Control and Automation Product Support Engineer in Milton Keynes

European Technical Centre Industrial Automation and Control Engineer

Location: Milton Keynes

The company

SMC Corporation is based in Milton Keynes, with a well‑established 14‑acre site. UK customers benefit from quicker delivery and customised product options where required because many SMC products are finished or assembled by hand in the Milton Keynes facility.

In addition to the 390 staff based in Milton Keynes, SMC also has a nationwide sales team of around 120 technically trained sales engineers.

From putting the soles on your shoes, to the tarmac they walk on; from a packet of crisps to silicon chips; from wooden toothpicks to electric cars; you’d be amazed at the things we get involved in.

We don’t do these things ourselves, of course, but we have worked with the people that do… to enable their efforts and dreams to be realised. Sometimes our role is significant; sometimes it’s small, but it’s never trivial and it’s always rewarding.

Our European Technical Centre is currently expanding, providing growth opportunities for those who join, with a particular focus on Electric Actuators design. As part of our global development team, led by SMC Japan, we are focused on delivering innovative and future‑proof solutions to our customers.

Imagine working for a global market leader in pneumatic and automation technology, where innovation and customer satisfaction is at the forefront of what we do. We are offering a unique opportunity to become part of a global Technical Development team; if you’re looking for a new challenge with a career development path, get in touch now.

The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our European Technical Centre. We are looking for an engineer with experience in setting‑up and programming PLCs to provide product support to our European subsidiaries.

Experience with major industrial communication protocols is desirable, such as PROFINET, EtherCAT, Ethernet/IP, OPC UA and IO‑Link. The role requires supporting our electrical products by answering technical questions, providing assistance for specific customer applications and performing fault investigations.

The successful candidate will also be required to design and deliver training courses/presentations to European subsidiaries, create operation manuals and technical guides, as well as carrying out investigations and tests to evaluate SMC products.

To be successful in this role, you must have:

• A Degree or HND Qualification – Electrical, Electronics, Software or Electromechanical Engineering
• Minimum 1‑year relevant work experience
• Knowledge of PLCs and Ladder or Structured Text programming language
• Strong verbal and written communication skills as you will be required to write detailed, technical reports and product documentation
• The ability to occasionally travel abroad to support customers with our product, research exhibitions for market trends, and join in‑person meetings.

Desirable, but not essential skills:

• Experience of troubleshooting on electrical components and communication networks
• Experience to plan and manage projects
• Technical product support experience
• Experience of delivering technical training
• Experience with some industrial communication protocols for example PROFINET, EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, OPC UA and IO‑Link
• Experience with some PLC engineering tools, e.g. Tia Portal, TwinCAT and Studio 5000
• European or Japanese language skills

What We Offer

The reason for our success is our people. Every team member has a voice, and this contributes to our successes as a company! We take pride in our collaborative, innovative and customer‑focused culture where team members feel respected, empowered and valued.

We are continuously working to make our team even more diverse and inclusive. We welcome applications from all and are committed to attracting, recruiting and retaining the most talented individuals. SMC has sustainable development goals as we believe in caring for our futures as well as the future of the planet.

We offer a competitive and attractive package of benefits including, life assurance, private medical cover, 25 days holiday including a holiday trading scheme and more!

The Selection Process

Upon application, candidates will be asked to undertake some online testing, a first interview online, and lastly a second interview face‑to‑face, onsite at our SMC Offices.