Schweitzer Engineering Labs

Senior Automation Engineer

Schweitzer Engineering Labs$160K — $230K *
Manufacturing & Automotive
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • B.S./M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechatronics, or related discipline
  • 12+ years experience in manufacturing automation solutions
  • Strong expertise in PLCs (e.g., Allen Bradley, Mitsubishi), HMI/GUI, and robotics integration
  • Familiarity with electrical prints and industry standards
  • Excellent skills in technical presentation and training
  • Advanced proficiency in structured PLC programming methodology
  • Ability to design reliable systems with error handling processes

Responsibilities

  • Mentor engineers and technicians
  • Lead equipment concept development balancing various specifications
  • Design NFPA79/NEC/UL508A compliant electrical control panels
  • Write and debug organized PLC ladder logic and factory floor integration
  • Manage electrical cabinet builds
  • Integrate automated machines with plant-wide MES
  • Train Maintenance and Production teams post-deployment
  • Provide technical evaluations for outsourced automation projects

Benefits

  • 100% employee owned with ESOP and 401(k) options
  • Top tier medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • Paid holidays, vacation days, sick leave, and family medical leave
  • Support for employee growth through tuition assistance and STEM courses
  • Additional wellness, fertility, adoption, and flexible spending benefits
Full Job Description
Our Equipment Automation Engineering (EAE) team seeks a professional and innovative individual to join our team in Pullman WA or Lewiston ID.

The Equipment Automation Engineering team supports manufacturing and vertical integration teams by understanding our manufacturing processes, recommending solutions, and executing projects.

The successful candidate will be dependable, responsible, and self-motivated, and work closely with EAE mechanical engineers, Production representatives, and related Engineering teams to develop, successfully implement, and support manufacturing automation solutions. These solutions often include fully custom automation designs.

As a Senior Automation Controls Engineer, a typical day might include the following:

1. Mentoring engineers and technicians.

2. Leading in initial equipment concept development and carefully balancing product specifications, process control requirements, layout complexity, cost, quality, and lead-time limits.

3. Laying out new industrial electrical control panels which are NFPA79/NEC/UL508A compliant and create electrical schematics.

4. Architecting, writing, and debugging PLC ladder logic with an emphasis on generating code that is organized, structured, documented, maintainable and reusable. PLC code will interact with subsystems such as conveyors, robots, Manufacturing Execution System (MES), machine vision, and 3rd party equipment.

5. Managing electrical cabinet builds.

6. Creating machine interactions with plant-wide Manufacturing Execution System (MES).

7. Introducing automated machines and processes into production, and training Maintenance and Production teams to support after deployment of equipment.

8. Creating and reviewing specifications and providing technical evaluations for outsourced automated equipment purchases.

9. Performing as technical lead on assigned projects.

10. Other duties as assigned.

This job might be for you if you have:

1. B.S./M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechatronics, or related discipline

2. 12+ years relevant experience in designing and implementing automation solutions in a manufacturing environment.

3. Strong technical expertise in the application of PLCs (example: Allen Bradley, Mitsubishi), HMI/GUI layout, Field Bus Networks, Safety Systems, Vision Systems, and integration of Robotics.

4. Familiarity with electrical prints and standards for industrial equipment.

5. Excellent technical presentation and training skills.

6. Demonstrated advanced proficiency in programming PLCs, with a well-defined methodology for maintaining code structure and organization.

7. Ability to program state machines for complex processes which involve multi-station parallel processing, pick and place automation, data acquisition, and PID control.

8. Proven ability to design reliable systems with error handling and recovery processes.

Competitive pay. Superior benefits. Inspiring work.

  • We're 100% employee owned. Retirement benefits include an employer funded stock ownership plan (ESOP) and personal 401(k) options.
  • We offer top tier medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
  • We recognize the importance of a healthy life balance and offer: 10 paid holidays, annual vacation accrual starting at 12 days, 9 paid sick days, and paid family and medical leave that covers 90% of your pay.
  • We foster growth and development of our employees through avenues such as STEM courses, apprenticeships, tuition assistance, and engineering development programs.
  • Ask our team about other benefits including wellness, fertility, adoption, and flexible spending benefits.


Pay Range Data

New hires generally start between $160,600 - $230,000. We base our starting pay offer on location and job-related factors such as candidate experience, training, knowledge, and skills. Our salary ranges are determined by job, responsibility, and location.

Communication with Applicants

We communicate with all applicants. If you do not receive a response about your application, please check your SPAM filter or reach out to us at [email protected].

About Schweitzer Engineering Labs

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc. (SEL) designs, manufactures, and supports products and services ranging from generator and transmission protection to distribution automation and control systems. Founded in 1982 by Edmund O. Schweitzer III, SEL is headquartered in Pullman, Washington, and has operations in over 80 countries. SEL's products and services are used by utilities, industrial companies, and transportation systems to ensure the safe and reliable operation of their power systems. SEL is known for its innovative solutions and commitment to customer service, and has won numerous awards for its products and workplace culture.
Learn more about Schweitzer Engineering Labs
Size
7,000 employees
Industry

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