DAVID PRICE
Principal Automation Engineer | Controls & Plant Engineering Leader
SENIOR PROFILE
Principal automation and controls leader for regulated plant systems, modernizing and validating
PLC/SCADA/batch environments across pharmaceutical and biotechnology manufacturing. Builds standards,
runs FAT/SFAT, and leads cross-functional delivery that cuts commissioning risk and strengthens
multi-site consistency (Allen-Bradley, Modicon, AVEVA, Ignition, and related platforms). Additional
experience includes energy/biogas multi-site automation programs and hands-on packaging/robotics plant
support.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Plant Reliability / Uptime
Automation Performance
Capital Projects / Upgrades
Process Optimization
Equipment Troubleshooting
Packaging / Robotics / Controls
PLC / DCS / SCADA Systems
Root Cause / Corrective Action
Ops & Maintenance Support
Commissioning / FAT / SAT
Lean Manufacturing / CI
Technical Docs / SOPs
Allen-Bradley Studio 5000
AVEVA / Wonderware / Ignition
AI-Assisted Engineering / PM
Modicon M580 / Control Expert
SQL / Data Analysis / Reporting
Document Comparison / Review
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Provide senior automation, controls, validation, and plant engineering support for CCP1 control-system modernization, operational readiness, code review, functional testing, and regulated project execution.
- Perform code reviews and technical assessments across multiple control platforms, including baseline verification, migration and connection testing, issue resolution, and multi-user DocuSign engineering review workflows.
- Develop M580 / Control Expert design guidance covering programming standards, function blocks, data structures, unit/phase architecture, inter-controller communications, naming conventions, and migration practices.
- Led functional and failure-mode validation of Modicon M580 to Schneider OFS/OPC to AVEVA Application Server / AVEVA Batch communications on virtualized Windows Server with redundant components — focused on process data, batch continuity, and recovery, not HMI display alone.
- Planned and executed controlled failover/infrastructure tests after defining expected failure behavior (OFS/OPC interrupt, Application Server failover, data-acquisition server failover, VM migration, snapshots, antivirus scans, server failover) while monitoring PLC, OPC, AppServer, and batch behavior.
- Analyzed tag quality, historian data, missed/delayed reads, interruption duration, and recipe status to separate acceptable transients from manufacturing defects.
- Verified acceptance criteria: tags returned Good quality, communications auto-recovered, running recipes continued, no persistent HELD/ABORTED conditions, and missed reads within threshold.
- Documented measurable evidence that the architecture recovered from evaluated disturbances without persistent batch or process failures — replacing assumptions about redundancy with tested resiliency.
- Use AI-assisted engineering and project-management tools for document comparison, technical review, SQL development, test-data analysis, report generation, and continuous-improvement activities.
- Provided hands-on plant-floor automation leadership for high-speed manufacturing, packaging, robotics, PLC/HMI systems, production support, and operational reliability improvement.
- Troubleshot and supported automated equipment including JLS robotic systems, Fuji wrapper equipment, Allen-Bradley / Studio 5000 controls, QA/QC processes, SOPs, training, and RedZone operational workflows.
- Partnered with operations, maintenance, quality, and management teams to stabilize equipment performance, improve technical documentation, support workforce capability, and reduce production risk.
- Led technical delivery and project management for South Jersey Industries' multi-site, multi-state BioGas automation and data-delivery program, building repeatable enterprise standards instead of one-off installs.
- Owned the customer, vendor, operations, IT, and engineering interface across PLC, SCADA, Ignition, instrumentation, and commissioning; mentored and reviewed engineers on delivery quality.
- Authored automation design standards, interface/design docs, SOWs, PLC/SCADA requirements, Ignition architecture and configuration, naming and data structures, FAT/SFAT procedures, commissioning docs, and SOPs.
- Ran structured FAT/SFAT from functional and design requirements, with disciplined issue tracking, fix, and retest through acceptance.
- Cut commissioning time ~80% through standards, design reviews, FAT/SFAT rigor, and issue discipline — improving multi-site consistency, catching issues earlier, and lowering ongoing support cost.
- Led cross-functional automation teams supporting product transfers, equipment changes, system integration, and compliant project execution in regulated manufacturing environments.
- Developed test documentation, change requests, functional specifications, and automation deliverables aligned with GMP, GAMP, ANSI/ISA-95, S88, and 21 CFR Part 11 expectations.
- Designed, developed, and tested control-system solutions using Siemens DCS / 4-Mation and Wonderware InBatch, InTouch, and ArchestrA platforms.
- Led control-system architecture, sequence-of-operation, instrument BOM, MES/historian integration, and commissioning using Rockwell PLC/SLCs, Studio 5000, FactoryTalk View SE, OSI PI, Oracle, and Microsoft Server technologies.
- Developed and executed FAT and SFAT documentation while supporting startup, troubleshooting, and commissioning of new and existing control systems.
- Held automation engineering, project leadership, business ownership, and software development roles supporting Honeywell Experion, TotalPlant Batch, Wonderware InBatch upgrades, APACS DCS startup/commissioning, Honeywell TDC 3000 simulator integration, HMI graphics, C# batch manager API work, SQL, ASP, JavaScript, HTML, and PHP solutions.
- Built broad technical leadership experience across plant automation, process control, software, data, customer-facing delivery, commissioning, troubleshooting, and operational support.
SELECTED TECHNICAL PROJECTS
Hands-on craft proofs (not the hire target): ESP32 / Arduino sensor monitoring, analog signal conditioning,
Wi-Fi data acquisition, robotics, and controls experimentation.
Examples: davidclarkprice.com
EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION
- Bachelor of Science, Computer Science - East Stroudsburg University, May 1997
- Lean Management Certification, Lean & Six Sigma for All Sectors, Including Manufacturing - Six Sigma University Amsterdam, June 2023