SR. Manager, Automation and Controls (Manufacturing Plant)

Job Description Summary:

At The Coca-Cola Company, we bring together the power of our people, our brands, technology and innovation to refresh the world and make a difference. Our manufacturing operations are critical to delivering quality products safely, efficiently and reliably, and automation plays an increasingly important role in how we build the manufacturing environment of the future.

The Senior Manager, Automation and Controls will be based at our Ontario, California facility and will lead automation and controls capabilities that support safe, reliable and efficient manufacturing operations. This role will have primary responsibility for the Ontario facility while providing limited automation and controls support to our Portland facility, requiring approximately 5% travel.

This position will lead a small team of Automation and Controls Technicians and serve as a senior technical resource for automation, controls, instrumentation and manufacturing systems. The role will partner closely with Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, Quality, Safety and Information Technology teams to improve equipment reliability, strengthen controls infrastructure, support capital projects and advance manufacturing technology.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise in industrial automation and controls with practical manufacturing experience, strong problem-solving capabilities and effective people leadership. They bring a continuous-improvement mindset and can translate operational challenges into sustainable automation solutions while developing the technical capabilities of their team.

Key Responsibilities and Position-Related Functions

• Lead and develop a small team of Automation and Controls Technicians, establishing clear priorities, technical standards, development plans and expectations for safe and effective execution.
• Provide technical leadership for the Ontario manufacturing facility across industrial automation, programmable logic controllers (Rockwell PLC Platform), human-machine interfaces, supervisory control systems, instrumentation, industrial networks, motion control and related manufacturing technologies.
• Ignition Software Platform and Database Development experience.
• Provide limited automation and controls support for the Portland facility, including technical troubleshooting, project consultation and alignment on controls standards, with approximately 5% travel.
• Partner with Operations, Maintenance and Engineering teams to identify chronic equipment issues, determine root causes and implement controls and automation solutions that improve reliability, throughput and operating performance.
• Lead troubleshooting of complex controls and automation issues, using structured problem-solving, equipment data and technical expertise to reduce downtime and prevent recurrence.
• Establish and maintain controls standards, system documentation, software backups, change-management practices and lifecycle strategies for automation assets.
• Support capital projects from concept through commissioning by developing technical requirements, evaluating automation solutions, reviewing control system designs and ensuring successful installation, testing, start-up and handover.
• Partner with internal teams, original equipment manufacturers, system integrators and other technical suppliers to ensure automation solutions meet operational requirements and established Coca-Cola standards.
• Develop strategies for managing aging or obsolete controls hardware and software, prioritizing replacements based on operational risk, equipment criticality and business needs.
• Strengthen preventive and predictive maintenance practices for automation and controls systems to improve equipment availability and reduce unplanned failures.
• Use manufacturing and controls data to identify performance trends, recurring losses and improvement opportunities, translating data into actionable recommendations.
• Advance digital manufacturing capabilities by evaluating appropriate applications of connected systems, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence-enabled tools to improve troubleshooting, reliability and decision-making.
• Collaborate with Information Technology and appropriate cybersecurity partners to help protect industrial control environments, maintain appropriate system access and support secure industrial network architecture.
• Ensure automation work supports applicable safety, quality, environmental and regulatory requirements, including safe equipment design and control of hazardous energy.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to simplify systems, improve equipment performance, reduce waste and energy consumption, and increase the long-term reliability and maintainability of manufacturing assets.
• Build technical capability across the organization through coaching, documentation, standardized troubleshooting practices and knowledge sharing with technicians, maintenance teams and other manufacturing partners.

Education and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in industrial automation, controls engineering, electrical systems or manufacturing engineering, preferably within a high-speed manufacturing, food and beverage, consumer packaged goods or similarly complex production environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading, supervising or developing automation, controls or technical professionals in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong hands-on knowledge of programmable logic controller programming, human-machine interfaces, industrial controls, instrumentation, variable-frequency drives, servo or motion systems and industrial communication networks.
• Experience troubleshooting complex automated equipment and applying structured root-cause analysis to recurring equipment and controls failures.
• Experience supporting manufacturing capital projects, including controls specifications, design review, system integration, factory or site acceptance testing, commissioning and start-up.
• Working knowledge of industrial control system cybersecurity principles, network segmentation, access management, backup and recovery practices, and disciplined automation change management.
• Strong data literacy with the ability to use manufacturing information, equipment data and digital tools to identify trends, diagnose performance issues and prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Demonstrated digital fluency and an understanding of how advanced analytics and artificial intelligence tools can responsibly support manufacturing reliability, troubleshooting, predictive maintenance and operational decision-making.
• Knowledge of electrical and machine safety practices and applicable industrial standards, with the ability to integrate safety requirements into automation and controls solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing technical priorities, respond effectively to critical manufacturing issues and balance immediate production needs with sustainable long-term solutions.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to explain complex technical issues to technical and non-technical partners and influence decisions across Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Safety and Information Technology.
• Experience managing vendors, system integrators and original equipment manufacturers, including technical scope, execution expectations and solution quality.
• Proven ability to coach and develop technical team members while building accountability, knowledge sharing and consistent technical practices.
• Continuous-improvement mindset with experience applying structured problem-solving, reliability or Lean manufacturing methods to improve manufacturing performance.
• Understanding of sustainability principles and the role automation can play in reducing energy consumption, material loss, waste and manufacturing inefficiency.
• Ability to provide limited support to the Portland facility and travel approximately 5% based on business needs.

What We’ll Do for You

• Provide the opportunity to shape automation and controls capabilities at a critical manufacturing facility while directly influencing safety, reliability, productivity and the evolution of our manufacturing technology.
• Give you the opportunity to lead and develop a specialized technical team while remaining closely connected to hands-on engineering, troubleshooting and manufacturing improvement work.
• Expand your exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies, digital tools, data analytics and emerging artificial intelligence applications as we continue to evolve how our manufacturing operations work.
• Connect you with engineering, operations and technical professionals across the Coca-Cola system, providing opportunities to broaden your manufacturing expertise while solving meaningful operational challenges.

The Coca-Cola Company will not offer sponsorship for employment status (including, but not limited to, H1-B visa status and other employment-based nonimmigrant visas) for this position. Accordingly, all applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis and must not require The Coca-Cola Company's sponsorship to continue to work legally in the United States.

Skills:

Cross-Functional Teamwork, Efficiency Optimization, Program Management, Quality by Design, Risk Assessments, Technical Innovation

Pay Range:

United States: 131,000 - 175,000 USD


Base pay offered may vary depending on geography, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position, is offered.

Location(s):

United States of America

City/Cities:

Ontario

Travel Required:

00% - 25%

Relocation Provided:

Yes

Job Posting End Date:

December 4, 2026

Our Purpose and Growth Culture:

We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. When we collect your personal information as part of a job application or offer of employment, we do so in accordance with industry standards and best practices and in compliance with applicable privacy laws.