Lab Automation & Instrumentation Specialist

The Lab Automation & Instrumentation Specialist supports Whitefox's product development and laboratory operations by building, integrating, and improving automated laboratory and pilot-scale systems that increase efficiency, improve process and data visibility, and accelerate learning. The role is intended to systematize industrial process work at lab scale, reduce operator time investment in repetitive or low-value tasks, maximize useful data collection, and increase throughput, cadence, and reliability across prototype, test, and development activities while supporting safe scale-up of innovative process and materials technologies.

The Research & Development team advances Whitefox product and process innovation through safe laboratory operations, prototype design, technical testing, data-driven validation, and scale-up support. The department is responsible for building practical solutions that improve product performance, process reliability, and the transition from batch experimentation toward continuous and increasingly automated operation.

Every improvement you make moves us closer to our 2030 goal of being globally trusted leaders in efficiency and innovation.

The main responsibilities of this role include but are not limited to:

• Transform conceptual ideas into prototypes and support product development from concept through validation and market introduction as needed.
• Design, build, program, integrate, and troubleshoot automation and electronics packages for laboratory and pilot equipment, including digital and analog sensors, transmitters, power supplies, relays, signal conditioning, alarms, interlocks, emergency shutdown functions, and data logging systems.
• Develop and support PLC-, HMI-, and small-control-platform solutions for research and prototype equipment using platforms such as Siemens SIMATIC (for example S7-1200 / S7-1500 with TIA Portal), Rockwell Automation Allen-Bradley (for example CompactLogix / ControlLogix with Studio 5000), Beckhoff TwinCAT, ABB AC500, Schneider Modicon, or equivalent platforms as appropriate for the application.
• Systematize industrial processes at lab scale by converting manually operated, batch-style, or semi-manual workflows into repeatable, instrumented, and scalable systems with a defined control philosophy, alarm strategy, operating windows, and practical operator interface.
• Increase efficiency, execution cadence, and throughput by reducing manual interventions, setup time, troubleshooting time, downtime, and variability in how experiments and pilot activities are performed.
• Select and integrate instrumentation, valves, actuators, motor controls, DAQ hardware, HMIs, networking components, and related hardware for research, testing, and process development applications.
• Develop data logging, dashboard, remote monitoring, and visibility solutions that improve experimental traceability, process understanding, troubleshooting speed, and decision-making quality.
• Develop and execute test plans to validate technical concepts, automation logic, control strategies, and equipment performance; support commissioning, point-to-point checks, and functional verification as needed.
• Review technical specifications and prepare, review, or maintain engineering drawings, wiring diagrams, bills of materials, SOPs, test procedures, control narratives, and other technical documentation.
• Work with third-party contractors, vendors, fabricators, and service providers for electrical installations, upgrades, inspections, commissioning activities, and specialty support.
• Perform troubleshooting, root cause investigation, and corrective action follow-up on a variety of products, heaters, instruments, automation systems, and associated equipment; support both preventive and reactive maintenance activities.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives that evolve products and processes from batch to more continuous, remotely visible, and increasingly autonomous operation.
• Collaborate with product development, laboratory, operations, external partners, and research institutes on innovative projects that may span automation, instrumentation, process engineering, membranes, and novel materials technology.
• Evaluate and help implement practical uses of AI, advanced analytics, machine vision, anomaly detection, or smart monitoring where they can improve data quality, process understanding, predictive maintenance, or operator effectiveness.

• Other related duties as assigned

What you'll bring

Education:

• Bachelor's degree or diploma in Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Mechatronics, Automation, Chemical Engineering Technology, or a closely related discipline.

Experience:

• 3-5 years of relevant hands-on experience in lab automation, instrumentation, controls, electronics, maintenance, or prototype equipment development in an R&D, laboratory, pilot plant, or manufacturing environment. Experience with PLC programming, HMI / SCADA concepts, data acquisition, and practical system integration is strongly preferred. Experience in membrane processes, novel materials, chemical / process development, or industrial product development is an asset. Experience applying AI, advanced analytics, or smart monitoring to industrial operations or experimentation is highly preferred.

Competencies:

• Hands-on automation capability - practical strength in PLCs, instrumentation, electronics, wiring, panel-level integration, data acquisition, and startup / commissioning support.
• Data mindset - strong appreciation for measurement quality, traceability, experiment structure, dashboards, and turning test data into useful technical insight.
• Safety and reliability mindset - understands alarms, interlocks, emergency shutdown philosophy, maintainability, and good engineering practice in a research environment.

We recognize that experience comes in many forms. If you don't meet every requirement but are excited about this role, we encourage you to apply.

Licence/Certification:

• Eng. (required)

Job Types:

• Full-time, Permanent

Travel

• Occasional local travel to vendors, contractors, pilot, customer, university, or research partner sites as required.

Additional pay:

• Bonus pay

Benefits:

• Dental care
• Disability insurance
• Extended health care
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• RRSP match
• Vision care