Automation Engineering Manager

Title: Automation Engineering Manager
Location : Memphis, TN ~ Baltimore, MD ~ Hattiesburg, MS (must sit onsite at one of these plant locations)
Target Start Date : ASAP
Type: Direct Hire
Salary : $150-160K plus bonus (negotiable DOE). Relocation assistance available.

Overview
Our client, a global leader in the food ingredients & bioprocessing industry, is seeking anAutomation Engineering Manager to lead the strategy, standardization, and execution of automation and control systems across the enterprise. This role is responsible for driving scalable, reliable, and secure automation solutions that enhance manufacturing performance, product quality, and operational efficiency. Partnering closely with Engineering, IT, and plant operations, this leader plays a key role in advancingdigital transformation, capital project execution, and automation excellence across multiple manufacturing sites.

• Define and execute the enterpriseautomation roadmap, aligning with operational goals and capital investments.
• Establish standards forPLC/HMI programming, SCADA, MES, instrumentation, and control architectures.
• Evaluate and implement new technologies to improvesafety, efficiency, and process consistency.
• Oversee the fullautomation lifecycle (design, deployment, upgrades, obsolescence planning).

• Lead automation scope forcapital projects, including system design, budgeting, and implementation.
• Partner withEngineering, IT, and plant teams to deploy automation across manufacturing, utilities, and packaging lines.
• Ensure alignment withprocess engineering, cybersecurity, and infrastructure standards.
• Drive compliance withGMP, HACCP, and food safety regulations.

• Optimize automation systems to improveuptime, process control, and product traceability.
• Lead troubleshooting androot cause analysis for complex system issues.
• Maintain robustdocumentation, validation protocols, and change management processes.

• Lead and developautomation engineers, controls specialists, and contractors across sites.
• Manage relationships withsystem integrators, OEMs, and automation vendors.
• Build internal capabilities throughtraining and knowledge transfer.
• Roughly 25% travel to other plant locations and customer sites

• Bachelor's degree inElectrical Engineering, Automation, Mechatronics, or related field or equivalent real work experience (open to candidates who have worked their way up through Electrical Maintenance/Automation & Controls depts throughout their career)
• 10+ years of experience inindustrial automation and control systems, including 5+ years in leadership.
• Deep expertise inPLCs (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Schneider), HMIs, SCADA, and control networks.
• Experience withprocess automation, batch systems, and utilities in manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge ofindustrial cybersecurity, MES, data historians, and Industry 4.0 technologies.
• Proven ability to leadmulti-site initiatives and capital projects in regulated industries.
• Leadership experience managing a team of 4-5+ individual contributors.

• Drivestandardization and modernization of automation systems across global operations
• Improvemanufacturing efficiency, reliability, and product quality
• Enablescalable digital transformation and operational excellence

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