Controls Engineering Manager

At  Link Snacks , we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don’t hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago. We’re everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren’t buzzwords, they’re expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands— Jack Link’s® ,  Lorissa’s Kitchen® ,  Golden Island® ,  BiFi® , and  Peperami®  and  KOOEE!®  to name a few—there’s nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it. Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that’s full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks. Real Meat Protein. Real People. Real Results. THAT is Link Snacks. The Controls Engineering Manager is responsible for leading the strategy, performance, and development of all automation, controls, and SCADA systems within a highly automated food manufacturing facility. This role ensures maximum equipment uptime, system reliability, and continuous improvement of automation platforms to support world-class safety, quality, and operational efficiency. This leader is a critical driver of OEE, downtime reduction, and digital plant capability, partnering closely with Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, and OpEx & CI. Key Responsibilities Automation & Controls Strategy Own the site-wide automation strategy aligned to production and reliability goals Standardize PLC, HMI, SCADA, and network architecture across the facility Drive long-term roadmap for: System modernization Obsolescence mitigation Digital integration (data, MES, analytics) Uptime & Technical Support Ensure 24/7 controls system support model is in place Escalation owner for major automation failures and chronic downtime issues Partner with Maintenance to reduce MTTR for controls-related failures Define and implement: Troubleshooting standards Root cause analysis for automation failures Controls Engineering Team Leadership Lead team of: Controls Engineers SCADA Engineers (Indirect) Automation Technicians Set performance expectations, development plans, and technical standards Build bench strength for a multi-shift automated environment Reliability & TPM Integration Partner with Reliability Engineering to: Eliminate repeat failure modes Build predictive and preventative automation strategies Support TPM initiatives: Focused improvement (FI) Autonomous maintenance (AM) enablement via automation Project Execution Lead automation scope for capital projects: Line installations System upgrades Process improvements Ensure: Design standards Commissioning excellence Seamless startup performance Data & Digital Systems Own SCADA/MES data accuracy and availability Enable real-time visibility into: Downtime Performance Process control parameters Partner with CI and data teams to convert data into actionable insights Cross-Functional Integration Work closely with: Operations → support throughput and line stability Maintenance → ensure execution capability Reliability → eliminate root causes CI/OpEx → implement improvements Participate in daily/weekly performance reviews and loss elimination processes Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Line OEE improvement (automation-driven losses) MTTR reduction (controls-related issues) Automation-related downtime (% of total downtime) Project delivery (on-time, on-budget, startup performance) Controls system standardization compliance SCADA/data integrity and uptime Technical Expertise Strong hands-on experience with: PLCs (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, etc.) HMI/SCADA systems Industrial networks (EtherNet/IP, Profinet, etc.) Experience with: Motion control, vision systems, robotics (preferred) System integration and commissioning Understanding of: CMMS systems Reliability/TPM principles Leadership Competencies Systems thinker (understands end-to-end process flows) Bias for action in high-pressure downtime situations Strong cross-functional influencer Ability to translate technical issues into business impact Builds and develops technical talent pipelines Success Profile (What Good Looks Like) Within 12 months, this leader: Establishes stable, standardized control systems across all lines Reduces automation-driven downtime by 25–40% Implements 24/7 automation support model Fully integrates controls into: Reliability strategy Daily performance management Builds a high-performing controls + automation team Reporting Structure Reports to: Plant Engineering Manager Direct Reports: Sr. Controls Engineers SCADA Engineer Indirect Influence: Automation Technicians Maintenance Supervisors Reliability Engineers Why This Role Matters In a plant of this size and automation level: The Controls Engineering Manager is the single biggest lever for uptime, throughput, and operational stability. This role directly determines whether the facility operates at: Average performance (reactive, unstable), or Top-quartile performance (predictable, optimized, data-driven Required Qualifications:   8 + years in controls/automation engineering in manufacturing 3 + years in leadership/management role Experience in high-speed, highly automated environments (food manufacturing preferred) Preffered Qualifications:  12+ years in controls/automation engineering in manufacturing 5+ years in leadership/management role Th