What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Controls Engineer (Food) position at iLocatum?
Lead Engineer, Controls
Location: Buffalo, NY
Must-Have Qualifications
The Lead Engineer, Controls provides technical leadership for the plant’s electrical power and process control systems. This role is responsible for ensuring reliable and safe operation of automation and control systems while supporting continuous improvement, troubleshooting, and system optimization.
The position plays a critical role in improving plant reliability, supporting capital projects, and developing the technical capabilities of Electrical & Instrumentation (E&I) technicians.
Key Responsibilities
Controls & Power Systems Leadership
Location: Buffalo, NY
Must-Have Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering required; Electrical Engineering strongly preferred
- 5 years of Controls Engineering experience
- Strong hands-on experience with Allen-Bradley PLCs and Rockwell FactoryTalk platforms
- Experience working in a manufacturing or industrial environment
- Knowledge of machine/process control systems, instrumentation, and automation technologies
- Working knowledge of NFPA (70, 70E, 79) and OSHA 1910 electrical safety standards
- Experience working with MES systems, PLC data validation, and plant historian systems
The Lead Engineer, Controls provides technical leadership for the plant’s electrical power and process control systems. This role is responsible for ensuring reliable and safe operation of automation and control systems while supporting continuous improvement, troubleshooting, and system optimization.
The position plays a critical role in improving plant reliability, supporting capital projects, and developing the technical capabilities of Electrical & Instrumentation (E&I) technicians.
Key Responsibilities
Controls & Power Systems Leadership
- Serve as a key technical leader and primary troubleshooter for plant power distribution and control systems.
- Support the development and enforcement of power and controls standards across plant upgrades and engineering projects.
- Lead the site master plan for power and control systems, including lifecycle management and replacement planning for obsolete technologies.
- Support the design and implementation of machine control systems, automation strategies, and HMI applications.
- Validate MES data from PLC systems and assist process engineers with conditioning and optimizing data for effective analysis.
- Utilize process modeling, simulation, and control technologies to improve manufacturing and packaging operations.
- Lead and provide daily direction to Electrical & Instrumentation (E&I) technicians.
- Develop and maintain a structured training and skills development program for technicians.
- Coach team members on troubleshooting, maintenance practices, and technical skill advancement.
- Ensure compliance with NFPA and OSHA electrical safety standards and plant safety procedures.
- Lead and support key electrical safety programs including:
- Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)
- Electrical PPE compliance
- Energized work permits
- Low-voltage qualification programs
- Support quality and compliance systems including checkweighers, metal detectors, vision systems, ingredient flow controls, and temperature monitoring.
- Support engineering and operations teams with equipment selection, installation, and startup of new systems.
- Act as the technical expert on new automation and control systems, ensuring effective training and system integration.
- Provide controls engineering support for capital improvement initiatives.
- Work closely with engineering, operations, and maintenance teams to identify production losses and develop improvement strategies in safety, quality, reliability, and cost.
- Provide ongoing technical support across plant operations to resolve equipment and system issues.
- Experience with plant historian systems and manufacturing data platforms
- Strong understanding of industrial automation hardware, instrumentation, and control systems
- Experience with plant maintenance or reliability systems
- Strong problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications
- Ability to work effectively in a team-oriented manufacturing environment
- Willingness to support off-shift operations, weekend work, and occasional travel
- Comfortable working on the manufacturing floor and performing moderate physical activity when required