Controls Technician at MGP Ingredients in Lawrenceburg IN

Tradition looking forward.
Sempreon™ brings together Branded Spirits, Distilling Solutions and Ingredient Solutions under one corporate identity, building on more than 85 years of expertise, craftsmanship and trusted relationships. Its capabilities span spirits brand building, distilling, blending, bottling and specialty ingredients. Rooted in its heritage and focused on growth and innovation, Sempreon continues to evolve while creating long-term growth and value.

The name Sempreon reflects the company’s strong foundations, heritage and history, while looking ahead to its future and the legacy it will build. “Semper,” derived from the Latin word for “always,” represents the enduring foundation on which the company was built, while “Aion,” drawn from the Greek word for “eternity,” reflects its forward-looking vision for the future and a legacy designed to last. Together, the name represents a company that honors where it came from while continuing to evolve for what’s next.

Sempreon’s mission, “Creating moments that matter. Building a legacy that lasts,” reflects its commitment to honoring its heritage while continuing to grow, innovate and create lasting impact for generations to come.

THE OPPORTUNITY:

The Controls Technician works with the Distillery Controls Engineer administering, maintaining, and upgrading the Distributed Control Systems (DCS), and Operational Technology (OT) systems, providing support for these systems throughout the plant. This role is responsible for the implementation and commissioning of changes to support operational excellence while maintaining cybersecurity integrity of the plant’s virtualized OT environment, ensuring system stability, disaster recovery readiness, and operational continuity.

The position supports large-scale DCS hardware and software upgrades, capital projects, and system improvement initiatives, contractors, and budgets to ensure timely and cost-effective project completion. Provides support with troubleshooting, programming modifications, system enhancements, and documentation management while collaborating cross-functionally with Process Engineering, Production, Maintenance, and Quality teams.

WHAT YOU WILL BE DOING:

Control System Support

• Investigate and Analyze control system issues including software, hardware, communication, and instrumentation issues.
• Work with Production, Process Engineering, Quality, and/or Maintenance in the completion of continuous improvement projects and capital expansion projects with a primary focus on the debugging / improvement of the control system programming.
• Support the long-term goals of upgrading aging infrastructure to stay within the serviceable life of the controls equipment as well as staying abreast of new technologies.
• Provide after-hours support as needed whether remote or onsite to accomplish plant goals.

OT System Support

• Perform routine maintenance and support of both physical and virtualized equipment located throughout the facility.
• Ensure physical layer reliability of both the fiberoptic backbone networks and local copper distribution networks.
• Work with the Distillery Controls Engineer to maintain regular backups of the entire system implementing both ready-to-deploy backups and disaster recovery efforts.

Maintenance Support

• Serve as the Liaison between the Maintenance department and the Electrical and Controls Engineering department by regularly participating in morning tool-box meetings, planning meetings, day to day activities, performing plant floor work and annual shutdown planning, coordination and execution.
• Provide leadership and hands-on support for a team of contract electricians to maintain 24x7 distillery operations in accordance with company policies and local regulations
• Assist in the planning and scheduling of preventative and corrective electrical/instrumentation maintenance activities across the site including annual shutdown activities.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• Required- Associates Degree; Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, or Master Electrician Military Electrical Training, or related field.
• Training on the various plant control systems to include DCS programming, HMI screen development, input/output wiring and control system equipment setup, and troubleshooting.
• Training in various types of instrumentation and control devices.
• Experience working with Maintenance Management System software (SAP Preferred) for entering and tracking and completing reactive and preventive maintenance work orders.
• OSHA, Food Safety, and GMP training and/or working experience.
• Working knowledge of the NEC and NFPA-70E is required. Experience with DISCUS and NFPA-70B is preferred.
• Experience programming in Siemens PCS7, APACS, and/or TI-505 environments along with HMI integration in WinCC or AIMAX, as well as operating controls systems within a virtualized environment.
• 2 to 5 years’ experience in plant operations, preferably in distillation and grain processing environment.
• Demonstrated experience with troubleshooting control systems, especially DCS based systems operating in a virtualized environment.
• Knowledge of process instrumentation and applications.
• Experience with project development and implementation. Working experience with I/O control devices and various software packages for device configuration, Installation and maintenance experience of electrical equipment in Hazardous Areas.
• This position requires strong technical expertise in industrial control systems, instrumentation, virtualized environments, and regulatory standards, along with the ability to respond to critical operational issues, including after-hours support, to maintain plant reliability and performance.
• Eagerness and willingness to learn on the plant floor while interacting with personnel with varying levels of experience and knowledge.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong technical aptitude and experience in troubleshooting mechanical systems and processing equipment.
• Strong multi-tasking skills.
• Strong system management skills to prioritize maintenance activities, improvements, and maintaining the system lifecycle of computerized/automated equipment.
• Strong computer skills including CMMS (SAP Preferred), AutoCAD, Microsoft Office including Word, Outlook, Excel, and Visio.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Includes frequently used office equipment, computer software programs, manuals, books, or other written resources, hand tools, power tools, two-way radios, and other tools/equipment/resources; Includes use of sanitation equipment and lab/field equipment.
• Electrical measurement meters and programming devices. Control system programming software including DCS APACS system 4MATION, 505 SoftShop programming for TI 505 series programmable controllers, TA Engineering AIMAX WIN software for operator interface development, Simatic Manager, VMware, PCS7 software, configuration software for Eaton PanelMate flat panel operator screens, MTS level gauge configuration software, AMS software for instrumentation calibration and record keeping, AutoCad for electronic documentation of control systems and project footprint layouts.
• Fork truck, JLG man lift, electrician’s hand tools and Arc Flash and other required PPE.
• This position involves significant physical activity. You must be able to lift to 50 pounds to shoulder height on occasion and remain physically mobile throughout the entire shift, including extensive walking, climbing, kneeling, stooping, and using stairs. You must be able to stand for periods of up to six hours. You will need sufficient dexterity to operate phones, computers, and precision mechanical tools. The role may occasionally require driving. Full sensory capability is required, including the ability to hear, smell, touch, speak, taste, and distinguish colors. You must be able to work in tight spaces and tolerate exposure to both high heat and cold for the full duration of the shift. Some tasks require remaining stationary at a computer for up to six hours.

If the above speaks to you, we’re excited to learn more about you! At Sempreon, we know that our people are our greatest strength. At Lawrenceburg, we are extremely focused on our 2026 Safety initiative, and we hope you want to be a part of that. With different perspectives and unique ways of thinking, our employees are as varied as our products. We believe that inclusivity strengthens the organization and champions a company culture that is evolving to reflect all of us. Culture results from our behaviors, our personal commitment, our curiosity, how we collaborate, and the ways we courageously share our perspectives and expect others to do the same. Each of us can make a difference by fostering thinking and actions that empower us to connect, belong, and grow together.

Sempreon offers exceptional medical, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, 401(k) Match and PTO.

All successful candidates for this position will be required to submit to a criminal background check and drug test as well as physical assessment.

Candidates will also be required to achieve a qualifying score on a pre-employment mechanical assessment.