Owned by 250 family farms, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is a food and beverage company that has offered innovative, award-winning, high-quality dairy products since 1965. Our progressive cooperative’s success is based on a commitment to quality in everything we do that extends to every stage of operations, from our farms to the consumer. Our product offerings include milk, flavored milk, yogurt, dip, sour cream, cottage cheese, Italian cheese, and ice cream mix marketed under the Upstate Farms®, Bison®, Milk for Life®, and Intense Milk®brands.

The Controls Technician oversees calibration program for facility including trouble shooting, repair and ensuring proper documentation for various manufacturing equipment. Candidate will have experience with temperature, weight, flow, sensing and speed instrumentation. Position is also responsible for minor design, programming, repair, and maintenance of Allen Bradley based programmable logic controller (PLC) systems used within manufacturing facility. May support repairs for other advanced production/manufacturing equipment. Diagnosis of equipment malfunctions and makes repairs or adjustments as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Installs, troubleshoots, repairs the following systems: PLC’s, HMI’s, VFD Drives, Vision Systems, Motor Control Centers, Power Distribution Centers, Motors (DC, AC, Stepper, Servo, etc.), Three Phase/Single Phase - power and control circuits, Control Panel layout and component installation.
• Carry out the departmental production plans and to jointly establish objectives.
• First responder to troubleshooting activities, leading, and assigning crew members and utilizing all available resources to correct controls issues and/or equipment/system breakdowns in an expedient manner.
• Works with Maintenance Mechanics on shift to trouble shoot root cause of problems and puts preventative controls in place to mitigate further issue.
• Communicate daily activity of work order status with business partners and coordinate shift-to-shift handoff.
• Document all modifications to equipment, systems, and respective documentation.
• Report to the Supervisor all operation issues during the shift, or as they become available. Investigate all events and provide full details of facts leading to the event, along with conclusions, and recommendations. Communicate openly to all other O-AT-KA Supervisor/Management staff, sharing problems and solutions.
• Assist with developing and modifying SOP's for processes within the department.
• Collaborate with all business partners to maintain an ongoing, uninterrupted operation to produce high quality products, while maintaining the department in an acceptable manner.
• Proactively evaluate obsolete equipment within the plant making recommendations for repair and/or replacement.
• Other duties as assigned.

Experience & Education Required:

• Associates degree with 3-5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge & Skills - Required:

• Experience in troubleshooting PLC based control systems, Rockwell Software desired.
• Experience with digital & analog temperature, pressure, flow, speed and weight measurement.
• Experience with discrete sensors.
• Experience with process loop calibration and equipment.
• Experience with industrial control networks and configuration such as Ethernet, Device Net, DH
• Experience working with 480v 3 phase power distribution.
• Experience with Allen Bradley motor controls and VFDs.
• Experience using electrical test equipment.
• Proven ability to work well independently and in a collaborative team environment
• Manufacturing experience with PLC’s and automation controls.
• Working knowledge of electrical schematics, power distribution and controls, motor and motor controls, PLC logic controls, HMI’s, and other industrial controls.

Preferred:

• Dairy and/or food processing knowledge, especially Mixing & Blending, Retort operations, automatic packaging, mechanics of systems and equipment and sanitation and safety a plus
• Ability to set IP addresses using BOOTP with working knowledge of various software programs (or ability to learn) to include: RSLogix 5, RSLogix 500, RSLogix5000, Factory Talk to program PCLs, HIMs and Drive. WonderWare experience a plus.

Confidentiality:

The Controls Technician is exposed to O-AT-KA customer and product information on a consistent basis.

Management Responsibility:

The Controls Technician is an individual contributor role that operates under the general direction of the Controls Supervisor.

Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee frequently works near moving mechanical parts, high speed and processing equipment; is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and toxic or caustic chemicals; is frequently exposed to moderate to high noise levels in the work environment. Must be able to see, grasp hold, walk, climb, bend, and stretch, lift up to 40 lbs. Will spend significant time in the production environment where temperatures fluctuate.

O-AT-KA Milk Products Cooperative Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $30.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Education:

• Associate (Preferred)

Shift availability:

• Night Shift (Required)
• Overnight Shift (Required)

Work Location: In person