Automation Engineer

ABOUT ALUMINUM 3104

Our VISION is to be Canada’s most trusted beverage packaging partner. To get there, we’re building the first modern aluminum beverage can plant in Canada, and the first aluminum beverage can plant in more than 40 years. Our 200,000 sq. ft., highly automated facility in Belleville, Ontario opens in late 2027. We built it for Canadian beverage brands, and we’re partnering with the Canadian aluminum supply chain, and bringing technical and operational expertise back home to strengthen Canada’s food and beverage security.

We’ll make precision aluminum cans to the exact specifications brewers and drink makers need. We’ll earn our reputation one good can, one kept promise and one honest conversation at a time. Because our lines are highly automated, the work here is about running, maintaining and improving modern production equipment. That means skilled careers, strong Total Rewards and the chance to build deep expertise.

We’re a startup with big plans, guided by four VALUES: Safety First. Quality Obsessed. Excellence Driven. Stronger Together. Phase one will create more than 100 jobs, most of them filled by people from the communities around our plant. We’ll pair them with experienced industry experts from around the world to build a team that sets the standard and brings a fresh perspective. As a greenfield business, we get to do things differently. We have no legacy systems and no inherited bureaucracy. What we become will come from the people we hire.

Who we’re looking for. We want people who are hungry to grow, willing to spend the time in extensive training and development programs, up for a challenge and comfortable with the unknown. We hire for character, values and attitude, and we will train for skills. If you’re tired of hearing “that’s the way it’s always been done,” and you’d rather build systems than inherit someone else’s, you’ll find a rewarding career here.

POSITION OBJECTIVE & SUMMARY

The Automation & Controls Engineer will serve as the plant’s technical owner for automation and control systems, supporting the startup, commissioning, reliability, and continuous improvement of A3104’s new high-speed aluminum beverage can manufacturing facility in Canada. The role is responsible for the safe integration, validation, and optimization of plant-wide controls (including PLCs, HMIs, drives, industrial networks, instrumentation, machine controls, and vision systems) while maintaining disciplined software management, technical documentation, and workforce training.

Working cross-functionally with internal teams, OEMs, and system integrators, this position will support equipment installation, FAT/SAT, ramp-up, and acceptance before transitioning its focus to troubleshooting, controls reliability, optimization, and continuous improvement.

SAFETY

Work in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, applicable regulations, and the employer’s procedures; use or wear required protective equipment. Report hazards, defects, incidents, injuries and occupational illness concerns promptly; do not remove or make ineffective required protective devices. Complete required inspections, lockout, pre-use checks, permits, training verification or corrective actions.

HOW THIS SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT WORKS

• Safety above all. Everyone goes home daily, this is nonnegotiable. As subject matter expert in the company, always ensure all work in the business is completed in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, applicable regulations, and the company’s procedures.

• Hands-on. Works on the floor, not from an office. Goes online with the PLC, pulls the trend and puts a meter on the circuit before deciding what's wrong. Can explain why a machine kept faulting on night shift and then tell the line lead in plain terms what was fixed and what to watch.

• Owns the code. Every program in the plant has one approved master, a current backup and a revision history. No undocumented online edits, no forced I/O left in place, and no OEM closeout until everything is in hand.

• Fixes it once. Knows the difference between a reset and a root cause. Recurring faults get a permanent fix that is documented and verified. Measures success in uptime.

• Teacher. Builds controls capability in Maintenance and Electrical so the plant doesn't depend on one person or an OEM support line. Writes troubleshooting guides a technician can follow at 3 a.m., and coaches at the panel instead of taking over the laptop.

• Partner. Works shoulder to shoulder with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, IT/OT and OEMs. Holds integrators to the spec and the schedule, and raises problems early with data and a proposed fix.

