Senior Controls and Automation Specialist

About the role

IKO Industries Ltd., a manufacturer of roofing and building materials, is hiring a full-time Senior Controls and Automation Specialist for its Chester, SC facility (IKO Glass Fiber Inc.), within the Maintenance department. The specialist acts as the primary technical resource for plant-wide automation and process control infrastructure.

Key responsibilities

• Serve as the main technical resource for PLC, DCS, HMI and drive systems, maintaining, troubleshooting and optimizing them to maximize equipment uptime.
• Develop, modify and maintain control strategies and automation code in Siemens PCS 7 DCS and Siemens S7 PLCs (S7-1200 / S7-1500) via TIA Portal, including diagnostics, root cause analysis and version control.
• Configure, commission and troubleshoot Siemens G120 and S120 VFDs and motor control systems, optimizing drive parameters.
• Maintain PROFINET, PROFIBUS and Ethernet/IP networks and diagnose communication failures.
• Develop and maintain HMI screens and operator diagnostic tools, and integrate data visualization tools.
• Lead automation work for new equipment, capital projects and upgrades, working with engineering teams, contractors and OEMs through FAT, SAT and commissioning.
• Support predictive maintenance, process optimization and modernization of legacy systems.
• Ensure compliance with plant safety standards, electrical codes and LOTO requirements, and keep configuration records.

Required profile

• Associate's degree or technical diploma in Automation, Electrical Technology, Mechatronics or a related field, with 5+ years of experience in industrial automation or controls (or 10+ years); alternatively a recent BS Electrical Engineering graduate with internship experience.
• Ability to work in an industrial setting with heat, noise, dust and moving equipment, at heights and in confined spaces, wearing required PPE.
• On-call availability as required.

Required skills

• PLC programming and control logic (Siemens S7, TIA Portal)
• DCS programming (Siemens PCS 7)
• VFD configuration and tuning (Siemens G120, S120)
• Industrial networks (PROFINET, PROFIBUS, Ethernet/IP)
• HMI development and diagnostics

What we offer

• Competitive hourly wage, overtime opportunities and health, dental and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match, paid vacation and holidays
• Ongoing technical training and professional development