Eastman Chemical Company

Sr. Engineer, Controls and Automation (Electrical)

Eastman Chemical Company • $120K — $142K *
Chesapeake, VA 23322In-Person
Manufacturing & Automotive
5 - 7 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
  • 7+ years in a manufacturing environment with a focus on controls/automation.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI programming.
  • Hands-on experience with industrial Ethernet and SCADA systems.
  • Strong understanding of power distribution and motor control systems.

Responsibilities

  • Design and implement electrical and control systems for manufacturing.
  • Develop detailed control narratives and functional requirements.
  • Lead troubleshooting efforts for electrical and automation issues.
  • Manage the design and expansion of the SCADA platform.
  • Collaborate with IT to enhance OT network security and reliability.

Benefits

  • Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance options.
  • Retirement plan with company matching contributions.
  • Professional development and training opportunities.
  • Paid time off and flexible scheduling options.
Full Job Description
Company:
MCA - Alpolic

Job Description:

The Sr. Engineer, Controls and Automation provides senior-level plant engineering leadership for electrical power, controls, automation, operational technology (OT), SCADA, and equipment-reliability needs in a continuous manufacturing environment. The role partners daily with Engineering, Maintenance, Production, HSE, Quality, Information Technology, corporate digital resources, vendors, and contractors to safely troubleshoot chronic failures; design and execute upgrades; establish and support secure, maintainable OT network infrastructure; implement and sustain the plant SCADA platform; improve equipment availability; and ensure electrical, controls, and OT systems are documented, recoverable, and aligned with company standards. The position combines hands-on field support with disciplined engineering analysis, network and control-system architecture, project execution, commissioning, cybersecurity coordination, and technical stewardship of production assets and facility systems.

MAJOR DUITIES AND RESPONSIBILITES

  • Electrical, Controls, and Automation Engineering

    • Design, specify, modify, and support industrial electrical and control systems, including power distribution, motor-control equipment, PLCs, HMIs, variable-frequency and DC drives, instrumentation, sensors, industrial networks, and machine-safety interfaces.


    • Develop control narratives, functional requirements, I/O lists, panel layouts, schematics, network architecture, bills of material, and installation work packages.


    • Program, configure, troubleshoot, and improve Allen-Bradley, Mitsubishi, and Siemens PLC/HMI platforms and associated drive systems. Support legacy systems while developing migration and obsolescence plans.


    • Perform disciplined diagnostics using drawings, PLC logic, trend data, drive fault history, network diagnostics, and field measurements while preserving rollback capability.


    • Maintain validated backups of PLC, HMI, drive, SCADA, server, and network-device configurations and control access and changes.


    OT Network Infrastructure and SCADA

    • Serve as the plant engineering lead and long-term technical owner for OT infrastructure supporting the SCADA system, while coordinating governance, security, remote access, server, identity, and enterprise connectivity requirements with Information Technology and designated corporate resources.


    • Develop and maintain logical and physical OT network architecture, managed industrial switches, fiber and copper backbone requirements, network cabinets, UPS needs, addressing conventions, VLAN and segmentation requirements, and resilient communications paths.


    • Lead or support design, configuration, testing, commissioning, and expansion of the Ignition SCADA platform, including gateways and clients, PLC connectivity, tags, alarms, trends, dashboards, historian functions, time synchronization, and approved system interfaces.


    • Establish and maintain an OT asset inventory and device/IP register covering PLCs, HMIs, drives, instruments, switches, gateways, servers, workstations, and other connected production assets.


    • Configure and troubleshoot industrial communications, including Ethernet/IP and other plant protocols, and isolate addressing, port, cabling, switch, bandwidth, duplicate-device, time-synchronization, and communications faults.


    • Coordinate IT/OT boundary requirements, including approved architecture, segmentation, firewall rules, secure vendor access, accounts, patch and firmware planning, endpoint protection, logging, monitoring, and incident response.


    • Develop backup, restore, disaster-recovery, and configuration-management practices for SCADA and OT assets and periodically verify recoverability.


    • Plan cutovers and migrations with documented prerequisites, tests, communications, rollback points, production contingencies, post-startup monitoring, and turnover documentation.


    • Develop OT and SCADA standards for naming, addressing, switch configuration, network drawings, cabinet design, remote connectivity, alarms, historian tags, programming changes, and future expansion.


    • Partner with cybersecurity and IT resources to assess vulnerabilities and operational risk without compromising process safety, availability, vendor support, or validated functionality.


    Reliability and Maintenance Support

    • Partner with electricians, mechanics, planners, and production personnel to troubleshoot breakdowns, analyze failures, and restore equipment safely and efficiently.


    • Lead or support root-cause investigations for recurring electrical, controls, communications, network, and process-equipment failures and verify corrective-action effectiveness.


