Controls Technician

Job Description

Job Description

As employees of a farmer-owned cooperative, we come to work every day trying to honor the tireless effort and care these farming families put in every day, all day, 365 days a year. Our farmer-owners tend to think in generations, with some of our farms being run by the same families for over a century. We carry this approach into our business, knowing that each and every one of us makes a difference in allowing these generational traditions to continue, taking pride in knowing that we nourish our friends, neighbors, nation, and even the world with healthy and delicious dairy products. Our products include milk, flavored milk, yogurt, dip, sour cream, cottage cheese, Italian cheese, and ice cream mix marketed under the Upstate Farms®, Bison®, Milk for Life®, and Intense Milk® brands.

Job Summary : The Controls Technician ensures the reliability and efficiency of production processes by installing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing electrical and automation systems. This role also involves minor design, programming, and maintenance of PLC systems, including Allen Bradley. The position includes diagnosing equipment issues, making necessary repairs, and upholding high technical standards, safety, and quality.

Must have holiday and weekend availability. Must also be available to work all shifts (1st,2nd,3rd).

Key Responsibilities :

• Perform routine inspections, preventive maintenance, and repairs on electrical and control systems to minimize downtime and ensure optimal performance.
• Develop, modify, and troubleshoot Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programs to control production equipment and processes.
• Create and update Human-Machine Interface (HMI) screens for operator interaction and process monitoring.
• Calibrate and maintain sensors, transmitters, and other instrumentation devices used in production processes.
• Install, troubleshoot, and repair electrical wiring, circuits, and components in accordance with safety standards.
• Collaborate with engineers and production teams to identify opportunities for process improvement and automation.
• Maintain accurate records of maintenance activities, equipment manuals, and electrical drawings.
• Ensure that all work is performed in compliance with relevant safety, environmental, and regulatory standards.
• Provide training and guidance to production personnel on the safe operation and basic troubleshooting of control systems.
• Installs, troubleshoots, repairs the following systems : PLC’s, HMI’s, VFD Drives, Vision Systems, Motor Control Centers, Power Distribution Centers, Motors (DC, AC, Stepper, Servo, etc.), Three Phase / Single Phase - power and control circuits, Control Panel layout and component installation.
• First responder to troubleshooting activities, leading, and assigning crew members and utilizing all available resources to correct controls issues and / or equipment / system breakdowns in an expedient manner.
• Works with Maintenance Mechanics on shift to trouble shoot root cause of problems and puts preventative controls in place to mitigate further issue.
• Collaborate with all business partners to maintain an ongoing, uninterrupted operation to produce high quality products, while maintaining the department in an acceptable manner.
• Proactively evaluate obsolete equipment within the plant making recommendations for repair and / or replacement.
• Other duties as assigned.

Experience & Education Required :

Knowledge & Skills - Required

Preferred

Confidentiality

Management Responsibility

Work Environment

Pay : $34-$48 / hr.

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.

Salary : $34 - $48