Controls Technician

Howden Joinery is on the lookout for a talented Controls Technician to join our Engineering team at our fast-growing manufacturing site in Runcorn, Cheshire. With significant investment driving the expansion of the site, including the installation of a state-of-the-art, high-volume panel machining line, this is a fantastic opportunity to join us at a pivotal moment and play a key role in our exciting growth journey.

As a Controls Technician, you will be responsible for the development and troubleshooting of our varied controls and automation systems across our manufacturing lines. You will be a member of the company’s Controls and Automation team, supported by a group of experienced colleagues both on-site at Runcorn and across the wider UK manufacturing business. Experienced in high-level fault-finding and diagnostics across a range of control equipment, you’ll be challenged with developing permanent countermeasures to problems encountered and delivering improvement projects across areas of manufacturing safety, quality, productivity, and efficiency.

This is a key role within Howdens, whereby the Controls Technician will work cross-functionally. Therefore, the ability to build trusted working relationships and make decisions that will benefit all concerned is vital to the success of the role. 

Shift pattern:

- Week 1 - Wednesday, Thursday, Friday – 6:45am – 7:00pm
- Week 2 - Monday, Tuesday - 6:45am – 7:00pm, Wednesday, Thursday 18:45pm – 7:00am
- Week 3 - Sunday, Monday, Tuesday – 6:45pm – 7:00am
- 7 days of

What we can offer:

- Competitive salary and bonus scheme
- Excellent pension scheme (company contribution of up to 12%)
- Free daily meal at the on-site canteen
- 25 days holiday + bank holidays per year & opportunity to buy extra holidays.
- Share save scheme.
- Exceptional reward and recognition events

What you will be doing as a Control Technician:

- Organising automation, electrical, and PLC design projects by identifying short-term, and long-range issues; preparing timetables, cost estimates, and detailed documentation on project completion
- Develop and implement projects to drive improvement in manufacturing availability, product quality, employee safety and process efficiency.
- Develop knowledge of the manufacturing process and operating sequences of the manufacturing processes and cascade with maintenance teams.
- Develop knowledge and application of automation skills and techniques to drive improvement and cascade with maintenance teams.
- Implement plant/process development opportunities that improve Safety, Quality, Cost and Delivery.
- Coach and develop the maintenance engineering team members’ knowledge of machine control and automation systems.

What are we looking for:

- A team player who takes pride in developing their own knowledge and sharing it with others
- Motivated to take the lead on technical issues
- Ability to work alone and in a team
- Self-motivated & Safety Oriented

What do you need to qualify for the Control Technician:

- Time served Electrical Engineer, Automation / Controls apprentice with a minimum of 3 years post-qualification work experience within an FMCG environment.
- Minimum of HNC in Electrical Engineering or equivalent
- Ability to fault find and implement program modifications on a range of PLCs, HMIs and Robotics
- Knowledge of parameterisation and commissioning of servo drives and inverters.
- Experience of fault-finding on industrial communication networks
- Experience in designing and modifying control circuits and program logic
- Delivery of change management activities

About Howdens:

Howdens Joinery is the UK’s number one trade kitchen supplier providing thousands of products across kitchens, joinery, and hardware. We have over 900 depots throughout the UK and Europe – making us the first choice for more than 460,000 loyal trade professionals. With an ambitious and credible growth plan, we continue to build on our £2.3 billion sales made last year.

There is a strong entrepreneurial ethos and the opportunity to develop within a fast-paced and commercial environment. That, along with a competitive salary, development opportunities, and exciting rewards, are among the reasons why our people enjoy working for Howdens – and why we have been named as one of the 10 Best Big Companies to Work For.

How to Apply:

We are building a future where world-class service, innovation, and sustainability are embedded within our DNA. If Howdens sounds like the kind of place where you can build and develop your career, then we are keen to hear from you.

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Howdens is founded on the principle of being Worthwhile for ALL concerned. We’re working hard to ensure we provide an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome. We will do everything we can to support you during your application. If you need us to make any adjustments to our recruitment process, please email (url removed) with the job title and location, and we will be happy to help you