Automation Engineer

JOB SUMMARY Join our team at Scientific Protein Laboratories (SPL), a world leader in biosourced pharmaceuticals, located just outside of Madison, Wisconsin in Waunakee! SPL is an innovative biopharmaceutical leader with unique products and services supporting the pharmaceutical industry globally. For over 40 years, SPL specializes in the development and cGMP compliant manufacturing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).The primarily function of the Reliability Engineer is reliability analysis, PM optimization, failure elimination, asset lifecycle technical support.

This position will also provide technical leadership to experienced mechanical maintenance technicians driving reliability initiatives into daily work. The Reliability Engineer will eliminate repeat failures and optimize maintenance strategies so that production equipment operates reliably, PM resources are focused on what matters most, and unplanned downtime is continuously reduced.

Responsibilities include:

Develop, maintain, and troubleshoot PLC programs using Rockwell Automation Control Logix and Compact Logix platforms in compliance with cGMP and FDA 21 CFR Part 11 requirements

Design, program, and maintain HMI applications using Rockwell Factory Talk View Site Edition (SE), ensuring strict adherence to data integrity principles (ALCOA+)Program and maintain Plant

PAx distributed control system applications following ISA-88 (S88) batch control standards and established programming conventions

Create and maintain accurate, revision-controlled program documentation including functional specifications, code comments, and change logs per pharmaceutical industry standards

Document all automation work activities, troubleshooting outcomes, and system modifications in the CMMS (Fiix) to maintain comprehensive equipment history records

Implement and validate control system modifications following established change control procedures and validation protocols (IQ/OQ/PQ)
Troubleshoot and resolve automation system issues in a timely manner to minimize production downtime while maintaining complete documentation of all actions taken

Collaborate with Production, Quality, and other departmental teams to identify, optimize, and resolve pain points with automated system operations

Support process validation activities by programming recipe-based batch control systems and ensuring audit trail functionality

Collaborate with Quality Assurance to ensure all automation changes meet regulatory requirements and pass internal/external audits

Advise Project Engineers on automation requirements for capital projects, including recommendations for large-scale improvements, PLC hardware upgrades, and HMI system enhancements

Maintain revision control of all PLC and HMI programs using established version control practices

Develop standardized programming templates and reusable code modules following S88 and internal programming standards to ensure consistency across production systems

Support maintenance technicians with troubleshooting guides and technical documentation for automated systems

Participate in root cause analysis for automation-related deviations and implement corrective actions with appropriate documentation

Additional Responsibilities Support capital projects involving automation system installations and upgrades

Assist with network infrastructure maintenance for industrial control systems

Perform other duties as assigned

Job Requirements and

Qualifications:

Education:

Required- associate’s degree in industrial Automation, Electronics Technology, Instrumentation, Computer Science, or related technical discipline

Preferred:
Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering Technology, or related discipline

Experience:

Required:

3+ years of hands-on PLC and HMI programming experience with Rockwell Automation platforms (Control Logix, Compact Logix, Factory Talk View SE)
Preferred: 5+ years in pharmaceutical, API, or FDA-regulated manufacturing environment

Highly Preferred:
Plant

PAx DCS programming and configuration experience

Technical

Skills:

Required:

Proficient in Rockwell Studio 5000/RSLogix 5000 for PLC programming (Ladder Logic, Structured Text, Function Block)
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