Automation Associate Jobs in Newark, NJ (NOW HIRING)

A well-established food manufacturing company in Totowa, NJ is adding a senior-level Automation Engineer to its second shift team. This isn't a role where you wait to be told what to do. You will own the floor from 3:00 PM to midnight, keep production running independently, and contribute to a major automation buildout that is already underway.

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Pave Talent is hiring on behalf of our client, a privately held, family-owned food manufacturing company based in Totowa, NJ with over 100 years of combined management experience. They produce for a portfolio of well-known national food service and retail brands from a single, world-class facility. The company has effectively doubled its production capacity in the last three years and is now expanding aggressively into robotics and next-generation automation -- a robotic palletizer is already installed, with vision inspection systems on the way.

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You will report to the Engineering Manager and serve as the senior automation presence on the second shift (3:00 PM to 12:00 AM). The plant runs up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When something goes wrong on your shift, you are the person who resolves it -- not escalates it. Beyond production support, you will contribute to a significant pipeline of capital projects including new equipment controls, a plant-wide transport system rewrite, and an HMI migration from FactoryTalk View SE to Ignition Perspective.

A companion junior role is also being filled for the morning shift.

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• Own automation troubleshooting and production support on second shift, operating independently with minimal supervision

• Write, modify, and improve PLC code (Rockwell Studio 5000 / ControlLogix) for production systems and capital projects

• Troubleshoot point-level sensors, VFDs, burner controllers, conveyors, operator interfaces, and networking issues as they arise on the floor

• Contribute to the plant's HMI migration from FactoryTalk View SE to Ignition Perspective and ongoing ISA-101 standardization

• Execute controls and automation upgrades for production equipment and the plant-wide automated transport system

• Build and design electrical control panels for capital projects using AutoCAD Electrical or Visio

• Support integration of automation systems with the company's Plex ERP platform

• Collaborate with the morning shift engineering team on cross-shift projects and handoffs

• Support growing robotics and end-of-line automation initiatives including the newly installed robotic palletizer and upcoming vision inspection systems

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The Engineering Manager is direct about what this shift requires: "We're looking for someone that's more of a self-starter and can do things unguided." You will have support from the broader engineering team, but second shift means real autonomy. If you need someone looking over your shoulder to feel confident, this isn't the right fit. If you thrive with ownership and want your work to be visible, this is exactly the right setup.

Production runs around the clock. On-call coverage is part of the job, and occasionally that means a weekend. When it does, you get that time back. There is no overtime pay -- the flexibility goes both ways.

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• PLC programming experience -- ability to write and modify code confidently, not just troubleshoot

• Electrical troubleshooting skills: read and interpret schematics and control circuits

• Self-starter who can work independently with minimal supervision on second shift

• Comfortable in a live production environment where uptime is everything

• 3 to 5 years of experience in manufacturing, factory automation, system integration, or machine building

• Ability to speak to past project work with technical specificity -- not just buzzwords

• Authorized to work in the US without sponsorship

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• Rockwell Studio 5000 / Logix Designer (ControlLogix or CompactLogix)

• Ignition Perspective or SCADA system experience

• FactoryTalk View SE/ME

• Electrical control panel design (AutoCAD Electrical or Visio)

• Bilingual English/Spanish (preferred for second shift, not required)

• ERP integration experience (Plex or similar)

• Background from system integrator, machine builder, or manufacturing company

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???????????????? ????????????????????????: $125,000

????????????????????: Performance-based; historically up to 15% end-of-year, plus raises up to 10%

????????????????????????????????: Second shift, 3:00 PM to 12:00 AM

????????-????????????????: Rotating; comp time provided for weekend coverage (no overtime pay)

????????????????????????????????????: English/Spanish preferred for this shift, not required

???????????????? ????????????????????: Fully on-site, Totowa, NJ (easily accessible from most of Northern NJ)

????????????????????????????: Family-owned, tight-knit team -- strong performers have direct visibility to upper management and internal mobility is real

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Interested? Apply and we'll be in touch. Confidential search; your application is fully private.

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