Automation Engineer - ELYSIS - Alcoa USA Group

A New Era for the Aluminum Industry – ELYSIS 

Carbon Free Aluminum                                                                         

The ELYSIS™ technologyis the greatest breakthrough in the aluminum industry since its beginnings in 1886. Work is underway now to further develop this revolutionary new way to produce aluminum, eliminating carbon dioxide and all other greenhouse gas emissions from the traditional smelting process.

The ELYSIS process eliminates the use of carbon anodes, replacing those with proprietary materials. It is the first industrial process that emits oxygen as its by-product and has the potential to transform an entire industry.

In 2018, two international aluminum producers, Alcoa and Rio Tinto, came together to form the ELYSIS joint venture with the provincial government of Quebec. With support from the Canadian Government and Apple, the technology is progressing and is currently being designed to support the construction of new smelters or retrofits.

ELYSIS is headquartered in Montreal, with Technology Research & Development locations in Alma, Quebec, (Canada), in Jonquiere, Quebec, (Canada), in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, (United States), and in France.

Commercial quality metal produced by ELYSIS during the ongoing R&D process is already being used by Apple in a variety of products (The 16-inch MacBook Pro and the iPhone SE); Ab InBEV (cans); Audi (e-tron GT wheels produced by the RONAL Group), and Corona (cans).

Join the ELYSIS team in this exciting work!

About the location

The ELYSIS US Research & Development facility is located in the Alcoa Technical Center (ATC) in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. Located near Pittsburgh, the carbon-free smelting process was first developed at ATC, where a dedicated team is working to reinvent the aluminum industry for a sustainable future.

About the job

We are seeking a talented and passionate Automation engineer to join the ELYSIS Automation Team. This person will play a pivotal role in the development of systems that manufacture the electrodes at the core of the ELYSIS aluminum smelting technology.

Responsibilities:

• Design, program, test, and evaluate new process control algorithms and automation technologies on electrode production R&D platforms to increase the reliability and efficiency of the electrode manufacturing systems.
• Write detailed functional specifications based on input from R&D, operations, and industrialization team members of various expertise, ensuring clear documentation of system requirements, design principles, and implementation guidelines.
• Work with equipment suppliers to ensure accurate and timely implementation of functional specifications.
• Proactively seek opportunities for innovation and improvement in control system designs, processes, and methodologies.
• Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, and automation engineers in ELYSIS design teams to ensure equipment integrates seamlessly with the plant and other process equipment.
• Participate in Factory Acceptance Tests and Site Acceptance Tests to ensure systems are developed and installed in line with the original specifications.
• Develop and oversee change management system to track all changes from R&D development through industrial equipment implementation.

About you

Our values – act with integrity, operate with excellence, care for people, and lead with courage – are at the foundation of everything we do. To be successful in this role and to play a part in our ongoing success we desire the following background:

• Master’s degree in electrical engineering with a focus in control theory or bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Software Engineering, or equivalent.
• Minimum 3 years in hands-on industrial control system design, installation, and commissioning.
• Preferred: 5 years in hands-on industrial control system design with a focus on machine vision and robotics.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a keen attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with a team comprised of diverse expertise and backgrounds.
• Ability to adapt to changing project requirements and priorities in a dynamic engineering environment.
• Proficient in common industrial control system programming languages such as ladder logic and structured text.
• Strong expertise in Ethernet/IP and Modbus communication protocols.
• Proven ability to write clear and concise functional specifications.

Be Part of an Unprecedented Partnership

At ELYSIS we are committed to an inclusive environment where people feel comfortable to be themselves. We want our people to feel that all voices are heard, all cultures respected and that a variety of perspectives are not only welcome – they are essential to success of the unprecedented partnership that ELYSIS is. We treat each other respectfully, fairly, compassionately and with dignity regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation or anything else that makes us different.

At ELYSIS, we particularly welcome and encourage applications from women, the LGBTQIA2 community, mature workers, people with disabilities and people from different cultural backgrounds.

ELYSIS is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.