AUTOMATION Controls Specialist – Dairy Foods (UHT & Cheese Manufacturing)

***AUTOMATION* Controls Specialist – Dairy Foods (UHT & Cheese Manufacturing)** **Position Title:** Controls Specialist **Department:** Controls / Engineering **Employment Type:** Full-Time **Facility Type:** Dairy Processing (UHT & Cheese Manufacturing) **Position Summary** The Controls Specialist supports and maintains the automation and control systems across our dairy processing operations, including UHT (Ultra-High Temperature) processing lines, cheese-making and cheese-cutting/packaging systems, and related utilities (CIP, pasteurization, homogenization, and packaging equipment). This role requires strong Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI expertise, the ability to read PLC logic across multiple platforms, and experience upgrading legacy dairy processing equipment. This position plays a key role in ensuring consistent product quality, food safety compliance, and minimal downtime across critical processing systems. **Key Responsibilities** - Program, troubleshoot, and maintain PLC and HMI systems, with a primary focus on Allen-Bradley platforms (ControlLogix, CompactLogix, PanelView) - Read, interpret, and troubleshoot PLC logic across various platforms (e.g., Siemens, Omron, GE) supporting legacy or vendor-installed equipment. - Support upgrades and modernization of legacy dairy processing equipment, including control panel retrofits, PLC/HMI migrations, and obsolescence management. - Diagnose and resolve electrical and controls issues quickly to minimize downtime on high-throughput, time-sensitive production lines. - Collaborate with Quality, Food Safety, Maintenance, and Production teams to ensure controls support HACCP, SQF, and other food safety/regulatory requirements. - Assist with robotic palletizing, case packing, or material handling system integration and troubleshooting as needed. - Support and maintain Ignition and other SCADA/data historian systems used for batch tracking, temperature logging, and traceability as needed. - Maintain accurate documentation, including electrical schematics, program backups, batch/recipe logic, and change logs. - Provide training and technical support to maintenance and production staff on control system operation. **Required Qualifications** - Proven experience programming and troubleshooting Allen-Bradley PLCs and HMIs. - Demonstrated ability to read and interpret PLC logic across multiple platforms/brands. - Experience upgrading, retrofitting, or modernizing legacy industrial control systems, ideally in a food or dairy processing environment. - Strong understanding of electrical schematics, ladder logic, and industrial control principles. - Ability to troubleshoot temperature-critical and sanitation-critical control systems (e.g., pasteurization, sterilization, CIP). - Comfort working in a food/dairy manufacturing environment, including washdown areas and cold/hot processing zones. - Strong troubleshooting skills with the ability to diagnose issues quickly to minimize downtime on continuous-run production lines. - Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, regulated production environment. **Preferred Qualifications** - Experience programming or troubleshooting industrial robots (e.g., Fanuc, ABB, KUKA) used in palletizing or case packing. - Experience with SCADA systems, batch tracking, or data historian platforms. - Familiarity with food safety and regulatory standards (HACCP, SQF, FDA, PMO/Grade A Pasteurized Milk Ordinance). - Familiarity with industrial networking protocols (Ethernet/IP, DeviceNet, Profibus). - Experience with UHT processing systems and aseptic packaging controls. - Experience with cheese-making equipment controls (vats, presses, brine systems). - Associate's degree or technical certification in Electrical, Industrial Automation, Controls, or related field (or equivalent hands-on experience in dairy/food manufacturing). **Work Environment / Physical Requirements** - Ability to work in a dairy processing environment, including e…