Automation Engineer

Description:

Automation Engineer
???? Aberystwyth
???? Circa £55,000 DOE

Yolk Recruitment is exclusively representing an established food manufacturer in the search for an Automation Engineer to strengthen its site capability.

This is a rare opportunity for an engineer with SCADA, controls, or industrial automation expertise to take ownership of fault-finding and system reliability within a high-volume production environment. The vacancy is planned around a weekday afternoon shift, extending engineering automation support across a greater portion of the operating day while avoiding a traditional rotating shift pattern.

What You'll Do:

Maintain, monitor, and troubleshoot site SCADA and industrial automation systems
Respond to controls failures, system interruptions, and automation-related production issues
Identify the root causes of faults and restore equipment to safe operation as efficiently as possible
Maintain existing controls infrastructure rather than focusing primarily on developing entirely new systems
Support PLC, drive, inverter, sensor, and wider control-system fault-finding, according to your experience
Provide hands-on electrical and mechanical engineering support when production machinery requires attention
Complete planned preventive maintenance alongside automation-focused responsibilities
Work closely with production teams and the wider engineering department to improve reliability and reduce downtime
Share knowledge with colleagues and learn from a highly experienced on-site SCADA specialist
Maintain accurate records of faults, repairs, and scheduled work through the site maintenance system
Operate in accordance with stringent health, safety, hygiene, and food manufacturing standards

What You'll Bring:

Experience working with SCADA, PLC-controlled machinery, or industrial automation systems
Strong diagnostic and fault-finding skills within a live production or process environment
The ability to investigate existing code, controls, and system parameters when equipment stops or behaves unexpectedly
A practical engineering background and the willingness to work directly on machinery when required
Electrical engineering knowledge, ideally supported by a relevant qualification or apprenticeship
Experience within food, beverage, FMCG, pharmaceutical, process manufacturing or another regulated environment would be advantageous
A calm, logical and methodical approach to complex technical issues
Good communication skills and the ability to work effectively with engineers, operators, and production colleagues
A genuine interest in developing broader controls, electrical and maintenance expertise

Why You Should Apply:

Automation engineers are often expected to choose between highly specialised controls work and general maintenance. This role offers a balance of both. You will be the automation-focused member of the team, concentrating on SCADA and control's reliability while remaining close to the machinery and production process.

The planned hours are based around a Monday-to-Friday afternoon shift. The precise working pattern will be agreed around site coverage requirements, with the qualification call discussing an approximate afternoon start and finish around midnight rather than a permanent overnight pattern. Other engineers remain on site until 10:00pm, and the facility continues operating with wider production staffing beyond that point.

You will also benefit from working alongside a highly experienced SCADA specialist with extensive knowledge of the plant, providing valuable access to site-specific guidance and technical mentoring.

The package includes:

Salary of up to £60,000 for an engineer with the right depth of automation expertise
A consistent weekday afternoon shift, with final hours agreed during the recruitment process
33 days' annual leave for a five-day working pattern
Employer pension contribution of 5%, with a 3% employee contribution
Health and wellbeing support, including dental and optical cashback
Three times annual salary life assurance
Holiday buying and selling options
Company sick pay increasing with length of service
Accredited technical training and support for relevant development requests
Regular investment in site equipment and manufacturing capability
A structured interview process, normally involving an initial Teams conversation followed by one on-site meeting and factory tourThis is a particularly strong opportunity for a controls-focused engineer who wants a high level of technical responsibility, access to an experienced mentor and the backing of a well-established manufacturing organisation.

Ready to Apply?

If you can bring together automation expertise, practical fault-finding and a hands-on engineering mindset, Yolk Recruitment would like to hear from you.

Contact Jacob Purcell to find out more.

Please apply with a CV and a cover letter outlining why you're perfect for the role.

Know someone great for the job? We offer a referral scheme, just get in touch!

Note: We do our best to respond to every application, but due to volume, we can't always guarantee it. If you haven't heard back within 7 days, unfortunately, you haven't been successful this time. Keep an eye on our site for new opportunities