Company Description
Douglas Control & Automation has delivered automation, information technology, and safety solutions since 1977. We are the longest established Irish company in the automation sector with a strong track record of innovative and cost-effective projects. Our clients span across various industries, including pharmaceutical, biotech, chemical, semiconductor, food and beverage, mining, and water treatment. We are authorized distributors for Siemens, Stahl, and Lee Dickens automation products. Our experienced team of engineers and project managers combine application expertise and product knowledge to meet customer needs.
Position Overview
The Senior Project Engineer for Controls will take the lead on major automation initiatives across the site, including complex projects and continuous improvement activities. The role also plays a key part in planning the long term direction and lifecycle of the site's control systems.
Key Responsibilities
Project Delivery and Vendor Coordination
• Lead the scoping, design, justification and delivery of large scale automation projects
• Maintain strong communication with site leadership to ensure projects are completed safely, on budget and on schedule
• Work with management to prioritise automation workstreams and ensure commitments are met
• Develop long term plans for control system capability and lifecycle improvements
• Oversee service agreements, external engineering partners and specialist consultants
Controls Systems Subject Matter Expertise
• Act as the site expert for PLC programming, industrial networks, HMIs, historians, batch systems, robotics and vision technologies
• Guide the development of automation requirements, design packages and technical reviews for new processes and equipment
• Represent the site in global working groups focused on control systems
• Provide mentorship to junior engineers across controls and project delivery
• Partner with cross functional engineering teams on major capital projects
• Create innovative technical solutions to support site needs
• Support and upskill the maintenance team in control system fundamentals
Enhancing Existing Controls Infrastructure
• Design and implement improvements that increase system reliability and uptime
• Strengthen system feedback and diagnostic capabilities
• Support the controls engineering team in producing resilient, maintainable code
• Establish best practices for documentation, standards and project execution
Communication and Additional Skills
• Capable of communicating clearly at all levels from operators to senior leadership
• Strong presentation skills with the ability to explain complex automation topics in an accessible way
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills
• Experience with bespoke applications, Visual Studio, databases or MES is an advantage
Education and Experience
• Degree in Mechatronics, Electrical, Computer or Software Engineering or a related discipline
• Minimum ten years working with control system design, support and maintenance
• At least three years of experience in project management
• Strong hands on experience with PLC and HMI development. Knowledge of Allen Bradley, Intouch, RSBatch, Fanuc, Kuka and vision systems is highly beneficial
• Proven track record delivering automation projects in regulated industries
• Experience managing vendors and service providers is a strong plus