Automation & Controls Engineer – Food & Beverage
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Country: United States
Category: Engineering
Workplace Location: Onsite
Employment Type: Direct Hire/Perm
Posted Date: March 20, 2026
Job ID: 645698
Job Description
Job Title: Automation & Controls Engineer - Food & Beverage
Location: Kansas City or Saint Louis, MO or Atlanta, GA
Contract length: Direct Hire
Pay: Compensation discussions are handled directly with qualified candidates during the interview process. You can assume market pay for these roles and our base and bonus compensation package will meet the requirements.
- Bachelor Degree in Controls, Electrical, Mechanical or Chemical Engineering or related degree from an ABET accredited program and successful completion of Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and 3+ years electrical engineering experience
- EPC project and Automation 7 Controls experience preferred
- Master Degree in Electrical Engineering and 4+ years electrical engineering experience. EPC project experience preferred.
- Expert knowledge in standard engineering techniques and procedures
- Strong knowledge of electrical equipment design ANSI and IEEE Standards
- Strong computer skills (e.g. Microsoft Office Suite)
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Experience with leading the discipline design for large projects and delegating work tasks to team members
- Ability to lead execution of work and resolve issues in a team environment
- Demonstrated critical thinking skills, ability to work methodically and analytically in a quantitative problem-solving environment
- Strong attention to detail, facilitation, team building, collaboration, organization and problem-solving skills
- Ability to perform quality reviews for detailed engineering documents and specifications
- Ability to travel
- Must have or be able to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC)
- Professional Engineer (PE) License Preferred
- This position requires an individual capable of applying intensive and diversified knowledge of principles and practices to broad areas of assignment
- Must be capable of devising new approaches to problems encountered
- Ability to perform quality reviews for detailed engineering documents and specifications
- Knowledge of applicable design standards covering Automation & Controls Design/Engineering such as NFPA, ISA, IEC, IEEE, ISA/IEC 61511, ISO13849, UL508A
- Experienced with variety of control and safety systems (PLC, SCADA, SIS, BMS, DCS)
- Experience in Rockwell and Siemens PLC platform
- Experience in GE, Modicon, Opto22, Mitsubishi, and Triconex PLC platforms a plus
- SCADA experience with Factory Talk and Wonderware local and distributed systems, Ignition Software is a plus
- MES Design and Implementation Experience a Plus, PTC ThingWorx, Ignition/Sepasoft, Parsec TrakSYS
- Machine safety risk assessment and required PL design compliance to ISO13849 is a plus
- Process safety SIF/SIS design compliance to ISA/IEC 61511 is a plus
- Experience with PlantPAX and PackML is preferred
- Familiarity with tools like SISTEMA, CCW, IAB, BatchSIM, and PlantSIM is desired
- Responsible for compliance with company and project site safety policies
- Works with a team of Automation and Controls Engineers, Specialists, and Designers in the execution of design
- Interfaces with a multi-faceted project team internally consisting of project manager, electrical, controls, estimating, procurement, construction, and other engineering disciplines
- Responsible for developing software design deliverables including PLC and HMI programming design deliverables as well as Batch, MES, servers and virtualization
- Responsible for commissioning and startup of those design deliverables
- Develop controls design deliverables, including instrument/device list, I/O list, controls narratives, control panel and controls hardware design, device location plan drawings and installation details
- Develop electrical design deliverables including 480VAC and below equipment and motor power design, installation plan drawings, and conductor schedules
- Develop the specification and design requirements for control panel and equipment vendors, track vendor progression, and lead the Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs)
- Experience with process instrument measurements protocols, such as temperature, pressure, flow, level, analyzers, and control valves
- Utilize knowledge of various technologies for selecting the appropriate controls application
- Experienced in reviewing P&IDs and working with process engineers to define and show proper controls scope of the project
- Develop verification of design, calculations, project studies, design basis and report preparation
- Interfaces directly with offsite design office and coordinates and tracks execution of all electrical controls department work to that office
- Responsible for performing quality reviews of project design submittals
- Responsible for applying knowledge of commonly used automation and controls engineering/design concepts, principles, practices, codes, and procedures within the engineering services industry
- Interfaces directly with construction personnel in development of contracts and execution of work
- Tracks Automation and Controls design efforts against budgets and expected progress
- Works with clients and vendors directly in developing design and builds lasting business relationships
- Responsible for leadership and guidance of less experienced team members
- Coordinate with field personnel to resolve design related installation issues, calculations, field inspections and testing of controls systems
- Responsible for technical execution during onsite start-up and commissioning activities
- Develops and submits discipline change notices as needed to the project management team
- Understands the basics of the EPC project execution methodology
- This position will require making trips to job sites to survey and support installations and startups (travel about 30%)
- Begins to understand and utilize automation project sales strategies and develops client relationships
- Understands and assists in automation standards development for the department
- Participates in interviews for early career team members
- Assists in the development of engineering hour estimates and proposals for all phases of the project
- Coordinates workload with Automation and Controls Department Manager
- Complies with all company policies and standards
- All other duties as assigned
EEO Statement
The staffing industry has seen an increase in people falsely representing themselves as recruiters to gather personal information from job seekers. For your safety, do not provide sensitive data to anyone you have not spoken with thoroughly, never provide banking information during the application process, and always double check the email address of the Recruiter to ensure it’s from an official Planet domain (@theplanetgroup.com or @launchcg.com) - and not a domain with an alternative extension like .net, .org, or .jobs.
The Planet Group and our companies are equal opportunity employers. It is our practice not to discriminate against any employee or applicant based on any criteria, condition or basis protected by laws or regulations in the locations where we do business. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. We celebrate diversity and are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect. We believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion enable us to better meet our mission and values while serving our clients across the globe. If you have a disability or handicap and would like us to accommodate you in any reasonable way, please inform your recruiter, or contact us, so that we can discuss the appropriate alternatives available.
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About The Planet Group
The Planet Group is a global professional services firm delivering strategic staffing and advisory solutions. We operate at the intersection of talent and transformation – connecting the right people with the right opportunities in the areas of technology, engineering, accounting & finance, digital marketing, and manufacturing.
As one of the largest staffing companies in the US, we operate with a global reach and a performance-first mindset. We partner with clients to move fast, stay agile, and drive measurable results – building high-impact teams that fuel transformation and growth.