Job Title: Class 1A, Controls Technician & Programmer
Department: Engineering and Maintenance
Reports To: Engineering & Maintenance Project Manager
Position Type: Full-time, Regular
Shift: Day, Swing, Night
Location: Watsonville, CA
FLSA Status: Non-exempt, Union
Company Overview
Since 1868, the Martinelli family has been producing award-winning apple juice. Located in the cool California Central Coast, the fertile Pajaro Valley produces the most flavorful apple varieties in the world. Since winning its first gold medal in 1890, Martinelli’s has received more than fifty gold medals for product excellence. Distribution of Martinelli’s Gold Medal® products now extends to every state in the U.S. and globally.
Job Summary
The Controls Technician/Programmer is responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, and optimizing the electrical control systems that support production equipment across the facility, including bottling lines and the filter department. This role provides technical expertise in PLC and HMI systems (primarily Allen-Bradley, as well as Siemens, Omron, and vendor-specific platforms), VFDs, servo drives, motion controls, and SCADA/industrial network systems to ensure reliable and efficient operation of machinery.
The Controls Technician/Programmer will lead controls-related projects, including system modifications, panel adjustments, programming, and HMI interface development. They collaborate closely with engineering, maintenance, and production teams to integrate new or modified control systems seamlessly into existing equipment, driving continuous improvement and automation efficiency.
Key responsibilities include diagnosing hardware and instrumentation issues, performing calibration and functional testing, maintaining accurate digital documentation, and supporting system upgrades to improve equipment performance, reliability, and safety. This position is critical to ensuring optimal operation of automation systems, supporting process improvements, and enabling high-performance production outcomes.
Job Functions
- Troubleshoot and maintain all production electrical controls related equipment, systems and OT network devices to ensure maximum operational equipment effectiveness OEE.
- Assist in the proper operation and maintenance of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), etc.
- Support the research, design, development, and installation of electrical control systems for production equipment and machinery.
- Contribute to managing projects to ensure they are completed on time, within budget, and meet customer requirements.
- Help maintain digital documentation of control systems, including programs, modifications, electrical design, schematics, and drawings.
- Stay updated on control hardware and software obsolescence and assist in necessary updates.
- Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of automation processes.
- Support a team of controls and programming technicians/mechanics in their daily tasks.
- Assist with organizing and participating in training sessions for the control team, maintenance personnel, and operators to ensure proper hardware and software usage.
- Provide regular updates and reports to senior management on the performance of the controls and programming team, including training progress, project updates, budget status, and any issues or risks.
- Collaborate with Maintenance Management and Production Supply Planner to help schedule manpower and resources for effective production and maintenance outcomes.
- Respond promptly to requests or emails from internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment of objectives, requirements, and project timelines.
- Assist other department heads in implementing strategies to improve process efficiency.
- Follow and help implement policies and procedures to ensure consistent and effective controls and programming practices across the organization.
- Adhere to Collective Bargaining Agreement, Plant Rules, Code of Safe Work Practices, and other applicable policies.
- Perform other assigned duties and responsibilities as directed by Management.
Job Qualifications
- Minimum of five (5) years of experience working with industrial automation technology in a production or manufacturing environment.
- Proficiency with PLCs, primarily Allen-Bradley (ControlLogix, CompactLogix, RSLogix, Studio 5000), with working knowledge of Siemens or other vendor systems.
- Hands-on experience configuring and designing HMI systems, such as Allen-Bradley FactoryTalk View or Wonderware/AVEVA.
- Strong ability to troubleshoot, diagnose, and resolve complex control system issues, including hardware, software, and communication networks.
- Familiarity with Vision Systems (Cognex, Keyence) and integration with automation systems.
- Experience with motion control systems and actuators, including Allen-Bradley Servos, SEW, and Rexroth.
- Knowledge of VFDs, servo drives, and motion controllers for