Controls Engineer

Founded over 35 years ago, First Quality is a family-owned company that has grown from a small business in McElhattan, Pennsylvania into a group of companies, employing over 5,000 team members, while maintaining our family values and entrepreneurial spirit. With corporate offices in New York and Pennsylvania and 8 manufacturing campuses across the U.S. and Canada, the companies within the First Quality group produce high-quality personal care and household products for large retailers and healthcare organizations. Our personal care and household product portfolio includes baby diapers, wipes, feminine pads, paper towels, bath tissue, adult incontinence products, laundry detergents, fabric finishers, and dishwash solutions. In addition, we manufacture certain raw materials and components used in the manufacturing of these products, including flexible print and packaging solutions.

Guided by our values of humility, unity, and integrity, we leverage advanced technology and innovation to drive growth and create new opportunities. At First Quality, you’ll find a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning, professional development, and our mission to Make Things Better®.

We are seeking a Controls Engineer for our First Quality SE, LLC facility located in Anderson, SC.  The Controls Engineer specifies, designs, implements, and maintains complex controls systems and software programming on production equipment and associated machinery while training and assisting Controls Technicians in solving complex problems.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Observes OSHA and company safety rules and always uses the proper safety equipment. Identifies potentially dangerous electrical hazards and takes immediate corrective action. Demonstrates advanced National Electrical Code understanding by teaching others. Develop Safety Procedures for installed machines – Lock-Out /Tag-Out for operations and maintenance personnel.
• Leads/supports internal Project and Process Engineers, Maintenance & Production personnel, OEMs, vendors, and contractors to design, install, interface, start up new equipment and process controls including electrical component selection and approval, electrical design approval, software assessments & modifications, machine acceptance testing and problem identification and resolution.
• Assist Production, Maintenance, and Engineering to meet daily priorities, coverage, and special projects.
• Responsible for specifying DCS’s, PLC’s, HMI’s, servo systems, motors, drives, sensors, vision sensors and data collection and analysis software, based on our companies controls standards criteria.  Evaluates electrical equipment from multiple sources and recommends best value for use.
• Assesses, identifies, schematically designs, and makes complex program modifications in DCS’s, PLC’s logic, HMI’s programs, and servo controller logic to improve individual equipment and overall system’s performance.  
• Performs high level troubleshooting, in-depth critical thinking, and utilizes all internal & external resources to solve any electrical, mechanical or process problems.  Leads & assists others in troubleshooting machinery, equipment, components, and programs including PLC’s HMI’s Servo systems and Robotics.
• Performs regular checks of the DCS and ensures software – backups, Windows and Anti-Virus are up to date. Develop policies for repair and upgrade of the DCS and its components. Ensures the health of the process control network.
• Provides technical and operations training to Controls Technicians, production, warehouse, and other personnel as needed.  Shares knowledge and techniques with team members and coordinates the training of new personnel.
• Assists in project planning and forecasting as part of budgeting process.

The ideal candidate should possess the following:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics/Electrical Engineering.  In lieu of a degree, additional experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 3 years industrial controls experience including advanced knowledge of electrical theory and principles of operation.
• Experience and working knowledge of DCS and PLC hardware and software:
  • Advanced proficiency with PLC, DCS, and HMI programming skills.
  • Experience with system management such as backup/archiving and restoring.
  • Experience of industrial control networks (OT networks) set up and troubleshooting.
• Proven ability to lead complex control engineering projects $50k-$500k+.
• Candidates must be proficient in:
  • CAD software, AutoCAD
  • Microsoft Excel
• Excellent communication skills to all levels of the organization. 

What We Offer You

We believe that by continuously improving the quality of our benefits, we can help to raise the quality of life for our team members and their families. At First Quality you will receive:

• Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities
• Paid time off (three-week minimum)
• Medical, dental and vision starting day one
• 401(k) with employer match
• Paid parental leave
• Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)
• Bundle of joy benefit (years’ worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)
• Tuition assistance
• Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums
• ...and more!