce. Works with the IT department to provide OT process data to management users such as finance and production planning, and to provide network interface between the process control OT networks and the IT network. Works with other process control engineers to provide users with historical process data. Works with IT to display this data to users on computers for use in improving plant production rates and recovery. Also works with these groups to maintain the security of the process control computer network, protecting it from intrusion. Other duties as assigned.

Job Specifications

Education and Experience requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (preferably Electrical, Systems/Automation, Mechanical, Chemical) or Associate's Degree in Automation/Control Systems required. Certified Rockwell Automation Programmer Preferred 5+ years' experience in controls and automation role. Experience with Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation hardware and software preferred. 2+ years industrial experience preferred Leadership training is advantageous.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics

Process Control: Proficient in process control techniques. Understands process dynamics to determine how to best control the process. Experience with concepts of using PLCs and HMIs for process control, able to program in ladder logic and Function Block. Rockwell platform automation experience is preferred. Project Engineering: Able to express their thoughts in writing clearly, prepare project scope documents outlining the work to be done on a project, analyze project economics to determine the value of a project to the plant, prepare project justification documents for submittal for capital funds, forecast capital expenditures for process control for next five years. Electrical Engineering: Experience with Motor and VFD control, industrial power distribution and monitoring, and an understanding of discrete, analog, and safety control circuits. Electrical & Process Safety: Familiarity with key process safety and electrical safety systems – primarily Equipment Isolation (LOTOTO), Electrical Safety, and Arc Flash Safety. Experience improving and maintaining these systems is helpful. IT/OT: Understanding of Ethernet networks including fiber optics, switches, communications protocols at various levels, most specifically to control system communication. Proficient at working with Windows, installing software and configuring computers and servers. Familiarity with databases, SQL query tools. Robotics: Familiarity with robotics cells, specifically related to packaging and palletizing. FANUC Robotics experience is helpful but not required. Process Engineering: Understanding engineering principles of chemistry, thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, mechanical stress, fluid flow is helpful. Able to understand unit processes to determine what needs to measured and where, and how best to control the process. Mineral Processing and Material Handling experience is relevant.