Company Description

Since our inception in 2002, Mid America Agri Products/Wheatland has remained true to the Great Plains values that were integral to our foundation. At MAAPW, collaboration, strategy, and innovation are the cornerstones of our company culture. We believe in sharing ideas, skills, and efforts to adapt to an ever-changing environment. These tenets have allowed us to stay on the cutting edge of operational improvement and become a leader in our industry.

Our forward-thinking team is consistently exploring new avenues for growth. Our current focus involves incorporating CO2 sequestration and finding strategic alternatives for our ethanol, beyond the traditional liquid fuels market. From our Lead Operators to our Lab Analysts, the process of skill-sharing and collaborative problem-solving is essential. Our team helps guide our path forward with new ideas for constant operational improvement within an ever-evolving production landscape.

Vitol is a leader in energy and commodities. Vitol produces, manages and delivers energy and commodities to consumers and industry worldwide. In addition to its primary business of trading, Vitol is invested in infrastructure globally, with $10+billion invested in long-term assets.

Our people are our business. Talent is precious to us and we create an environment in which individuals can reach their full potential, unhindered by hierarchy. Our team comprises more than 65+ nationalities and we are committed to developing and sustaining a diverse work force.

Job Description

The Electrical, Instrumentation & Controls Technician is responsible for supporting the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the plant’s electrical, instrumentation, automation, and process-control systems.

This position performs preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance; troubleshoots equipment and control-system issues; supports plant projects and shutdowns; and recommends improvements that increase equipment reliability and plant performance. The technician works closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, equipment vendors, and outside contractors.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Safety and compliance

Strictly follow and help enforce MAAPW safety, environmental, and operating policies and procedures.
Perform work in accordance with applicable OSHA requirements, the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70E, Nebraska electrical requirements, and recognized industry standards.
Follow established lockout/tagout, arc-flash, confined-space, hot-work, and electrical-safe-work procedures.
Perform only work for which the employee is properly trained, qualified, authorized, and—when required—licensed.
Participate in job-safety analyses, pre-job planning, incident investigations, and plant safety initiatives.
Immediately report unsafe conditions and exercise stop-work authority when necessary.

Electrical and control systems

Safely install, inspect, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair plant electrical, instrumentation, automation, and control equipment.
Maintain and troubleshoot motors, motor-control centers, variable-frequency drives, starters, relays, transformers, switchgear, control panels, power supplies, and related equipment.
Troubleshoot PLC, DCS, HMI, input/output, industrial communication, alarm, interlock, and process-control issues.
Make authorized PLC/DCS programming or configuration changes in accordance with company procedures and management-of-change requirements.
Install and maintain conduit, wiring, junction boxes, control panels, grounding systems, and related components within the employee’s authorized and legally permitted scope.
Read, interpret, and effectively use electrical schematics, one-line diagrams, loop drawings, P&IDs, control narratives, equipment manuals, vendor documentation, procedures, and applicable codes.

Instrumentation

Install, calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot flow, level, pressure, and temperature transmitters and related instrumentation.
Calibrate and maintain analyzers, switches, valve positioners, control valves, actuators, and other final control elements.
Work with 4–20 mA, HART, fieldbus, and other industrial communication protocols used at the plant.
Properly use multimeters, process calibrators, loop simulators, insulation testers, and other electrical and instrumentation test equipment.
Maintain complete and accurate calibration and inspection records.

Maintenance and reliability

Perform preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance activities as assigned.
Diagnose electrical, instrumentation, and control-system failures and assist with root-cause analysis.
Identify recurring equipment problems and recommend reliability, safety, and process improvements.
Participate in maintenance planning, scheduling, spare-parts management, and equipment-criticality reviews.
Support mechanical repairs and other maintenance activities when properly trained and assigned.
Participate in plant shutdowns, startups, commissioning activities, and scheduled outages.
Maintain clean and orderly equipment, electrical rooms, workspaces, and grounds.

Projects and documentation

Work with plant personnel, engineers, equipment vendors, and outside contractors to plan and implement new installations and system upgrades.
Assist with equipment testing, commissioning, startup, and project closeout.
Create, revise, and maintain reports, electrical records, calibration documentation, drawings, and equipment information.
Use the computerized maintenance management system to document work orders, preventive maintenance, inspections, calibrations, abnormal conditions, downtime, troubleshooting, and repairs.
Communicate equipment status, operating concerns, and maintenance activities clearly to Operations, Maintenance, and management.

Technical Leadership & Continuous Improvement

Serve as a plant technical resource for complex electrical, instrumentation, and controls issues.
Support commissioning, startup, loop checks, and operational readiness for new equipment and plant projects.
Participate in root-cause investigations and corrective actions involving electrical and control-system failures.
Review designs, drawings, and equipment selections and provide practical feedback on reliability and maintainability.
Train and mentor operators and maintenance personnel on I/E/C systems and troubleshooting.
Help develop plant standards and identify opportunities to simplify systems, improve reliability, and reduce dependence on outside technical support.

Qualifications

High school diploma or equivalent.
Industrial electrical, instrumentation, automation, or controls experience—or an equivalent combination of technical education and relevant experience.
Working knowledge of industrial electrical systems and electrical-safe-work practices.
Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, loop drawings, P&IDs, and technical manuals.
Experience troubleshooting instrumentation and industrial communication systems.
Experience working with PLC and/or DCS systems.
Valid driver’s license and ability to safely operate company vehicles and utility vehicles.
Ability to use a CMMS or learn the plant’s maintenance-management system.
Strong troubleshooting, communication, documentation, and organizational skills.
Ability to manage multiple assignments and take ownership of assigned work.
Ability to work independently while supporting a team-based operating environment.

Preferred Qualifications

Associate degree, technical diploma, or formal training in electrical technology, instrumentation, industrial maintenance, automation, or a related field.
Three or more years of industrial electrical and instrumentation experience.
Experience in ethanol, grain processing, food processing, chemical manufacturing, energy, or another continuous-process facility.
Active Nebraska journeyman electrician license or the ability to obtain the appropriate Nebraska license.
ISA certification, such as Certified Control Systems Technician, or a comparable industry credential.
Experience with motor-control centers, variable-frequency drives, industrial networks, and process-control instrumentation.
Previous reliability-maintenance or predictive-maintenance experience.
PLC/DCS troubleshooting, configuration, or programming experience.

Work Schedule and Availability

Must be available for overtime, weekends, holidays, and emergency response when required.
Must participate in the plant’s off-hours on-call rotation.
Must participate in scheduled plant shutdowns and outages.
Regular and reliable on-site attendance is required.

Physical and Environmental Requirements

With or without reasonable accommodation, the employee must be able to:

Lift and carry up to 60 pounds.
Climb stairs, ladders, platforms, and equipment structures.
Work at elevated locations and in confined spaces when properly trained and authorized.
Bend, stoop, kneel, reach, stand, and walk for extended periods.
Work indoors and outdoors in varying temperatures and weather conditions.
Work around industrial equipment, noise, dust, chemicals, and other conditions normally present at an ethanol-production facility.
Wear required personal protective equipment.

Key Competencies

Commitment to safety
Electrical and instrumentation troubleshooting
Sound judgment and problem-solving
Accuracy and attention to detail
Reliability and follow-through
Clear written and verbal communication
Teamwork and cooperation
Initiative and personal accountability
Ability to prioritize work in an operating plant

Additional Information

Comprehensive benefit coverage includes:

Medical
Dental
Vision
Paid Vacation
401k with company contributions
Life insurance
Short-term & Long-term disability

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Work locations