Controls Engineer – Plant & Equipment

Position Title: Controls Engineer - Plant & Equipment

Compensation Range: $78,000 - $95,000

Department: Engineering

Location: Marshall, IL

About AGI

AGI is a global food-based infrastructure company publicly traded in Canada. With over 3,800 employees and over 30 global manufacturing brands, AGI is a leading provider of equipment and technology solutions for agricultural commodities including seed, fertilizer, grain and feed systems and an expanding platform for food processing facilities.

The Opportunity

AgGrowth International (AGI) is seeking a Controls Engineer - Plant & Equipment to support the design, development, implementation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of electrical controls and automation systems across our manufacturing operations in Marshall, Illinois.

This position will serve as a key technical resource for plant equipment, production machinery, automation systems, and controls. The Controls Engineer will work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, and external equipment suppliers to improve equipment reliability, production efficiency, safety, and overall manufacturing performance.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on engineer who enjoys solving complex equipment and controls problems, has strong PLC and electrical controls experience, and can translate manufacturing needs into practical automation solutions.

Responsibilities:

Controls & Automation Engineering

• Design, develop, modify, and maintain industrial control systems for manufacturing equipment and plant systems.
• Program, troubleshoot, and optimize PLC, HMI, VFD, servo, motion control, and other automation systems.
• Develop and maintain electrical control logic, control panels, instrumentation, and associated documentation.
• Support the integration of new equipment, machinery, robotics, and automated production systems.
• Evaluate existing equipment controls and identify opportunities to improve reliability, safety, throughput, and efficiency.
• Develop and implement automated solutions to reduce manual processes, downtime, scrap, and production constraints.
• Provide controls engineering support for capital projects, equipment upgrades, and plant expansions.

Equipment Troubleshooting & Reliability

• Serve as a technical escalation point for complex electrical and controls-related equipment issues.
• Partner with Maintenance and Operations to troubleshoot PLC, electrical, instrumentation, sensors, drives, and automation problems.
• Analyze equipment failures and develop corrective and preventive actions.
• Support root-cause analysis of recurring equipment and controls issues.
• Develop strategies to improve equipment uptime, reliability, and maintainability.
• Provide technical guidance and training to maintenance personnel on controls and automation systems.

Project Engineering

• Lead or support controls-related capital projects from concept through implementation and startup.
• Develop project scopes, specifications, budgets, schedules, and technical requirements.
• Work with equipment suppliers, integrators, contractors, and internal stakeholders to ensure projects meet AGI requirements.
• Participate in equipment FAT/SAT activities, commissioning, startup, and validation.
• Ensure new and modified equipment meets applicable electrical, controls, safety, and company standards.
• Maintain accurate engineering documentation, electrical drawings, PLC programs, HMI programs, and system backups.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement automation opportunities that improve productivity, quality, safety, and cost.
• Utilize manufacturing data and equipment performance information to identify improvement opportunities.
• Support Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Standardize controls architecture, programming practices, and equipment interfaces where appropriate.
• Develop and maintain controls standards and best practices across the plant.
• Evaluate emerging automation technologies and make recommendations based on business needs and return on investment.

Safety & Compliance

• Ensure controls and automation systems are designed and maintained in accordance with applicable safety standards and company requirements.
• Support machine safety initiatives, including safety circuits, guarding, interlocks, emergency stops, and safety PLC systems.
• Participate in risk assessments and safety reviews for new and existing equipment.
• Promote a strong safety culture throughout all engineering and equipment-related activities

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of controls, automation, electrical engineering, or manufacturing engineering experience, preferably in a manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on experience with PLC programming and troubleshooting.
• Experience with HMIs, VFDs, sensors, motor controls, and industrial electrical systems.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and control system drawings.
• Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills.
• Experience supporting manufacturing equipment in a plant environment.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to work effectively with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and external suppliers.
• Willingness to work hands-on in a manufacturing environment and respond to equipment-related issues when necessary.

Preferred

• Experience with Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation PLCs and controls.
• Experience with Studio 5000 / RSLogix.
• Experience with FactoryTalk HMI/SCADA systems.
• Experience with Siemens or other industrial automation platforms.
• Experience with robotics, servo systems, motion control, or machine vision.
• Experience with industrial networking and communications protocols.
• Experience with AutoCAD Electrical or similar electrical design software.
• Experience with machine safety systems and safety PLCs.
• Experience with MES, SCADA, or plant data collection systems.
• Experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or progress toward licensure is a plus.
• Experience working in the Fertilizer industry is an asset.

Why AGI?

We’re leading the way in global food supply chain solutions and here’s how:

We’re the leading global expert in providing farmers, processors and commercial customers with the right equipment and customized engineering solutions to produce, protect and deliver the world’s grain, fertilizer, seed, feed and food supplies. Dedicated to safety, innovation and customization, AGI offers one of the largest catalogs of equipment and full-service planning and engineering services for the storage, blending, mixing, conveying, conditioning, and processing of agricultural products worldwide. Supported by an extensive in-country sales and service team, AGI provides a global distribution network and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Canada, the United States, Brazil, India, France, and Italy.

Our Culture

Safety and teamwork are the cornerstones of our global culture. In all aspects of our business, diverse and inclusive teams work together to deliver quality products, solutions, and services for our customers around the world.

Benefits offered:

• Annual bonus plan
• Paid Time Off
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life and AD&D
• Short Term Disability
• Long Term Disability
• Voluntary Life
• Employee Assistance Program
• Spending Accounts
• 401k with match
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan with match

With AGI, you’re choosing an employer dedicated to strengthening and securing the global food supply chain.

Although base salary for this position falls within the above posted range, final compensation will be determined based on the candidate’s skills, experience, qualifications, and internal equity. Our total rewards approach is designed to provide competitive compensation with a focus on employee experience.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis, this position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship.

AGI is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.

Accommodations are available upon request for candidates with a disability taking part in the recruitment process and once hired.