Senior Automation & Process Control Engineer

The Pharma Solutions business will be taking on its next chapter of growth as a trusted partner for the
pharmaceutical industry with the announcement to sell Pharma Solutions to Roquette. This move will position Pharma Solutions to expand its industry leadership through continued investment in innovation to meet the evolving needs of pharmaceutical manufacturers and developers worldwide.
The sale is presently expected to close in the first half of 2025, pending regulatory approvals and other closing conditions. The Pharma Solutions business unit will remain a part of IFF until close and, at such time, it will transition to Roquette. In applying for this position, you acknowledge your awareness that the position is a part of the Pharma Solutions business unit and has been identified to transition to Roquette.
The job involves the managing of process automation activities for the manufacturing facility located in Plaquemine, Louisiana. While in this role, you will be involved in control strategy design, development of control software, as well as identification of process improvement opportunities through process control. This role will also prioritize implementation of automation work, and facilitate the work of other automation resources from central engineering, plant technicians, and contractors for the facilities.

• Take ownership and management of the Distributed Control Systems for the Plaquemine, LA site.  These systems include Delta V and MOD 5.
• Maintain a plan to support and sustain process automation assets for the facilities (system upgrade planning).
• Serve as systems administrator for the process control area network.
• Support identification and implementation of required cyber-security measures.
• Serve as Process Automation Owner for the site facilities – taking full accountability for the automation improvement program.
• Identify process automation improvement opportunities and provide value assessments and prioritization.
• Support day-to-day operations to meet business goals.  This will include gaining basic knowledge of the unit operations as well as ability to develop software for the DCS systems.
• Drive continuous improvement of process automation performance metrics including alarm management, manual intervention reduction, and Safety Instrumented System trips.
• Design and develop creative and effective process control strategies to optimize plant operations.
• Provide guidance on Instrument Selection and Design
• Maintain a prioritized work list for process automation improvements for the site.
• Serve as the primary process automation representative for the plant for all capital projects which involve process control changes.
• Monitor automation workload for the site and identify resource gaps.
• Manage the work of automation resources allocated to the Midland site (which may include technicians, engineers, and external contractors).
• Assure Safe & Unplanned-Event free implementation of process automation projects.
• Manage and provide guidance in Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) .
• Responsible for maintaining all process information systems / historian (MES) site-specific applications for the plant and develop new applications for MES / Process Information.
• Responsible for coordinating Process Automation related training for applicable personnel on the site.
• Work with peers (locally, regionally and across the business) in the technology group to share knowledge, ideas as well as develop standards and best practices.
   

Critical Success Factors:

• Strong technical skills and experience or aptitude in process automation.
• Ability and desire to develop a thorough understanding of the manufacturing process.
• Ability to partner with daily operations engineers, technologists, and operators.
• Facilitative leadership and teamwork skills.
• Ability to apply capital project work processes which involve process automation solutions.
• Troubleshooting process control logic in a live plant environment and in simulation.
• Keep up to date on process control and process information technology advances.
• Partner with control systems vendors, contractors, and central engineering.
• Role may require up to 10% travel.

Requirements:

• Minimum of a Bachelor of Science degree (Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or I/E is preferred). 
• Previous experience in process automation development along with experience with Instrumentation design and PLCs is preferred. 
• Experience working in manufacturing or chemical facilities.
• Must be fluent in English.
• Familiarity with plant operations as well as project work in the process control discipline.
• Highly motivated and results-driven individual with strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to interact with cross functional teams, engineering groups, plant operations, research and commercial organization and management.
• Strong written and organizational skills.

We are a global leader in taste, scent, and nutrition, offering our customers a broader range of natural solutions and accelerating our growth strategy. At IFF, we believe that your uniqueness unleashes our potential. We value the diverse mosaic of the ethnicity, national origin, race, age, sex, or veteran status. We strive for an inclusive workplace that allows each of our colleagues to bring their authentic self to work regardless of their religion, gender identity & expression, sexual orientation, or disability.

Visit IFF.com/careers/workplace-diversity-and-inclusion to learn more