Sr. Automation Engineer

About the role

At Niagara, we're looking for Team Members who want to be part of achieving our mission to provide our customers the highest quality most affordable bottled water. Consider applying here, if you want to: Work in an entrepreneurial and dynamic environment with a chance to make an impact. Develop lasting relationships with great people. Have the opportunity to build a satisfying career. We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages for our Team Members. Sr. Automation Engineer This senior-level role is responsible for strategizing, leading, and executing advanced automation initiatives across manufacturing plants. The Senior Automation Engineer designs, programs, and troubleshoots highly complex automation systems spanning multiple equipment OEMs and technology generations. The role emphasizes technical expertise, strategic project leadership, and the ability to develop junior and mid-level engineers, with the expectation of driving significant advancements in automation and operational efficiency. This role provides technical authority for automation solutions, inclusive of those that incorporate AI, and operates with a high degree of autonomy and is expected to independently assess risk, prioritize initiatives, and make technical and project‑level decisions aligned with business objectives. The Senior Automation Engineer serves as a technical authority for assigned systems and initiatives, requiring minimal day‑to‑day direction. Essential Functions Automation Strategy and Implementation Own technical solution selection, architecture decisions, and control philosophy standards for assigned projects Develop and lead the implementation of advanced automation strategies and solutions, which may include AI-enabled solutions Oversee the programming, testing, and maintenance of PLC, HMI, and control systems Manage a portfolio of automation initiatives, balancing capacity, risk, business value, and resource allocation Advise leadership on trade-offs, sequencing, and resource alignment across competing priorities Lead the commissioning and validation of new equipment and upgrades Approve control system designs, code standards, and change strategies within assigned scope Technical Team Leadership Act as the technical lead and day-to-day work coordinator for automation engineers assigned to shared initiatives or programs Provide technical direction, expectations, and prioritization guidance to engineers across plants or projects Review, challenge, and approve technical approaches produced by other engineers to ensure quality and consistency Serve as the primary escalation point for engineering guidance and conflict resolution Advanced Troubleshooting and Maintenance Act as final technical authority during critical automation failures and recovery efforts Perform expert-level troubleshooting of automation equipment and control systems Collaborate with maintenance and production teams to resolve critical and complex technical issues Establish and standardize documentation and updates to control systems Authorize temporary process changes, bypasses, or mitigations to restore operations safely Data Analysis and Process Optimization Conduct in-depth analysis of operational data to identify and implement significant automation improvements Determine when AI‑enabled automation performance warrants re‑tuning, redesign, replacement, or a modernization proposal, balancing operational risk and business value Independently initiate improvement projects based on data trends and system performance Decide when automation performance warrants redesign, replacement, or capital investment proposals Develop intuitive dashboards/visualization tools to support data-driven decision making Lead and drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance safety, quality, and efficiency Collaboration and Compliance Work closely with cross-functional teams, including engineering, operations, and quality, to ensure alignment of automation activities with production and business goals Serve as the final technical decision‑maker when cross‑functional alignment cannot be reached Ensure compliance with safety standards, company policies, and regulatory requirements Represent automation engineering in audits, reviews, and external technical discussions Defines engagement models between automation engineering, plants, OEMs, and system integrators Ensures engineering work aligns with department operating principles and long-term roadmap Decision Authority & Ownership The Senior Automation Engineer is accountable for independent technical decision‑making within their assigned systems and projects. This includes: Final authority on control system design, architecture, and programming standards Approval of automation changes, upgrades, and deployment strategies Prioritization of automation work based on safety, operational risk, and business value Ownership of system lifecycle decisions, including modernization and obsolescence planning A