Senior Controls & Automation Engineer | PLC + Panel Design | Totowa NJ, 2nd Shift | 15% Bonus
2 days ago
Paterson
๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฒ๐น๐, ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ: ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐-๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ด๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐. ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฌ Pave Talent is recruiting on behalf of our client, a privately held, family-owned food manufacturer in Totowa, NJ with over 100 years of combined management experience. They produce for a portfolio of well-known national food service and retail brands from a single, modern facility. The company has roughly doubled its production capacity in three years and is investing hard in robotics and next-generation automation. A robotic palletizer is already installed, with vision inspection on the way. This is a confidential search. ๐ง๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ You report to the Engineering Manager and are the senior controls and automation engineer on second shift, 3:00 PM to 12:00 AM. This is a builder's role, not a babysitting role. Yes, you keep production running on your shift. But the bigger half of the job is project work: designing electrical control panels, writing PLC code from the ground up, and standing up new automation. The plant has a real pipeline of capital projects, and you will have your hands on all of it. ๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ'๐๐ ๐ข๐ช๐ก โข Design and build electrical control panels for capital projects, from layout and component selection through schematics (AutoCAD Electrical or similar), โข Write and commission PLC code from scratch on Rockwell Studio 5000 and ControlLogix, not just modify what already exists, โข Lead controls and automation upgrades for production equipment and a plant-wide automated transport system rewrite, โข Run the floor on second shift: troubleshoot VFDs, burner controllers, conveyors, point-level sensors, operator interfaces, and networking, and resolve it yourself, โข Drive the HMI migration from FactoryTalk View SE to Ignition Perspective and the ongoing ISA-101 standardization, โข Support a growing robotics and end-of-line automation roadmap, including the new robotic palletizer and upcoming vision inspection, โข Integrate automation systems with the company's Plex ERP platform, โข Partner with the first-shift engineering team on cross-shift projects and clean handoffs ๐ช๐๐ข ๐ช๐'๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ This role needs a genuine controls and electrical engineer, someone who can both design the electrical side and program it. If your background is PLC code only, or troubleshooting only, this is not the right fit. The interview is hands-on and technical, and it will surface the difference. โข 3 to 5+ years in controls or automation engineering at a manufacturer, system integrator, or machine builder, โข PLC programming from scratch: you have built programs from a blank slate, not only modified or troubleshot existing code. Rockwell Studio 5000 and ControlLogix is the platform here., โข Electrical depth: you design control panels, read and trace electrical and safety schematics on the floor, and can size a control or motor circuit, โข A real self-starter who can run a shift unguided. The Engineering Manager put it plainly: "We're looking for someone that's more of a self-starter and can do things unguided.", โข You can speak to your own project work with specifics: the platform, the application, and what you personally built, โข Authorized to work in the US without sponsorship, and able to work fully on-site in Totowa, NJ ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ง Let's be straight about the schedule, because for the right person it is the best part of this job. Second shift, 3:00 PM to 12:00 AM, means you own the floor. You are the senior automation decision-maker on site, nobody looking over your shoulder, and every fix and every project on your shift carries your name. For a senior engineer tired of being one of five and waiting for project scraps, that is the whole appeal. It is also a calmer build environment: fewer meetings, fewer interruptions, real heads-down time for panel design and code. Your mornings are genuinely yours, for appointments, family, or the gym, with no early alarm, and the commute skips rush hour in both directions. You will not be dropped in cold. You ramp with the Engineering Manager and the first shift before the shift is fully yours. On-call coverage is part of the job, and once in a while that means a weekend. When it does, you get that time back. There is no overtime pay; the flexibility runs both ways. If you want ownership and visibility, second shift is the fastest way to get there here. ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐ฉ๐ โข Ignition Perspective, or other SCADA experience, โข FactoryTalk View SE/ME, โข AutoCAD Electrical or EPLAN for panel and schematic design, โข Machine safety: safety relays, GuardMaster or GuardLogix, Safe Torque Off, โข VFD configuration and commissioning (Allen-Bradley PowerFlex or similar), โข ERP integration experience (Plex or similar), โข Bilingual English and Spanish, a plus for second shift, not required ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐: Up to $125,000 (Potentially more for highly qualified candidates) ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐: performance-based, historically up to 15% at year-end ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐น๐ฒ: second shift, 3:00 PM to 12:00 AM ๐ข๐ป-๐๐ฎ๐น๐น: rotating, with comp time for weekend coverage, no overtime pay ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐น: fully on-site in Totowa, NJ, easily reached from most of Northern NJ ๐๐๐น๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ: family-owned and tight-knit; strong performers get direct visibility to upper management, and internal mobility is real ๐๐ข๐ช ๐ง๐ข ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐ฌ Apply through LinkedIn and we will be in touch. This is a confidential search; your application is fully private. ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ง๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ | ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ถ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