Lead Automation Engineer

SEL (Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories) seeks a professional and innovative individual to join our Equipment Automation Engineering team in Pullman WA or Lewiston ID.  SEL is a 100 percent employee-owned company that specializes in creating and manufacturing digital products and systems that protect and control power systems around the world. 

The Equipment Automation Engineering team supports manufacturing and vertical integration teams by understanding our manufacturing processes, recommending solutions, and executing projects.  

The successful candidate will be dependable, responsible, and self-motivated, and work closely with Production and Engineering teams to develop, successfully implement, and support manufacturing automation solutions.  

As a Lead Automation Engineer, a typical day might include the following:   

1. Lead in initial equipment concept development and carefully balance product specifications, process control requirements, layout complexity, cost, quality, and lead-time limits.  

2. Lay out new industrial electrical control panels which are NFPA79/NEC/UL508A compliant and create electrical schematics. 

3. Architect, write, and debug PLC ladder logic with an emphasis on generating code that is organized, structured, documented, maintainable and reusable. PLC code will interact with subsystems such as conveyors, robots, Manufacturing Execution System (MES), machine vision, and 3rd party equipment.  

4. Manage electrical cabinet builds.  

5. Create machine interactions with plant-wide Manufacturing Execution System (MES).  

6. Introduce automated processes into production, and train Maintenance and Production teams to support after deployment of equipment. 

7. Create and review specifications and provide technical evaluations for outsourced automated equipment purchases. 

8. Perform as technical lead on assigned projects  

9. Mentor Engineers, Associate Engineers, and Technicians  

10. Other duties as assigned.  
  

This job might be for you if you have: 

1. B.S./M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechatronics, or related discipline; or equivalent combination of education and experience. 

2. 6+ years relevant experience in designing and implementing automation solutions in a manufacturing environment.  

3. Technical expertise in the area of PLCs (example: Allen Bradley, Mitsubishi), HMI/GUI layout, Field Bus Networks, Vision Systems, and integration of Robotics.  

4. Familiarity with electrical prints and standards for industrial equipment.  

5. Excellent technical presentation and training skills.

6. Demonstrated advanced proficiency in programming PLCs, with a well-defined methodology for maintaining code structure and organization.    

7. Ability to program state machines for complex processes which involve multi-station parallel processing, pick and place automation, data acquisition, and PID control.    

8. Proven ability to design fault-tolerant systems with error handling and recovery processes.  

Competitive pay. Superior benefits. Inspiring work.

People are at the core of our company and we hire employee-owners. We welcome you to learn more about how we support employees.

• We’re 100% employee owned. Retirement benefits include an employer funded stock ownership plan (ESOP) and personal 401(k) options.

• We offer top tier medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.

• We recognize the importance of a healthy life balance and offer: 10 paid holidays, annual vacation accrual starting at 12 days, 9 paid sick days, and paid family and medical leave that covers 90% of your pay.

• We foster growth and development of our employees through avenues such as STEM courses, apprenticeships, tuition assistance, and engineering development programs.  

• Ask our team about other benefits including wellness, fertility, adoption, and flexible spending benefits.

Pay Range

Automation Engineer $69,100 - $108,100. Lead Automation Engineer $79,400 - $124,000. Senior Automation Engineer $100,900 - $168,10 Our pay ranges are determined by job, responsibility, and location. We base our starting pay offer and title on location and job-related factors such as candidate experience, training, knowledge, and skills.

Communication with Applicants 

We communicate with all applicants. If you do not receive a response about your application, please check your SPAM filter or reach out to us at [email protected].

SEL is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Vets/Disabled.