Senior Automation & Controls Engineer

DuPont•Wimington, DE

About The Position

The Senior Automation & Controls Engineer role is responsible for designing, programming, commissioning, and troubleshooting PLC, HMI, robots, vision systems, etc. This role involves partnering closely with operations, maintenance, and engineering teams at multiple manufacturing sites. This role drives project scope definition, system design, execution and commissioning of automated equipment for discrete manufacturing processes across a portfolio of manufacturing sites. As an Automation & Controls Engineer, you will take full ownership of the control systems that power our custom manufacturing equipment. You will define the controls architecture, set the technical trajectory, and ensure our systems deliver precision, reliability, and throughput at scale. This is a hands-on role for someone who holds a high standard for automation performance and safety and is motivated by the challenge of building control systems that are robust and easy to maintain.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechatronics/Automation/Robotics or other related technical fields.
5+ years of strong experience in a discrete manufacturing environment focused on design, development and maintenance of automated equipment.
Experience with PLC programming environments like Allen Bradley, Omron, etc.
Experience with cobots, industrial robots like UR, Epson, KUKA, Staubli, etc.
Experience with vision systems like Cognex, Keyence, or similar.
Strong understanding of industrial communication protocols and industrial networks (Ethernet/IP, Profibus, ProfiNet etc.)
Experience with SolidWorks Electrical, AutoCAD or similar CAD tools.
Experience integrating automated equipment with MES/SCADA and factory networks.
Ability to self-govern multiple priorities and utilize efficient time management practices to achieve assigned tasks.
20% travel, including domestic & international.

Nice To Haves

8+ years of strong experience in a discrete manufacturing environment focused on the scoping, design, development and maintenance of automated equipment.
Experience with but not limited to PLC, HMI, machine vision, robotics, AMR/AGVs, barcoding, packaging equipment, material handling, material tracking, etc.
Proven experience creating internal standards for control system architectures, design processes, and contributing to overall improvement in the team’s operational efficiency.
Experience building relationships with vendors, suppliers, integrators and expertise in negotiating cost, schedule and quality of projects on delivery.
Experience specifying solutions required for automation projects like - PLC systems, industrial robots, cobots, machine vision, sensors & instrumentation, gantries, conveyors, AMR/AGVs, electrical panel design, fabrication, assembly, etc.
Excellent communication and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

Design, program, and commission in-house control systems for custom manufacturing equipment including but not limited to PLC, HMI, machine vision, robotics, AMR/AGVs, barcoding, packaging equipment, material handling, material tracking, etc.
Drive automation projects from concept through to implementation across multiple manufacturing environments.
Write clean, scalable, and maintainable control code for long-term flexibility and reuse.
Manage supplier controls performance, ensuring alignment with system requirements, quality standards, and safety expectations.
Identify automation opportunities at multiple DuPont manufacturing sites.
Conduct risk assessments and hazard analyses to identify potential safety issues and develop mitigation strategies for new and existing automation cells.
Support assembly, integration, and test activities including build procedures, test plans/procedures, and other verification and validations execution activities.
Troubleshoot controls-related issues and drive resolution on the production floor.
Mentor and support junior engineers while contributing to a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.