    • Improve preventive and predictive maintenance tasks for electrical assets, controls hardware, motors, drives, panels, field devices, SCADA components, servers, and network infrastructure.


    • Review CMMS history, downtime data, alarms, work orders, historian trends, network events, and spare-parts usage to identify reliability opportunities.


    • Develop critical-spare recommendations and lifecycle plans for obsolete or unsupported electrical, controls, SCADA, and OT equipment.


    • Provide technical escalation support during significant equipment events and support planned shutdown, weekend, or on-call needs.


    Projects, Installation, and Commissioning

    • Develop project scopes, alternatives, estimates, schedules, risk assessments, and technical justifications for capital and expense projects.


    • Lead or support upgrades from concept through startup, including design reviews, procurement, acceptance testing, commissioning, punch-list closure, and turnover.


    • Coordinate multidisciplinary work involving mechanical systems, process requirements, electrical installation, controls integration, OT networking, SCADA, utilities, cybersecurity, and production constraints.


    • Ensure projects include guarding, interlocks, alarms, maintainability, safe access, energy isolation, network and cybersecurity requirements, and required documentation.


    • Monitor project cost and schedule and review technical quotations, purchase requisitions, change orders, invoices, and contractor deliverables.


    • Plan cutovers and startups with prerequisites, contingencies, backups, rollback points, communications, and post-startup monitoring.


    Safety, Risk, and Compliance

    • Integrate safety through hazard review, risk assessment, management of change, pre-startup review, safe-work planning, and safeguard verification.


    • Follow and reinforce lockout/tagout, electrical safe-work practices, arc-flash requirements, energized-work restrictions, PPE requirements, and machine-startup procedures.


    • Immediately escalate conditions affecting safety functions, interlocks, protective devices, environmental controls, process control, SCADA visibility, or OT security. Do not leave undocumented bypasses, temporary addressing, unmanaged switches, or temporary network equipment in service.


    • Support incident investigations, cause mapping, corrective actions, audits, cybersecurity response activities, and closure of findings.


    • Ensure contractor and integrator work is properly scoped, authorized, coordinated, monitored, documented, and completed to site standards.


    Documentation, Standards, and Team Capability

    • Create and maintain electrical drawings, loop diagrams, OT physical and logical network drawings, device/IP registers, asset inventories, revision records, equipment files, and as-built documentation.


    • Apply document control so field systems, drawings, code, configurations, network records, and backup repositories remain aligned.


    • Develop troubleshooting guides, procedures, standards, job plans, recovery instructions, and training materials.


    • Coach technicians in systematic troubleshooting, PLC/HMI navigation, drive diagnostics, electrical drawings, SCADA navigation, basic industrial-network diagnostics, controls documentation, and safe work practices.


    • Communicate technical and cybersecurity risks, options, recommendations, and project status clearly to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.


    • Participate in reliability, capital-planning, manufacturing-systems, SCADA, and OT roadmap activities.


    • Other duties as assigned by department manager


QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to perform successfully in this position. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.

Education:

  • Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering


Experience:

  • Seven years of experience in a manufacturing environment


Knowledge:

  • Electrical Engineering Degree (BS minimum)


  • Proficient with Programing Allen Bradley Control Logix PLC's


  • Proficient with Programing Allen Bradley HMI's (Panelview Plus, Studio)


  • Experience with Parker and AB AC drives


  • Experience running improvement projects


  • Proficient in AutoCad


  • Excellent communication and mathematical skills


  • Ability to use common hand and power tools


  • Experience Trouble Shooting manufacturing equipment


Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, or a closely related field from an accredited institution.


Experience:

  • Five or more years of progressively responsible electrical, controls, automation, OT, SCADA, or plant-engineering experience in manufacturing or a comparable industrial environment.


  • Demonstrated experience troubleshooting industrial electrical and controls systems and supporting equipment installation, modification, and commissioning.


  • Demonstrated hands-on experience supporting industrial Ethernet networks, managed switches, connected PLC/HMI systems, and SCADA infrastructure in an operating manufacturing environment.


  • Experience leading complex technical projects, coordinating cross-functional stakeholders, and providing technical direction to technicians, contractors, or system integrators.


Knowledge:

  • Industrial electrical fundamentals, power distribution, motors, motor controls, instrumentation, control panels, and electrical schematics.


  • PLC programming and troubleshooting, with strong proficiency in Allen-Bradley ControlLogix, CompactLogix, MicroLogix, Studio 5000/RSLogix, and PanelView/FactoryTalk or RSView environments.


  • Working knowledge of Mitsubishi and Siemens PLC platforms and industrial drive systems.


  • Industrial network architecture and communications, including Ethernet/IP, managed switches, VLANs, segmentation, IP addressing and subnetting, fiber and copper media, commissioning, and diagnostics.


  • Working knowledge of SCADA architecture, PLC-to-SCADA communications, alarms, trends, historians, time synchronization, tag structures, backups, and commissioning.


