About this role
Role and Responsibilities
Automation & Control System Ownership
• Own PLC, Ignition SCADA, HMI, drives, communication networks, and plant control system performance.
• Maintain control system architecture, standards, documentation, and backups.
• Ensure automation systems are stable, reliable, and maintainable.
• Maintain proper program backup, version control, and change records.
• Identify obsolete or high-risk automation components and recommend upgrade plans.
PLC Programming & Troubleshooting
• Perform independent troubleshooting on PLC and control system faults.
• Develop, modify, test, and optimize PLC programs.
• Diagnose automation-related equipment trips and recurring faults.
• Review and improve control logic to increase equipment reliability and production stability.
• Ensure all PLC changes are tested, backed up, documented and approved before implementation.
Ignition SCADA Development & Support
• Develop, modify, troubleshoot, and maintain Ignition SCADA applications.
• Troubleshoot communication between PLC, Ignition SCADA, field devices, and related systems.
• Develop and maintain:
• SCADA screens and navigation
• Tags
• Alarms
• Trends and historical data
• Recipes
• User access and permissions
• Equipment status and production monitoring
• Support integration of new equipment into Ignition SCADA.
• Diagnose and resolve SCADA communication, tag, alarm, scripting, and system-performance issues.
• Maintain Ignition Gateway configuration, backups, and system documentation.
• Support future migration of legacy control/SCADA systems to Ignition where required.
Automation Breakdown Support & RCA
• Provide technical support for automation-related breakdowns.
• Troubleshoot PLC, SCADA, HMI, VFD/inverter, communication, instrumentation, and control-system failures.
• Work with Maintenance Supervisor and technicians during equipment breakdowns.
• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) of automation and control system failures, implement sustainable corrective actions, and drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance system reliability and prevent recurring breakdowns.
• Provide remote or onsite support for critical automation breakdowns when required.
• Provide end-to-end technical support by resolving issues internally while ensuring timely engagement of external technical support for issues beyond organization's expertise.
Industrial Communication & System Integration
• Troubleshoot industrial communication networks and device integration.
• Support systems using protocols/networks such as:
• PROFINET / PROFIBUS
• Ethernet/IP
• Support integration between PLC, SCADA, HMI, VFD, weighing/feeding systems, and other production equipment.
• Diagnose communication loss, network faults, and device connection issues.
Automation Projects & Management of Change
• Lead automation-related improvement and upgrade projects.
• Develop control-system concepts and logic requirements.
• Prepare automation project scope and technical requirements.
• Support equipment installation, commissioning, FAT and SAT.
• Prepare and maintain MOC documentation for control-system changes.
• Conduct or support risk assessment for automation modifications.
• Ensure automation changes are tested, validated, backed up, documented, and approved before implementation.
• Coordinate with Maintenance Engineer, Production, vendors, and Corporate Engineering.
Automation Safety & Compliance
• Ensure automation modifications comply with company and regulatory safety requirements.
• Validate alarms, interlocks, permissive, and control sequences.
• Ensure control-system changes do not bypass or compromise machine safety.
• Support risk assessment for automation-related modifications.
• Ensure contractors follow applicable company safety requirements.
Documentation & System Backup
• Maintain current PLC, HMI, SCADA and drive program backups.
• Maintain control-system drawings and relevant technical documentation.
• Maintain change history and version control.
• Document troubleshooting solutions for recurring faults.
• Maintain equipment communication and control-system information for future troubleshooting.
Training & Knowledge Transfer
• Provide basic PLC, SCADA and automation troubleshooting training to maintenance technicians.
• Develop troubleshooting guides for common automation problems.
• Provide technical guidance and transfer knowledge to Maintenance Engineers, Supervisors, and Technicians to support skills development and continuous improvement.
• Build internal automation troubleshooting capability.
Continuous Improvement
• Identify opportunities to improve automation reliability, productivity, quality and efficiency.
• Support Kaizen and plant improvement activities.
• Recommend automation upgrades where existing systems are obsolete or unreliable.
• Drive initiatives to reduce automation-related equipment downtime and optimize maintenance costs.
On-Call & Emergency Support
• Provide timely on-call support for critical automation incidents to minimize production downtime and ensure operational continuity.
• Provide remote or onsite troubleshooting support.
• May be required to work beyond normal working hours or weekends based on operational needs.
Education Qualification
• Bachelor's Degree or Diploma in Automation, Electrical, Electronics, Mechatronics, Control Engineering, or related field.
• Relevant automation or Ignition certification would be an advantage.
• Candidates with equivalent technical qualifications and/or relevant hands-on experience will also be considered.
Work Experience
• Preferably 5+ years of industrial automation experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrate strong hands-on and practical experience in PLC programming, troubleshooting, and system modifications, including fault diagnosis of PLC I/O, HMI, control logic, alarms, interlocks, industrial communication networks, and PLC/SCADA system integration.
• Ability to read, interpret, and troubleshoot electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and control circuits to support effective equipment maintenance and reliability.
• Experience with HMI, motor drives, industrial communication, and system integration is preferred.
Other Requirements
• Strong hands-on troubleshooting and problem-solving capability.
• Able to independently diagnose and resolve automation and control system issues.
• Strong ownership and accountability for automation system performance and reliability.
• Able to work effectively with Maintenance, Production, Engineering, and external vendors.
• Able to prioritize and manage multiple breakdown issues, action items, and improvement activities.
• Good communication and technical documentation skills.
• Continuously improve technical capability and keep up to date with Ignition SCADA and industrial automation technologies.