Job Description
Senior Process Automation Engineer: Main Purpose and Objectives of Position: The Senior Process Automation Engineer will work as a member of the Process Automation Department at our clients site in Limerick. The engineer will provide automation support for automated process equipment across the Limerick site. Personal Considerations: As the Limerick site operates on a 24/7 basis, the job may involve contacting out of hours to provide technical assistance, possible non-scheduled call-in time to respond to plant emergencies and occasional scheduled call-in time to provide technical cover during technical transfers and major project activity (e.g. commissioning). Additionally, offsite travel, either within Ireland or abroad may occasionally be required for short durations to attend meetings, visit vendors facilities or to receive training. Educational Requirements: Degree in Chemical Engineering, Applied Physics and Instrumentation, Electrical or Electronic Engineering or qualifications in other relevant engineering discipline with appropriate experience. Key Responsibilities: In line with the job outlined above, the following are typically the key tasks that would be expected of the role: Provide day-to-day operation's support for automated equipment and skid vendor proprietary equipment. In this role you will be working with Engineering and Operations personnel to trouble shoot issues, make changes to the control systems in line with site change control procedures and site standards, responding to system events and performing routine computer system maintenance checks Provide subject matter expertise for automated system design, development, installation, testing, validation and support. During Major projects: Technically lead and oversee the work and material the equipment vendor produces including Functional Requirements, Design Specifications, Network Architectures, Application Software, Test Specifications. Attend equipment and software FATs Support commissioning Provide periodic status updates to Project Management Develop and implement programmable logic controller (PLC) automation system software design, (Siemens) coding/configuration and testing (sequence logic, graphics, etc.) Design and develop Human-Machine Interface (HMI) systems for user interaction with PLCs Project Management of related automation projects Maintain the validated state of the logistics automated systems in line with quality standards including the development and execution of validation strategies and associated documentation. Promoting the use of automation to improve productivity, operational efficiency and compliance Adherence to site safety procedures and developing automation solutions with these in mind Developing a network of corporate contacts and leveraging corporate expertise when needed Interacting with external parties (e.g. vendors, consortiums) and assessing vendor solutions against user requirements and troubleshooting support needs The role is expected to work very closely with a wide spectrum of disciplines/stakeholders across the organisation. Develop standard operating procedures, work instructions and other job aids to ensure the appropriate level of documentation is in place to train on, maintain and operate the automation systems Role Requirements: 5 years working experience in Biopharma engineering, operations, or manufacturing Experience with: Siemens PLC/HMI configuration (S7 1500s) , IPCs, TIA portal, WinCC and IGel technology. Industrial communication protocols such as modbus, HART, Foundation fieldbus, OPC DA & UA, Profibus, Profinet, Ethernet/IP, RS485. Simatic Login, User Management component Systems performing backup and restore disaster recovery Demonstrated ability to participate in and facilitate decision-making. Demonstrated initiative, good planning and organisational skills, ability to prioritise tasks, commitment to task completion and timelines. Possess a keen technical curiosity and has demonstrated strong problem-solving skills and a desire for continuous improvement Strong collaborative skills with an ability to work effectively in a team environment Demonstrated ability to influence peers and business partners Demonstrated strong written and verbal communications skills Good written and verbal communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences Knowledge of GMP, regulatory requirements, computer system validation Preferable 7 years + as a controls engineer in a highly automated environment supporting various PLC-related control systems Direct hands-on experience of designing, coding and testing with Siemens PLCs. Ideally have knowledge of pick and place equipment and logistic/ warehouse automation systems. SQL Databases Server/Client systems Automation networking Automation system administration S95 architecture design experience Instrumentation and controls knowledge Experience in troubleshooting automation systems and related integrated systems such as warehouse management system Experience in Root Cause Analysis methodologies Experience in developing design specifications, test protocols and executing tests Experience in developing documents with Kneat electronic document management system Experience with data historians such as AVEVA PI, Version Dog, Octoplant, Domain related controls such as Simatic UMC. Fluent English is a must have for this role. Reach out to Niamh at or with your C.V. for a discussion on this opportunity. Skills: Siemens Programming Electrical troubleshooting onsite commissioning.