Automation Engineer

Automation Engineer

We are seeking a highly skilled Automation Engineer with strong experience in Siemens TIA Portal and industrial automation technologies. The ideal candidate will have a solid technical background in PLC and HMI application development, software standardization, and modern automation solutions. The role requires the ability to work collaboratively in a cross-functional team, contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, and deliver high-quality automation solutions in an Agile development environment. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills are essential for success in this role.

About the company:

At Alfa Laval, we always go that extra mile to overcome the toughest challenges. Our driving force is to accelerate success for our customers, people, and planet. You can only achieve that by having dedicated people with a curious mind. Curiosity is the spark behind great ideas. And great ideas drive progress.

As a member of our team, you thrive in a truly diverse workplace based on empowerment. You are here to make a difference. Constantly building bridges to the future with sustainable solutions that have an impact on our planet’s most urgent problems. Making the world a better place. Every single day.

About the job

As an Automation Engineer, you will contribute to the development, enhancement, testing, and support of automation solutions throughout the product lifecycle. Working in an Agile development environment, you will collaborate with cross-functional and global teams, including R&D, Product Management, Sales, Service, Application Engineering, and regional engineering teams, to deliver innovative, standardized, secure, and reliable automation solutions.

The main tasks:

• Design, develop, and implement automation solutions using Siemens and/or Allen-Bradley control systems.
• Develop reusable, modular, and standardized PLC software libraries to improve engineering efficiency, software maintainability, diagnostics, and troubleshooting.
• Design and develop modern web-based Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs) that provide intuitive monitoring, control, and enhanced user experience.
• Integrate control systems with industrial devices, communication networks, and digital platforms while ensuring compliance with OT cybersecurity best practices.
• Develop and implement IoT-enabled automation solutions to enhance system connectivity, data accessibility, and operational performance.
• Support both New Product Development (NPD) and Existing Product Development (EPD) projects by developing, enhancing, maintaining, and validating automation software and control system solutions.
• Perform software verification, validation, simulation, and Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) to ensure compliance with functional, quality, performance, and cybersecurity requirements.
• Provide remote and on-site technical support for commissioning, software upgrades, troubleshooting, and issue resolution in collaboration with regional engineering, service teams, and customers.
• Support Sales, Service, and Application Engineering teams by providing technical expertise during product evaluations, customer demonstrations, technical discussions, application engineering, and product enhancement initiatives.
• Investigate field issues, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective and preventive actions to improve product reliability, quality, and customer satisfaction.
• Prepare and maintain technical documentation, including software design specifications, functional descriptions, test reports, user manuals, release notes, and engineering guidelines, while collaborating with the Doc Hub team in the preparation and maintenance of user manuals.
• Contribute to software standardization initiatives by developing common software libraries, following coding standards, engineering best practices, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Utilize software version control and lifecycle management tools to ensure traceability, collaboration, and effective change management throughout the development lifecycle.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional and global teams to ensure successful product development and timely product releases.
• Participate actively in Agile ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily stand-ups, backlog refinement, sprint reviews, and retrospectives.
• Adapt to evolving product requirements and priorities while maintaining a strong focus on quality, innovation, customer value, and timely delivery.
• Provide technical guidance, mentoring, knowledge sharing, and training to internal teams and end users on automation systems, tools, and emerging technologies.
• Stay current with emerging automation technologies, industrial communication standards, cybersecurity practices, and industry trends to drive continuous innovation and maintain product competitiveness.
• Travel, as required, support product validation, customer acceptance testing, commissioning, troubleshooting, and technical support activities.

Who you are

Knowledge:

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in electrical, Electronics, Instrumentation, Automation Engineering, or a related engineering discipline (required).

Skills:

• 10+ years of work experience in Automation Engineering & Standardizations
• 10+ years of experience in industrial automation engineering, software development, and automation standardization.
• Extensive hands-on experience in PLC and HMI software development.
• Strong experience with Siemens and/or Allen-Bradley control systems.
• Experience in software architecture and development methodologies, including Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), ISA-88, and PackML.
• Experience working in Agile development environments using Scrum, Azure DevOps, or similar Agile tools.
• Experience in designing and developing web-based HMIs and IoT-enabled automation solutions.
• Good understanding of OT Cybersecurity principles and secure industrial automation practices.
• Experience with industrial communication protocols such as PROFINET, PROFIBUS, EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP/IP, OPC UA, and other industrial networking technologies.
• Experience in software verification, validation, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), and troubleshooting of automation systems.
• Experience supporting New Product Development (NPD) and Existing Product Development (EPD) activities.
• Ability to provide technical support to Sales, Service, Application Engineering, and customers during product development and lifecycle support.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills with fluency in spoken and written English.
• Ability to work effectively in a global, cross-functional, and multicultural environment.

Competencies & Behavior’s:

• Structured, systematic, and detail-oriented approach to engineering.
• Strong commitment to quality, reliability, and engineering excellence.
• Customer-focused mindset with the ability to understand business and customer needs.
• Strong collaboration, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to influence and work effectively across cross-functional and global teams.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and accountable, with a strong sense of ownership.
• Continuous learning mindset with a passion for innovation and emerging technologies.
• Willingness to mentor, coach, and share knowledge with team members.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and work effectively in an Agile environment.

Motivation:

The successful candidate is motivated by developing innovative automation solutions, driving engineering excellence, mentoring colleagues, and contributing to the success of both customers and the Alfa Laval. They take pride in delivering high-quality, standardized, and reliable solutions that enhance customer satisfaction, operational excellence, and business growth.

Directly responsible for:

• Automation software development (PLC, HMI, and related applications)
• Software architecture, standardization, and reusable library development
• Customer requirement analysis and technical solution development
• Functional Design Specification (FDS) and technical documentation
• Software verification, validation, FAT, and SAT support
• Software version control and release management
• Engineering effort estimation
• Technical support for commissioning, Sales, Service, and Application Engineering
• NPD and EPD development activities
• Troubleshooting and root cause analysis

What we offer as an employer:

We are offering an interesting and challenging opportunity in a global, open and friendly environment where we help each other to develop and create value for our customers.

Alfa Laval is an excellent place to build a global network and grow in your career.

Your contribution will have a true impact on Alfa Laval’s future success, you will be learning new things every day.

Note

We care about diversity, inclusion and equity in our recruitment processes. We also believe behavioral traits can provide important insights into a candidate's fit to a role. To help us achieve this we apply Pymetrics assessments, and upon application you will be invited to play the assessment games.