Sr. Controls Engineer - Wellston, OH

COMPANY OVERVIEW

We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best — bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one another and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what’s next.​

Position Overview 

The Senior Controls Engineer II provides technical leadership for the electrical, controls, and information systems that support safe, reliable, and efficient manufacturing at the Wellston plant. This role serves as the plant subject-matter expert for automated control systems and partners with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, Research and Development, Corporate Engineering, vendors, contractors, and controls technicians to improve equipment performance and protect production uptime. 

The role owns the plant controls strategy and architecture, provides tactical and strategic troubleshooting support, leads electrical and controls capital projects, manages technology obsolescence, and develops the technical capability of plant resources. The Senior Controls Engineer II uses data, engineering standards, and continuous-improvement methods to deliver improvements in safety, quality, reliability, cost, capacity, and operational performance. 

Human and Food Safety 

• Provide technical expertise for human- and food-safety systems as they apply to electrical and controls equipment. 

• Serve as a subject-matter expert for plant electrical safety and support compliance with NEC, NFPA 70E, General Mills standards, and applicable plant requirements. 

• Lead or support improvements that reduce safety, food-safety, and process risks. 

Controls and Electrical Technical Leadership 

• Own and maintain the plant electrical and controls architecture, including conformance to General Mills standards. 

• Implement instrumentation, controls, programming, network, HMI, SCADA, and data standards for new and existing equipment. 

• Provide technical guidance for automated solutions, equipment specifications, panel design, process controls, packaging controls, and system integration. 

• Troubleshoot PLC code, equipment, wiring, instrumentation, drives, servos, networks, servers, and related control-system hardware and software. 

• Support the design, selection, installation, commissioning, and performance improvement of electrical and controls systems. 

• Provide technical direction for control-system networking, servers, patching, edge devices, software, visualization, historians, and manufacturing data as applicable to plant needs. 

Operations, Reliability, and Plant Support 

• Provide tactical and strategic support to reduce or eliminate issues affecting equipment performance, quality, safety, and production uptime. 

• Lead structured problem solving and develop sustainable corrective actions for recurring controls and electrical issues. 

• Partner with Operations, Maintenance, and Systems Engineering to improve equipment reliability, response time, recovery time, and overall plant performance. 

• Develop and maintain the controls strategy for maintenance and reliability improvement. 

• Provide off-shift, weekend, or holiday support when required by business and plant needs. 

Capital Projects and Project Engineering 

• Lead or support electrical and controls capital projects from feasibility and scope definition through design, procurement, installation, commissioning, startup, and handoff. 

• Develop estimates, schedules, quote requests, bid analyses, cost tracking, and project execution plans. 

• Manage project scope, risks, issues, change control, and expected business outcomes. 

• Lead and manage electrical contractors, third-party controls integrators, equipment suppliers, and other technical resources. 

• Provide installation, startup, training, and post-implementation support. 

• Collaborate with project teams, matrix engineers, corporate engineering, and plant stakeholders to apply innovative designs, technical advantages, performance improvements, and capital efficiencies. 

Future-State Strategy and Obsolescence Management 

• Develop the plant electrical and controls facility master plan and support the plant capital plan. 

• Identify, prioritize, and execute equipment and system improvements that deliver financial, capacity, safety, quality, and reliability benefits. 

• Manage controls and electrical technology obsolescence, lifecycle risks, and replacement strategies. 

• Ensure plant solutions align with General Mills controls, information systems, cybersecurity, and architecture expectations. 

Technical Leadership and Capability Development 

• Develop internal electrical and controls capability through coaching, training, standard work, and knowledge transfer. 

• Partner with controls technicians, engineers, maintenance, operators, and leaders to build sustainable technical ownership. 

• Influence diverse groups across functions and organizational levels through clear communication, sound judgment, and collaborative leadership. 

• Serve as a resource to plant, corporate, and cross-functional technical teams. 

• Develop and deliver technical training as needed. 

Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited program, or extensive relevant technical and manufacturing experience. 

• 7+ years of related experience in a manufacturing, industrial, controls, electrical, or technical engineering environment. 

• Demonstrated experience with plant manufacturing systems and collaboration with operators, maintenance, engineering, quality, and site leadership. 

• Demonstrated technical leadership, adaptability, analytical problem solving, decision making, troubleshooting, and sound judgment. 

• Ability to work effectively with and influence diverse groups across functions and organizational levels. 

• Strong written, verbal, listening, and interpersonal communication skills. 

• Ability to support off-shift, weekend, or holiday needs when required. 

• Ability to interpret and apply NEC, NFPA 70E, General Mills standards, and other applicable codes and standards. 

• Ability to lead projects involving scope development, estimating, scheduling, procurement, installation, startup, training, and cost control. 

Technical Experience

Experience with several of the following systems, technologies, and applications: 

• Allen-Bradley ControlLogix, CompactLogix, PLC-5, SLC, PanelView Plus, RSLinx, and FactoryTalk View. 

• Wonderware InTouch, InSQL, System Platform, SCADA, historians, Ignition, SQL Server, or related visualization and data systems. 

• PLC programming and code-level troubleshooting. 

• VFDs, servo controllers, control valves, load cells, metering feeders, and common process instrumentation for level, pressure, temperature, flow, position, and presence. 

• Serial, RIO, DH+, Ethernet, DeviceNet, and other industrial communication networks. 

• Computers, servers, Windows operating systems, patching, edge devices, and control-system networking. 

• Power distribution and associated equipment up to 480 VAC; high-voltage experience is preferred. 

• Process control, packaging control, equipment specification, panel design, and system integration. 

• Electrical contractor and third-party controls integrator management. 

• Project estimating, scheduling, bid analysis, cost tracking, installation, startup, and training. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• ABET-accredited degree in Electrical or Controls Engineering. 

• Experience in food manufacturing or another highly regulated industrial environment. 

• Experience with General Mills manufacturing platforms, controls standards, or information systems architecture. 

• AutoCAD experience. 

• High-voltage experience. 

• Experience with continuous improvement, vertical startup, reliability improvement, and obsolescence-management processes. 

• Project Management Professional certification. 

• Demonstrated technical curiosity, learning agility, business acumen, broad perspective, and ability to execute several concurrent assignments. 

Working Conditions and Travel 

This is a plant-based role in Wellston, Ohio. The position requires regular interaction with production and maintenance environments and may require support outside normal business hours. Periodic travel may be required for training, vendor support, corporate initiatives, benchmarking, or project execution. 

Measures of Success 

Success in this role will be demonstrated through improved human and food safety, reduced controls-related downtime, faster issue response and recovery, improved equipment reliability, successful capital-project execution, effective obsolescence management, stronger controls capability within the plant, and sustainable improvements in quality, cost, capacity, and production performance. 

SALARY RANGE

The salary range for this position is:

At General Mills we strive for each employee's pay at any point in their career to reflect their experiences performance and skills for their current role. The salary range for this role represents the numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, educations, skills, work experience, certifications, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range. ​

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Beyond base salary, General Mills offers a competitive Total Rewards package focusing on your overall well-being. We are proud to offer a foundation of health benefits, retirement and financial wellbeing, time off programs, wellbeing support and perks. Benefits may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors. You may also be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. An incentive award, if any, depends on various factors, including, individual and organizational performance.

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must meet a minimum 18-year age qualification.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER (EOE)​

General Mills is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital or familial status, status regarding public assistance, or membership or activity in a local human rights commission.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUEST

If you need to request an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please fill out our online accommodation request form by following this link: Accommodation Request.