Senior Automation & Controls Engineer

Job Description

About The Company

As the Pacific Northwest’s leading contract packer and co-packer of ready-to-drink beverage products for nearly a century, Portland Bottling Company provides flexibility and responsiveness, with unmatched regional and national reach, as well as the scale to handle the needs of any and all customers. PBC offers 24/7, end-to-end solutions with state-of-the-art equipment, in-line monitoring, and automated technologies for next level quality, reliability, efficiency and yield. 

Our mission at Portland Bottling Company is to act as one team, committed to providing real differentiated value to our customers’ business by delivering the most trusted and highest quality solutions in the industry. That comes from providing an environment for our employees that is safe and promotes growth, development, and success.

Job Summary

Interface with several PBC departments to troubleshoot, improve, upgrade and support Production systems. As a senior technical engineer, the Senior Controls Engineer position will make hands-on contributions to the production system software and hardware by editing and troubleshooting Programmable Logic Control (PLC) programming and data acquisition systems (SCADA). The position will liaise with the Process Engineer in regard to software architecture design, development of bottling applications and their integration into enterprise systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Build, configure, test and debug programs and software codes, such as PLC (AB & Siemens) and Human Machine Interface (HMI) software (Ignition) to support operational changes and improvements for the manufacturing operations. 
• Develop, design, and write custom software programming, applications and interfaces to control and monitor systems, including both PLC code, HMI code and development.
• Install, commission, and deploy programs, ensuring smooth integration with existing manufacturing infrastructure.
• Diagnose other systems, such as peripherals like water supply and waste water. 
• Create detailed technical documentation and back ups of system architecture diagrams, PLC programs, and user manuals
• Investigate mechanical failures and maintenance problems for root cause analysis, providing occasional afterhours remote support for 24/7 operation.
• Support Operations and Maintenance by implementing improvements, troubleshooting electronics and program failures
• Provide technical support for systems. Continuously monitor and optimize the performance of systems, troubleshooting issues and implementing improvements as needed.
• Provide training and support to production personnel on the operation and maintenance of systems and programs.
• Work with vendors and internal personnel on projects related to automated solutions to improve plant operations, increase safety, increase quality, reduce cost and increase efficiency.
• Engage in ongoing maintenance activities, supporting software upgrades, diagnostics and troubleshooting.
• Stay updated on the latest advancements in robotics technology and industry best practices to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Robotics Engineering or Controls Engineering.
• Five years of experience maintaining and programming Krones can bottling and packaging machinery, including integration, installation, commissioning, startup, overhaul, inspection, retrofit, and service.
• Seven years of experience programming and troubleshooting controller interfaces and PLCs using Allen-Bradley, Siemens Step 7, Siemens TIA Portal, ladder logic, SCL, and structured text; and programming HMIs using FactoryTalk, WinCC, TIA Portal, Zenon, and Inductive Automation Ignition.
• Seven years of experience with VODM fillers; CIP/SIP processes; Transmarket product-preparation equipment and processes; and adjusting blending, preparation, filling processes, and filling programs—including mechanical fillers, weight filling, and PFIR filling valves—to operational requirements.
• Seven years of experience with tray packers, palletizers, dry-end machinery, and peripherals, including Videojet tray coders, Nordson glue-injection systems, and Toledo weight checkers; and with can/bottle, case, and pallet conveyors, LCT4 systems, and bottle liners/separators.
• Seven years of electrical experience interpreting American and European (German) prints; and seven years of experience with Profibus, AS-i Bus, CAN bus, Ethernet, Powerlink, and Profinet networks; Danfoss, Allen-Bradley, and B&R frequency inverters, including model and brand conversions and upgrades; servo drives, stepper motors, and general motor control; and programming and addressing AS-i Bus and AS-i safety devices such as buttons and Evoguard, SPX, and Burkert valves.
• Seven years of experience with empty-can, full-can, tray-code, and vision inspection systems; and with Anton Paar equipment, including digital and analog sensors, flow meters, temperature and pressure transmitters, and mass flow meters.
• Seven years of mechanical experience performing major overhauls, replacing worn parts, and rebuilding filling valves, manifold distributors, filler main bearings, conveyor belts, and process valves—including flap, seat, double-seat, double-seal, diverting, shuttle, and sampling valves—and replacing and referencing servo motors.
• Seven years of experience with line control and balancing; adjusting can- and case-conveyor speeds to optimize motor use; and creating, adjusting, and tuning formats for new can sizes, can inspections, package arrangements, and pallet patterns.
• Seven years of experience developing SOPs for equipment upgrades and changes; developing engineering and automation kaizens to improve line performance, increase yield, and reduce downtime; and training new personnel in OEM machinery operation, preventive maintenance, corrective maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System)
• Experience working with Krones equipment 
• Experience in a bottling or similar beverage production work environment 

Portland Bottling Company offers our employees a wide variety of comprehensive rewards and benefits including:

• Competitive pay
• Medical including Prescription and Vision
• Dental
• Long-Term Disability
• Life & Accidental Death and Dismemberment
• 401K with company match
• Generous pay for time off programs including paid personal time off (PTO), paid floating holidays, paid bereavement and paid jury duty
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Account
• Tuition reimbursement
• Targeted learning and development opportunities,

All within a positive and friendly work environment.

Our people go above and beyond for our customers. That’s why Portland Bottling Company offers a comprehensive, family-friendly package of compensation, benefits, programs, services, and support to ensure our team members can love what they do at work and enjoy their lives outside of it. 

If you think you have what it takes to be part of a company that strives to create a working environment that stimulates team spirit, passion, engagement, and achievement, we want to hear from you!

PBC values diversity in its work force and is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.