Automation Application Engineer

This role focuses on developing automation solutions and supporting opportunity qualification for industrial control and process automation projects. You will lead technical discovery with customers, design conceptual solutions across PLC, SCADA, HMI, and industrial networks, and support proposal development by translating operational needs into robust, scalable technical architectures.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical discovery sessions with customers to understand operational objectives, process requirements, and constraints.
• Conduct site assessments and field evaluations to gather data, validate existing systems, and support project scoping activities.
• Develop conceptual automation solutions that encompass PLC systems, SCADA platforms, HMI applications, industrial networks, process control systems, and instrumentation and controls.
• Prepare preliminary system architectures and high-level technical recommendations that align with customer requirements and industry standards.
• Identify project risks, assumptions, exclusions, and key deliverables to ensure clear expectations and realistic project planning.
• Partner closely with customers to define detailed operational and performance requirements for proposed automation solutions.
• Evaluate opportunity readiness prior to releasing opportunities to estimating, ensuring sufficient definition and clarity of scope.
• Develop detailed scope documentation and supporting technical information to guide engineering, estimating, and project execution teams.
• Collaborate with engineering, project management, and estimating teams to create comprehensive customer proposals.
• Support equipment selection, system integration strategies, labor planning, and execution approaches for automation projects.
• Participate in proposal reviews and validate alignment between customer requirements and proposed technical solutions.
• Contribute technical insight on PLC programming, automation upgrades, and control system modernization to improve solution quality and competitiveness.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in industrial automation, controls engineering, systems integration, or applications engineering.
• Strong understanding of industrial control systems and automation technologies, including PLC systems, SCADA platforms, HMI applications, and industrial networks.
• Hands-on experience with Rockwell Automation technologies, including Allen-Bradley platforms and Studio 5000.
• Experience with PLC programming and automation upgrades in industrial environments.
• Proven experience with scope development, requirements gathering, and proposal support for automation or control system projects.
• Ability to lead customer-facing technical discovery and translate operational needs into clear technical requirements.
• Strong understanding of process automation, instrumentation, and controls in industrial applications.
• Familiarity with industrial networking concepts and architectures.

This is not a programming role, but an opportunity to be the technical subject-matter expert in bridging customer needs and solutions.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $70.00/hr. Individual compensation offered within this range will depend on qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Benefits

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may include specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short- and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation, or Sick Leave)

Schedule

This is a contract, hybrid position based in Irving, TX.