Senior Automation Engineer - Zentis North America LLC : Job Details

At Zentis - We are Fruit Masters! Zentis is Europe's number one fruit processing company and one of the leading brand manufacturers of jams, sweets, and custard-based desserts. The Company's North America operations are located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Plymouth, Indiana, where we produce fruit and dairy preparations for a variety of customers including yogurt, ice cream and bakery manufacturers. We are currently looking to recruit a Senior Production Engineer for our Plymouth location. The Senior Production Engineer will lead engineering activities and support operations with a focus on automation, process optimization, and control systems-particularly Siemens PLCs and HMI programming-to ensure efficient, safe, and high-quality manufacturing operations and successful execution of operation projects. Primary Responsibilities:Automation & Control Systems:

• Design, program, and troubleshoot Siemens PLCs (e.g., S7-1200/1500) and HMIs (e.g., WinCC, TIA Portal).
• Develop and maintain control logic for automated production lines.
• Integrate sensors, actuators, and industrial networks (e.g., PROFINET, PROFIBUS).
• Ensure compliance with safety and industry standards (e.g., IEC, ISO).

Production Support & Optimization:

• Analyze production processes to identify bottlenecks and implement improvements.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for equipment failures or process deviations.
• Collaborate with maintenance and operations teams to minimize downtime.

Project Management:

• Lead Engineering projects from concept to implementation.
• Prepare technical documentation, project timelines, and cost estimates.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams in Production, Quality, Maintenance, and IT as well as with the including Central Engineering team headquartered in Germany.

Training & Leadership:

• Lead and mentor Engineering team members and technicians in automation and production best practices.
• Conduct training sessions on Siemens systems and safety protocols.
• Promote a culture of innovation, safety, and continuous improvement.

Role Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Electrical, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering.
• 5+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment with Siemens automation.
• Proficiency in Siemens TIA Portal, Step 7, and WinCC.
• Strong understanding of industrial automation, robotics, and control theory.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and project management skills.
• Decision-making, management and development of employees, problem solving, flexibility.