Automation Technician​/Automation Engineer

Automation Technician / Automation Engineer

Location:

Liberty Packing Company, LLC

The Morning Star Company and its affiliates operate three tomato processing facilities in Central California, processing about 40% of the California processing tomato crop, in addition to tomato growing, transplanting, farming, harvesting and trucking operations. The company employs approximately 500 year-round and over 3,000 seasonal colleagues, with annual sales of about $1 billion.

The Morning Star Company is the largest producer of bulk tomato ingredient products (tomato paste and diced tomatoes) in the world. We also produce canned tomatoes, tomato products and specialty sauces in pouches for customers in the retail and food service markets. The company is known worldwide for its innovation and integrity.

We are organizationally structured through a system we term Mission Focused Self‑Management™. Our company is operated by Colleagues without titles or an appointed hierarchy of authority. Authority relative to other Colleagues’ activities is lateral, with our Mission as our guiding principle of action, and respect, influence and success built based on each Colleague’s integrity, competency, effort, persistence and straightforward persuasiveness. Although we have grown significantly, we intend to maintain a culture of individual responsibility and Mission Focused Self‑Management.

The Automation Technician / Automation Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance, and optimization of industrial automation systems across processing and packaging operations. This role supports reliable plant operation by maintaining PLC, HMI, instrumentation, and electrical control systems while driving continuous improvement, troubleshooting, and automation upgrades in a food and beverage manufacturing environment.

The position works closely with Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, and external vendors to ensure safe, robust, and efficient automation systems that meet production, quality, and food safety requirements.

• Automation & Controls
  • Design, program, troubleshoot, and maintain PLC-based control systems, including logic, I/O, and communications
  • Develop and support HMI/SCADA systems for process monitoring and operator interaction
  • Diagnose and resolve automation‑related downtime in processing and packaging equipment
  • Support startup, commissioning, and validation of new automation systems and equipment
• Electrical & Instrumentation
  • Troubleshoot electrical control panels, motor controls, VFDs, sensors, and field devices
  • Maintain and calibrate instrumentation (flow, pressure, temperature, level, pH, etc.)
  • Interpret and update electrical schematics, loop diagrams, and P&IDs
  • Ensure compliance with electrical codes, safety standards, and plant LOTO procedures
• Continuous Improvement & Projects
  • Identify opportunities to improve OEE, reliability, and process consistency through automation
  • Support capital projects involving new equipment, line upgrades, or controls modernization
  • Standardize controls architectures, programming practices, and documentation
  • Collaborate with vendors, integrators, and internal engineering teams
• Food & Beverage Manufacturing Support
  • Ensure automation systems support food safety, quality, and sanitation requirements
  • Participate in CIP/SIP automation, batching, and recipe management systems
  • Support traceability, alarms, data logging, and process controls critical to food production

• Technical Skills
  • Strong working knowledge of PLC platforms (Allen‑Bradley, Siemens, or equivalent)
  • Experience with HMI/SCADA development and troubleshooting
  • Solid understanding of industrial electrical systems (480V/240V/120V controls, MCCs, VFDs)
  • Experience with process instrumentation and field device integration
  • Ability to read and interpret electrical drawings, P&IDs, and control narratives
• Experience
  • Automation Technician
    : 3–5 years of hands‑on industrial automation and controls experience
  • Automation Engineer
    : 5+ years of automation/controls experience, including system design and project support
  • Preferred experience in food & beverage, CPG, or regulated…