Senior Automation Engineer DCS (M/F/D) - #2621374

Our client is a globally active manufacturer of specialty ingredients operating across industries such as food, fermentation, nutrition, and life sciences. The company is part of a large international group, while operating with a high degree of local autonomy at site level.

This decentralised structure gives employees significant freedom and ownership, combined with the stability, investment power and long‑term perspective of a global organisation. The environment is professional, technically strong and impact‑driven - individuals are encouraged to take responsibility and actively shape systems and standards.

As a DCS Engineer, you will play a key interface role between Automation, OT, IT and Security. You will be part of the process control / DCS team, responsible for operating, maintaining and further developing a plant‑wide Distributed Control System, while contributing to the expansion of a secure and future‑ready OT infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

Process Control Systems & OT

• Administration, configuration and continuous development of the Distributed Control System (DCS) - Yokogawa CENTUM VP

• Support of remote I/O architectures and production data acquisition systems

• Installation, configuration and integration of data acquisition systems into the office IT environment

• Acting as the technical point of contact for all DCS / PLS‑related topics on site

IT & OT Infrastructure

• Administration of Windows Server and Active Directory environments within OT (Windows Server 2016-2025)

• Operation of virtualised environments (Hyper‑V, optionally VMware)

• 1st and 2nd level support for DCS and OT‑related IT systems

• Further development of OT security concepts, IIoT approaches and Industry 4.0 solutions

Collaboration & Coordination

• Technical leadership and coordination of DCS engineers and external service providers

• Participation in automation and investment projects as the lead contact for DCS and OT infrastructure

• Close cooperation with production, engineering, HSE, and external partners

Additional Responsibilities

• Involvement in strategic automation and investment projects

• Active contribution to the OT security strategy

• Participation in an on‑call rota for remote fault resolution

Your Profile

Background & Experience

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, IT, Applied Computer Science or similar

• Several years' experience in process automation

• Strong hands‑on experience with DCS / PLS systems, ideally Yokogawa CENTUM VP

• Fluent German and good English skills are an advantage

Technical Skills

• Industrial Ethernet protocols (e.g. Modbus TCP/IP, Ethernet/IP)

• OPC data communication and production data acquisition

• Solid understanding of the ISO/OSI model (Layers 1-3)

• Programming according to DIN EN 61131

IT & Infrastructure Know‑how

• Windows Server 2016-2025

• Virtualisation (Hyper‑V, VMware)

• Failover clustering and network infrastructure

Personal Qualities

• Structured, independent and solution‑oriented working style

• Experience in project work and coordinating external contractors

• Strong communication skills and a collaborative mindset

• High level of responsibility, safety awareness and curiosity to learn

What Our Client Offers

• Stable, long‑term role in a process‑driven industrial environment

• Competitive compensation package

• Flexible working hours

• Opportunities for further training and professional development

• Partial remote working options

• Modern site with good transport connections