Why work for us?
Want to join a truly global company with over 37 manufacturing facilities around the world? Want to be part of a forward thinking, progressive organisation that is growing at an extraordinary pace? Why not become part of an organisation that truly cares about its commitment to its customers and its fellow colleagues.
Alkegen is a global leader in high-performance specialty fibers and inorganic materials used in high-temperature industrial, automotive and fire protection applications. We have nearly 80 years' experience in providing innovative solutions to our customers' application problems across several different business sectors. Our products are known universally for their quality and proven performance with names like Fiberfrax® ceramic fiber products, revolutionary low bio-persistent Insulfrax® and Isofrax®.
Our purpose, mission and values are based on our commitment to produce high quality products that help our customers save energy, reduce pollution and improve fire safety
Job Requirements:
Safety
- Understanding of Machinery Safety Standards and Risk Assessment processes
- Knowledge of Permit to Work, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), Electrical Safety Rules and Safe Isolation procedures
Technical Qualifications
- HNC/HND or Degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, Control Systems Engineering, or related discipline (essential)
- Time-served Electrical/Controls Engineer apprenticeship (desirable)
- Relevant electrical qualifications (e.g., NVQ Level 3 Electrical Engineering, 18th Edition Wiring Regulations) desirable
Control Systems Experience
- Proven experience programming, commissioning, troubleshooting and maintaining PLC-controlled equipment (essential)
- Experience with Allen Bradley, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron or equivalent PLC platforms (essential)
- Experience developing and modifying HMI and SCADA systems (essential)
- Experience with industrial communications networks including Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Profibus, Modbus or similar (essential)
- Experience with servo drives, VSDs, motion control and instrumentation systems (desirable)
Project Management
- Proven experience delivering automation and controls projects from concept through commissioning (essential)
- Experience managing contractors, project budgets, schedules and technical specifications (desirable)
Continuous Improvement
- Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement experience (essential)
- Six Sigma Yellow Belt or equivalent (desirable)
Manufacturing Knowledge
- Experience working within a manufacturing environment (essential)
- Knowledge of root cause analysis methodologies and problem-solving tools (essential)
- Experience working within ISO9001 and/or IATF16949 environments (desirable)
Responsibilities
Safety
- Ensure all automation, controls and electrical systems comply with site safety standards and legal requirements
- Lead machinery safety assessments, electrical safety improvements and Management of Change (MOC) activities
- Support incident investigations and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence
- Promote safe working practices, permit-to-work compliance, LOTO and contractor safety management
Quality
- Develop and maintain control systems that support consistent product quality and process stability
- Investigate process and equipment issues using root cause analysis and implement permanent solutions
- Support quality improvement initiatives through automation and data-driven process control
- Ensure all automation changes are documented, tested and validated in line with quality requirements
Cost
- Identify and implement automation solutions that reduce waste, energy consumption and operating costs
- Support preventive maintenance strategies to minimise unplanned downtime and repair costs
- Manage automation project budgets and ensure effective use of engineering resources
- Drive efficiency improvements through equipment optimisation and process standardisation
Delivery
- Improve equipment reliability, OEE and manufacturing throughput through automation and controls improvements
- Lead automation and capital projects from design through commissioning and handover
- Provide technical support to minimise downtime and restore production quickly during equipment failures
- Work with operations teams to identify and remove process bottlenecks
Improvement
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives using automation, data analysis and engineering best practices
- Identify opportunities for new technologies and digital solutions to improve manufacturing performance
- Develop and maintain PLC, HMI and SCADA systems to support operational excellence
- Contribute to site improvement roadmaps and long-term engineering strategies
People
- Provide technical leadership and expertise across automation, controls and electrical systems
- Coach and support maintenance and operations teams in fault finding and equipment operation
- Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams, contractors and equipment supplier
- Support skills development and knowledge sharing to improve overall engineering capability
Skills Required
- HNC, HND, or degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, Control Systems Engineering, or a related discipline
- Proven experience programming, commissioning, troubleshooting, and maintaining PLC-controlled equipment
- Experience with Allen Bradley, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron, or equivalent PLC platforms
- Experience developing and modifying HMI and SCADA systems
- Experience with industrial communications networks such as Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Profibus, or Modbus
- Proven experience delivering automation and controls projects from concept through commissioning
- Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement experience
- Experience working within a manufacturing environment
- Knowledge of root cause analysis methodologies and problem-solving tools
- Understanding of machinery safety standards and risk assessment processes
- Knowledge of Permit to Work, Lockout/Tagout, electrical safety rules, and safe isolation procedures
- Time-served Electrical or Controls Engineer apprenticeship
- Relevant electrical qualifications, such as NVQ Level 3 Electrical Engineering or 18th Edition Wiring Regulations
- Experience with servo drives, VSDs, motion control, and instrumentation systems
- Experience managing contractors, project budgets, schedules, and technical specifications
- Six Sigma Yellow Belt or equivalent
- Experience working within ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 environments
Alkegen Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Alkegen and has not been reviewed or approved by Alkegen.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered fair or strong in several roles and locations, with mentions of great pay and fair pay for the job. Competitive hourly operator wages and overtime opportunities in some sites reinforce this perception.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Generous PTO, paid holidays, and paid sick days are available, with some salaried roles offering manager‑approved unlimited time off. These elements indicate broad time‑off options across the package.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with employer match, in some cases with immediate vesting, is part of the offering. This reflects structured retirement support across many roles.
Alkegen Insights
What We Do
Alkegen is a specialty materials leader serving mission-critical systems that the world is focused on for the future, including: battery technologies, electric vehicles, filtration media, and specialty insulation materials that enable customers to reduce fossil fuel consumption, save energy, and live greener. We help people breathe easier, live greener, and go further than ever before. Our experience speaks for itself. Bringing together two of the world’s leaders in specialty materials, Unifrax and Lydall, Alkegen is a leader in innovation. We are a vertically integrated manufacturer with the global reach and talent to solve your most demanding applications. With 60 manufacturing facilities and 9,000+ highly skilled employees located around the world, we can solve any challenge. Dedicated to sustainability and human health, we are uniquely positioned to help customers impact the environment in meaningful ways. We are Alkegen.