  • Understanding of IT/OT coordination and foundational OT cybersecurity practices, including least privilege, secure remote access, asset inventory, configuration control, recovery, patch or firmware risk planning, and change management.


  • AutoCAD or comparable drafting software and ability to maintain field-usable electrical and network drawings.


  • Root-cause analysis, structured troubleshooting, risk assessment, management of change, disciplined documentation, project leadership, and effective cross-functional communication.


Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience implementing or administering Ignition SCADA, including gateway configuration, tag integration, alarms, historian functions, visualization, and deployment support.


  • Experience with SQL/data integration, OPC UA, manufacturing information systems, or approved interfaces between OT and enterprise systems.


  • Experience designing or commissioning managed switches, VLANs, firewalls, and network monitoring.


  • Experience with reliability engineering, predictive maintenance, CMMS data, and lifecycle or obsolescence planning.


  • Knowledge of NFPA 70, NFPA 70E, machine safety, arc-flash principles, and applicable OSHA requirements.

About Eastman Chemical Company

Eastman Chemical Company (Eastman) is a global specialty chemicals company that produces a range of advanced materials, chemicals and fibers that are found in products people use every day. Eastman has over 40 manufacturing sites in 16 countries and equity interests in joint ventures that supply chemicals, plastics, and fibers products to customers throughout the world. Eastman has a portfolio of specialty businesses that hold positions and provide products that enhance performance in a variety of end markets such as transportation, building and construction, and consumables. Eastman management believes that the Company's end-market diversity is a source of strength, as these markets are benefiting from longer-term global trends such as energy efficiency, a rising middle class in emerging economies, and increased health and wellness. On July 2, 2012, the Company completed its acquisition of Solutia Inc. (Solutia).

Eastman Chemical Company Careers

Join the vibrant team at Eastman Chemical Company, a global leader in the chemical industry known for its commitment to innovation, sustainability, and safety. At Eastman, we offer a plethora of job opportunities that pave the way for professional growth and personal achievement. We are proud to be a company where diversity and leadership go hand in hand, fostering a culture that values every team member's contribution.

Work You’ll Do

At Eastman Chemical Company, your work will directly contribute to groundbreaking solutions that influence markets and improve lives. Whether you're involved in research, marketing, production, or management, you are positioned to lead and innovate in every project you handle. Our team is composed of over 14,000 dedicated professionals who bring their diverse skills to the table, working collaboratively to drive success and leadership in the chemical industry.

Innovative Career Paths

Explore the multitude of career paths available at Eastman, from internships that offer real-world experience to full-time positions that challenge and expand your capabilities. Our hiring process is designed to identify and nurture talent, ensuring that the right skills are matched with the right opportunities. We believe in nurturing your career through continuous learning and development, supported by our robust training programs in areas like leadership, diversity, and technical skills.

Be Part of a Great Team

Joining Eastman means becoming part of a culture that prizes innovation and teamwork. You will work alongside industry experts and leaders who are eager to share knowledge and insights. Our team’s collaborative efforts are the driving force behind our award-winning workplace, recognized globally for its excellence in safety, sustainability, and employee satisfaction.

Benefits and Growth

Eastman Chemical Company is committed to the growth of its employees. We offer competitive benefits designed to support your life, both at work and at home. From health and wellness programs to financial and retirement planning, we ensure you have the resources you need to succeed in every aspect of your life. Our commitment to professional development means you’re always learning, always growing.

Internship Opportunities

Kickstart your career with an Eastman internship. Our programs provide invaluable industry exposure and hands-on experience, making them a perfect starting point for students and recent graduates eager to make their mark. Interns at Eastman gain critical skills, work on meaningful projects, and network with professionals across the company, providing a strong foundation for future employment opportunities.

Join Our Team

Ready to advance your career at Eastman Chemical Company? Search open positions that match your skills and interests. We are looking for passionate, curious, and solution-driven team players who are ready to take their career to the next level.

Stay Connected

Keep up to date with the latest at Eastman by following our careers blog. Gain insights from insider perspectives, and stay ahead with tips that you can apply directly to your next interview or resume update. Personalize your experience by subscribing to job alert emails, tailored to your preferences, and discover the exciting and rewarding opportunities that await at Eastman Chemical Company.

Explore Eastman Chemical Company Careers

Whether you’re seeking to enhance your skills, lead with innovation, or grow within a diverse team, Eastman Chemical Company offers a career path filled with opportunities. Join us in making a difference in the chemical industry and beyond.
Learn more about Eastman Chemical Company
Size
14,000 employees
Market Cap
$9.8 billion
Industry
Manufacturing & Automotive
Net Income
$478 million
Founded
1920
5 Year Trend
+3.1%
Revenue
$8.4 billion
NASDAQ
EMN
* Ladders Estimates

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