Senior Automation Engineer

About the Job The Sr. Automation Engineer is a key member of the Maintenance Team at Danone North America's City of Industry (COI) facility and serves as an active member of the Plant Process Improvement Team. This role is responsible for improving manufacturing performance, equipment reliability, line efficiency, productivity, food safety, and operational excellence through the design, implementation, optimization, and management of automation, controls, instrumentation, and industrial networking systems. Working closely with Senior Plant Leadership, the Senior Automation Engineer will direct and manage the Controls & Automation Team, providing both technical and people leadership while driving automation strategy and execution across the facility. This position serves as the site's subject matter expert for PLCs, HMI/SCADA platforms, instrumentation, process controls, automation architecture, and manufacturing data systems. The role combines hands-on engineering expertise with leadership responsibility to ensure reliable plant operations and the successful delivery of continuous improvement and capital projects. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong leadership skills with the ability to direct, motivate, mentor, and develop technical team members while effectively collaborating with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, R&D, and Plant Leadership to achieve business objectives. At Danone, Manufacturing the best products and supplying them to meet demand is a key driver for our plant teams. We are currently looking to hire a Sr. Automation Engineer based in City of Industry, CA! Key Responsibilities As a key member of our team, you will play an important role in driving our mission forward. The following responsibilities outline the core expectations and contributions for this position: Direct and manage the Controls & Automation Team, providing technical leadership, coaching, and development. Establish team priorities and ensure resources are effectively allocated to support production, maintenance, and project objectives. Collaborate with Plant Leadership to develop and execute automation strategies that support business goals. Serve as the site subject matter expert for PLCs, HMI/SCADA systems, instrumentation, industrial networking, and automation technologies. Lead the design, implementation, maintenance, and optimization of automation and control systems. Develop and maintain automation standards, system documentation, and best practices. Drive initiatives that improve safety, reliability, quality, productivity, and line efficiency. Analyze production and equipment performance data to identify opportunities for improvement and reduce downtime. Lead root cause analysis and implement sustainable corrective actions for recurring issues. Manage automation and controls projects from concept through commissioning, ensuring scope, budget, and schedule objectives are achieved. Coordinate activities with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, contractors, and vendors. Support capital projects, equipment upgrades, and implementation of new technologies. Provide technical support for production and maintenance teams. Develop and deliver automation and controls training programs. Support troubleshooting efforts and provide on-call technical assistance as needed. Ensure compliance with GMPs, food safety requirements, plant safety standards, and the Danone Code of Ethics. Promote a safe working environment and support regulatory and internal compliance initiatives. Ensure automation systems are designed and maintained to meet operational, quality, and food safety requirements. Physical Demands While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs, balance; stoop, kneel or crouch; talk and hear. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.