• Builds standards, not complexity. Uses the greenfield window to set tag naming, alarm philosophy, HMI layouts and network architecture before bad habits form. Knows what a single site needs on day one and what can wait for the growth phase, and doesn't over-engineer.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Controls & Automation

· Program, troubleshoot, modify, and maintain PLC, HMI, SCADA, VFD, servo, safety, instrumentation, vision, and industrial-network systems.

· Diagnose electrical, control, communication, sensor, drive, and equipment-integration failures.

· Optimize machine sequences, pacing, conveyors, accumulation, alarms, interlocks, and equipment handshakes.

· Validate all changes before returning equipment to production.

Production Equipment Support

Provide controls and automation support for:

· Coil handling, cuppers, bodymakers, trimmers, washers, decorators, printers, ovens, inside spray machines, neckers, and flangers.

· Vision, inspection, conveying, vacuum, palletizing, packaging, scrap-handling, utility, and plant-support systems.

· Troubleshooting & Reliability

· Serve as the escalation point for complex electrical, controls, network, and automation failures.

· Use PLC diagnostics, alarm histories, drive faults, network tools, trends, and electrical measurements to determine root cause.

· Implement permanent corrective actions for recurring or high-impact failures.

· Identify preventive maintenance opportunities and critical automation spare-parts requirements.

Electrical, Network and Change Control

· Read and interpret electrical schematics, panel drawings, I/O drawings, and technical manuals.

· Troubleshoot sensors, encoders, instrumentation, control valves, starters, drives, motors, and industrial networks.

· Support EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus TCP, OPC UA, and other installed networks.

· Maintain network records, asset inventories, software backups, revision histories, and approved master programs.

· Follow change-management, cybersecurity, remote-access, backup, and rollback requirements.

POINT-IN-TIME / SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Commissioning & Startup

· Support the installation, integration, commissioning, and startup of plant automation and production equipment.

· Review OEM electrical drawings, control narratives, I/O lists, network architecture, and safety circuits.

· Participate in FAT, SAT, power-up, I/O checkout, dry-cycle testing, production trials, qualification, and acceptance.

· Tune line controls, conveyors, accumulation, vacuum, and blow-off systems to achieve stable production flow.

· Ensure OEMs provide complete source code, passwords, licenses, backups, and documentation before closeout.

Projects and Continuous Improvement

· Deliver automation improvements supporting safety, quality, OEE, throughput, reliability, spoilage reduction, and energy efficiency.

· Develop project scopes, specifications, budgets, schedules, and performance measures.

· Review vendor designs and manage integrators and contractors through commissioning and performance testing.

· Document and verify results following implementation.

Training and Technical Development

· Train Maintenance and Electrical personnel in controls diagnostics and structured troubleshooting.

· Develop troubleshooting guides, standard work, technical documentation, and competency matrices.

· Coordinate knowledge transfer from OEMs and suppliers during commissioning and startup.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

· Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Electrical, Automation, Controls, Mechatronics, Computer).

· 3–5 years of industrial automation or controls experience.

· Strong hands-on PLC programming and troubleshooting experience.

· Experience with HMIs, VFDs, servo systems, sensors, instrumentation, and industrial networks.

· Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and controls documentation.

· Experience working with highly automated manufacturing equipment.

· Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and root-cause-analysis skills.

· Ability to work effectively across Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Quality, IT/OT, and external suppliers.

· Ability to support off-shift activities during commissioning, startup, and critical production events.

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS (valued though not required)

· P.Eng. licence in good standing with PEO, or licensed in another Canadian province, or equivalent.

· Experience in high-speed continuous manufacturing.

· Aluminum beverage can manufacturing experience.

· Experience with Rockwell Automation ControlLogix / CompactLogix and/or Siemens S7 / TIA Portal.

· Greenfield manufacturing, equipment startup, or plant commissioning experience.

· Experience conducting FAT, SAT, commissioning, and equipment performance testing.

· Experience with industrial Ethernet networks, machine vision, motion control, and functional safety systems.