Automation Engineer

Automation Engineer

📍 Aberystwyth

💰 Circa £55,000 DOE

Yolk Recruitment is exclusively representing an established food manufacturer in the search for an Automation Engineer to strengthen its site capability.

This is a rare opportunity for an engineer with SCADA, controls, or industrial automation expertise to take ownership of fault-finding and system reliability within a high-volume production environment. The vacancy is planned around a weekday afternoon shift, extending engineering automation support across a greater portion of the operating day while avoiding a traditional rotating shift pattern.

What You'll Do:

Maintain, monitor, and troubleshoot site SCADA and industrial automation systems

Respond to controls failures, system interruptions, and automation-related production issues

Identify the root causes of faults and restore equipment to safe operation as efficiently as possible

Maintain existing controls infrastructure rather than focusing primarily on developing entirely new systems

Support PLC, drive, inverter, sensor, and wider control-system fault-finding, according to your experience

Provide hands-on electrical and mechanical engineering support when production machinery requires attention

Complete planned preventive maintenance alongside automation-focused responsibilities

Work closely with production teams and the wider engineering department to improve reliability and reduce downtime

Share knowledge with colleagues and learn from a highly experienced on-site SCADA specialist

Maintain accurate records of faults, repairs, and scheduled work through the site maintenance system

Operate in accordance with stringent health, safety, hygiene, and food manufacturing standards

What You'll Bring:

Experience working with SCADA, PLC-controlled machinery, or industrial automation systems

Strong diagnostic and fault-finding skills within a live production or process environment

The ability to investigate existing code, controls, and system parameters when equipment stops or behaves unexpectedly

A practical engineering background and the willingness to work directly on machinery when required

Electrical engineering knowledge, ideally supported by a relevant qualification or apprenticeship

Experience within food, beverage, FMCG, pharmaceutical, process manufacturing or another regulated environment would be advantageous

A calm, logical and methodical approach to complex technical issues

Good communication skills and the ability to work effectively with engineers, operators, and production colleagues

A genuine interest in developing broader controls, electrical and maintenance expertise

Why You Should Apply:

Automation engineers are often expected to choose between highly specialised controls work and general maintenance. This role offers a balance of both. You will be the automation-focused member of the team, concentrating on SCADA and control's reliability while remaining close to the machinery and production process.

The planned hours are based around a Monday-to-Friday afternoon shift. The precise working pattern will be agreed around site coverage requirements, with the qualification call discussing an approximate afternoon start and finish around midnight rather than a permanent overnight pattern. Other engineers remain on site until 10:00pm, and the facility continues operating with wider production staffing beyond that point.

You will also benefit from working alongside a highly experienced SCADA specialist with extensive knowledge of the plant, providing valuable access to site-specific guidance and technical mentoring.

The package includes:

Salary of up to £60,000 for an engineer with the right depth of automation expertise

A consistent weekday afternoon shift, with final hours agreed during the recruitment process

33 days' annual leave for a five-day working pattern

Employer pension contribution of 5%, with a 3% employee contribution

Health and wellbeing support, including dental and optical cashback

Three times annual salary life assurance

Holiday buying and selling options

Company sick pay increasing with length of service

Accredited technical training and support for relevant development requests

Regular investment in site equipment and manufacturing capability

A structured interview process, normally involving an initial Teams conversation followed by one on-site meeting and factory tourThis is a particularly strong opportunity for a controls-focused engineer who wants a high level of technical responsibility, access to an experienced mentor and the backing of a well-established manufacturing organisation.

Ready to Apply?

If you can bring together automation expertise, practical fault-finding and a hands-on engineering mindset, Yolk Recruitment would like to hear from you.

Contact Jacob Purcell to find out more.

Please apply with a CV and a cover letter outlining why you're perfect for the role.

Know someone great for the job? We offer a referral scheme, just get in touch!

Note: We do our best to respond to every application, but due to volume, we can't always guarantee it. If you haven't heard back within 7 days, unfortunately, you haven't been successful this time. Keep an eye on our site for new opportunities