About Prairie Farms – “Farmer Owned. Locally Produced. Since 1938.”

We are a farmer-owned cooperative. This means we are owned and operated by over 800+ farm families who are critical members of society. They have selflessly taken on the tremendous task of producing nutritious, high-quality milk for a growing population, which requires being on the job 24/7, 365 days a year.

We have represented American agriculture since our founding in 1938. Many of our dairy farms are operated by several generations of family members with roots dating back to the 1800s. On average, each farm milks around 120 cows and everyone pitches in to keep them happy and healthy - which means around-the-clock care!

Our Mission:

• To produce dairy products of the highest quality
• To conduct our business with professional integrity
• To exceed expectations of our customers and consumers
• To support our communities in a positive, sustainable manner
• To deliver exceptional patronage to our network of farm families
• To simply “do right” for our farm families, employees, and communities

Summary/Objective

The Controls Engineer is a member of the Engineering department and is responsible for supporting controls and automation projects. This role provides on-site controls and automation support, with a focus on installing new manufacturing systems and the upgrade of existing systems within our manufacturing facilities in Orrville, Ohio.

Benefits

• Thrift retirement plan with generous company contributions
• Excellent health benefit plans including medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Company paid Short Term Disability and Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Saving Account (HSA)
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Department Duties

Focus Activities

• Design, develop, install and commission plant controls and automation systems including PLC programming (Allen Bradley/Modicon), HMI development, & MES data collection
• Provide technical support for controls and automation systems to ensure reliable and efficient plant operations
• Design and specify plant control system architectures, including control panels, hardware components and industrial communication protocols
• Develop, implement, and enforce process control standards to ensure consistency, reliability, and compliance across manufacturing systems
• Coordinate with and provide technical direction to third-party controls engineering partners and system integrators
• Manage and maintain SCADA systems including Wonderware and Citect platforms
• Support integration and use of SAP in relation to manufacturing controls and automation systems
• Work alongside maintenance departments at each facility to improve overall performance of the facility – improving the design and process controls of key plant systems, production lines, utility management and warehousing
• Support manufacturing staff to develop technical SOPs for the purpose of teaching and training operators on new processes
• Other duties as assigned

Required Duties of all Associates

• Manage all company business according to the cultural objectives of the company (values and behaviors)
• Understand and execute the principles of the company’s Operational Excellence program driving the right behaviors, standards and continuous improvement across all operating entities
• Participate in cross-functional teams as required to advance the business interests of the company
• Compliance with all company and regulatory policies/guidelines relating to associate safety, food safety and food quality

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrable analysis and design skills in: Mechanics, Fluid Dynamics, HVAC and Electrical controls
• Advanced Ladder Logic Programming within Allen Bradley, Modicon PLC’s, VFD’s, Servo motors is required
• Familiarity with Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS)
• Skilled in Wonderware system platform applications, (Developer)
• Experience with Citect / FT View SE and Modicon programing
• MES Wonderware environment
• Experience with .NET programming environment
• Experience with SQL Databases
• Excellent communication and organization skills, including written and oral presentation skills
• Strong time management skills
• Must demonstrate excellent analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Confidentiality is a must
• Must be insurable by company standards
• Skilled in MS Office (Excel, MS Word, Power Point), AutoCAD LT, Vision
• Comfortable with engineering schematics P&ID’s and blueprints
• Basic business and financial acumen
• At ease in fast-paced and dynamic environment
• Project management

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Typically, Monday – Friday
• Ability to work across shifts and flexibility in working hours required
• Additional hours and days (holidays, weekends) as required

Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering; Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical, Automation/Controls
• Must have a minimum of 5 year’s experience working within a Controls & Automation engineering role in the Food & Beverage, Consumer Goods or similar industry

Working Conditions

• Works both in office and manufacturing environments
• (S)he will be required to sit and stand for long periods of time.
• Will be required to stoop, bend, and reach above the head and below the knees to file and retrieve data.

Travel

• As needed for training or meetings

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the associate for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the company.

EEO Statement

Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

No sponsorship available for this role