Manufacturing Engineer
1 month ago
Schofield
Job Description MANUFACTURING ENGINEER American Wood Fibers (AWF) is a leading manufacturer of consumer and industrial wood-based products serving pet, agricultural, home-heating, and industrial markets. With 350+ employees across 11 locations and over $100M in annual revenue. We are seeking a Manufacturing Engineer to support our continuous-process operations. OVERALL OBJECTIVE Design, maintain, and optimize automated control systems to improve equipment reliability, throughput, product consistency, energy efficiency, and dust-hazard mitigation. RESPONSIBILITIES Automation & Controls • Design, program, and maintain PLC, HMI, and SCADA systems for shavings lines, pellet mills, wood flour systems, conveyors, dryers, and packaging equipment., • Develop closed-loop control strategies for moisture, feed rates, airflow, temperatures, and pellet mill load., • Support PLC platforms including Rockwell, Siemens, and Schneider Electric., • Troubleshoot automation, electrical, and instrumentation issues in dusty, continuous manufacturing environments., • Support commissioning, startup, and optimization of new or modified production lines., • Collaborate with Operations and Maintenance to reduce downtime and improve reliability., • Ensure compliance with OSHA, NFPA 70/79, and NFPA 652/654 combustible dust standards., • Implement and maintain safety-rated control systems, including E-stops and interlocks., • Participate in capital projects including equipment upgrades, dryer retrofits, and new line installations., • Maintain accurate electrical schematics, PLC programs, and automation documentation. Required • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Controls, or Automation Engineering (or equivalent experience)., • 3+ years of automation or controls engineering experience, preferably in wood products, pellet manufacturing, or bulk solids processing., • Hands-on experience with PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, and industrial control systems., • Experience with pellet mills, hammermills, grinders, dryers, and pneumatic conveying., • Knowledge of moisture measurement technologies (NIR, microwave, RF)., • Familiarity with dust collection, fire detection, and explosion protection systems., • Capital project and commissioning experience. BENEFITS • 401(k) matching, • Dental insurance, • Employee assistance program, • Employee discount, • Flexible spending account, • Health insurance, • Health savings account, • Life insurance, • Paid time off, • Referral program, • Tuition reimbursement, • Industrial manufacturing environment with exposure to dust, noise, and heavy equipment., • Occasional off-shift or weekend support during startups or outages., • 50% travel possible Compensation:$100k -$115k For consideration… Due to the nature of our business, American Wood Fibers requires a tobacco and smoke-free environment. We offer a competitive package to include health, dental, vision and life insurance, plus profit bonus, paid time off and matching 401(k). For more company information, please visit our web site . AWF is an EEO employer. Corporate Office 9740 Patuxent Woods Drive, Suite 500 Columbia, MD 21046 800-624-9663 / 410-290-8700 Fax 410-290-6660 Other Locations Jessup, MD / Schofield, WI / Pella, IA / Lebanon, KY / Marysville, CA / Marshall, TX / Circleville, OH / Marion, VA / Jamestown, CA / Laurinburg, NC Visit us at