Automation Controls Supervisor

Company: Americold
Location: Russellville
Posted on: September 23, 2022

Job Description:

Overview

Americold provides temperature-controlled warehousing and transportation to food producers, restaurants, schools and retail outlets such as grocery stores. We're proud to provide an essential link in the food industry supply chain and to help put food on tables around the world.

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Americold owns and operates temperature-controlled warehouses around the world. We have over 16,000 associates and offer a wide variety of career opportunities - from warehouse forklift operators and supervisors to accounting, administration, business development, customer support, engineering, transportation, and technology solutions positions.

Responsibilities

Primary Responsibility:
Work under limited supervision to lead maintaining, troubleshooting, and controls modifications of mechatronic systems in a cold storage warehouse environment, to ensure overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). Be the on-site technical point of contact for automation and controls. This is a hands-on role with accountability to problem solve, provide technical support, develop capability of teams, and the ability to lead project management/execution of assigned projects. This role will work side by side, supervise and provide direction to site maintenance teams in troubleshooting and repair of equipment controls, electrical, and instrumentation devices/systems.

Essential Functions:
• Perform work in a safe manner, as well as, keeping equipment clean and in safe working condition. Comply with all job specific safety procedures and utilize PPE as required.
• Provide progressive and innovative technical solutions and recommendations to increase asset availability and reliability of automated equipment.
• Implement industry best practices, technology, tools, and training.
• Develop and support strategic automation supplier relationships and performance management for automated equipment to ensure effectiveness of OEM level support.
• On-site support of new business with automation to ensure the site is maintaining the automation equipment, spare parts list, PMs, and firmware/software is updated per OEMs recommendation.
• Analyze maintenance data relating to automation and controls to identify trends impacting asset and organizational performance; develops solutions against findings for optimizing reliability and reducing expenses.
• Serve as the site subject matter expert in control and automation technology, electrical, and instrumentation.
• Assist the Facility Service Manager in developing the maintenance team through mentoring, coaching, encouragement, and development of formalized training plans.
• Lead advanced troubleshooting and repair of automation control systems, HMIs, VFDs, servo drives, motor control systems, PLCs, and electrical circuits.
• Actively participate in all phases of automation systems life cycle including design, development, test, installation, startup and support.
• Act as first-level escalation for automation controls support for the site and appropriately escalate issues that negatively affect OEE.
• Perform controls systems assessments to maintain and improve equipment reliability.
• Safeguard change management methodology related to control systems.
• Capture and trend metrics to resolve mechatronics problems that create performance deficiencies.
• Proactively communicate the status of technical issues and potential variances to aligned upon timelines with leadership, ensuring resulting impacts to systems and OEE is understood.
• Maintains accurate maintenance records related to control systems.
• Technical liaison for site with Corporate Support Center.
• Some travel required to support other sites or projects as assigned.
• Network with Automation Controls Engineers from other sites.
• Answer after hours "call backs" as needed.
• Keeps work area clean and performs housekeeping duties as required.
• Performs related work and other job assignments as required.

Qualifications

Qualifications & Experience:
• Demonstrate minimum 5 years of experience on industrial automation systems.
• Must be self-driven with the ability to work independently with little or no direction or supervision.
• Associates / Bachelor's Degree in Electrical / Automation / Mechatronics is preferred.
• Advanced electrical and controls troubleshooting ability of automation control systems: PLC, HMI, hardware, software, their related equipment, and field devices.
• Rockwell Studio 5000 and Siemens TIA portal required.

Knowledge & Employment Standards:
• Ability to set up, configure, and maintain automated systems (EtherNet, Profibus, Profinet, Modbus, DeviceNet, and ControlNet).
• Ability to understand, review, and analyze functional descriptions, instrumentation diagrams, blueprints, and interpret PLC ladder logic.
• Experience with low and medium voltage distribution systems (24VDC to 480VDC).
• Maintain excellent and positive working relationship with the team, with other departments, as well as with all outside vendors, suppliers, and contractors.
• Demonstrates strong interpersonal communications skills, written and verbal.
• Prioritization and organizational skills.
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously.
• Demonstrates strong decision-making, analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience using computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).
• Ability to work in cold conditions for extended periods of time.
• Ability to work at high elevations using fall protection.
• Proficiency with MS Windows, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project, etc.

Physical Requirements & Abilities:
• The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job
• Requires the ability to sit for long periods of time, with frequent interruptions
• Requires several hours per day of sitting, getting up and down from chairs, and reaching, or bending
• Requires manual dexterity with normal hand and finger movements for typical office work
• Talking, hearing, and seeing are important elements of completing assigned tasks
• May require travel by automobile and airplane
• May require visiting facility operations in temperatures at or below freezing
• May carry loads related to travel and occasionally lifts, carries, positions, or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds
• Requires the use of various electronic tools
• Occasionally works evenings or weekends in order to complete objectives or to attend meetings
• Requires the ability to relate to others beyond giving and receiving instructions: must partner with colleagues without exhibiting behavioral extremes
• Requires the performance of work activities including reasoning, negotiating, instructing, persuading, or speaking with others; and respond appropriately to constructive feedback from executive management

Keywords: Americold, Little Rock , Automation Controls Supervisor, Professions , Russellville, Arkansas