Automation Engineer (35609)

Location: Richmond, VA OR Minneapolis, MN OR Seattle, WA

Compensation: $50 to $80/hour, depending on experience

Travel: Approximately 20 to 25%

About the role

We’re looking for an Automation Engineer to join an established engineering organization designing custom water and wastewater treatment systems for major industrial and municipal clients. This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys the full controls picture, from reviewing P&IDs and developing I/O through PLC/HMI/SCADA programming, instrumentation, electrical and control design, testing and commissioning. The ideal candidate is someone who can bridge the gap between Automation, Electrical and Instrumentation. You don't need to be an expert in everything, but the more of the controls package you can own, the better.

Responsibilities

• Developing PLC, HMI and SCADA applications
• Reviewing P&IDs, I/O lists, electrical schematics, instrumentation and automated valve lists
• Developing control strategies, sequences and interlocks
• Supporting control panel and electrical design
• Working with instrumentation, VFDs and process control equipment
• Supporting industrial network design, including distributed and redundant architectures
• Developing and maintaining controls documentation
• Working directly with engineers, project teams and customers to resolve technical issues
• Supporting factory acceptance testing (FAT), panel checkouts and commissioning
• Providing controls support both remotely and at customer/project sites

Technical Environment

Experience with one or more of the following is valuable:

• Rockwell / Allen-Bradley
• Siemens
• Schneider
• Emerson
• PLC / HMI / SCADA
• Industrial networking
• VFDs
• Process instrumentation
• Electrical and control panel design
• Process controls

You don't need to know every platform listed above. We're more interested in your controls fundamentals, problem-solving ability, and willingness to learn new systems.

What Makes This Role Different

You aren't just handed a PLC program and told to code it. You'll have the opportunity to understand the process, participate in the engineering and controls design, develop the automation system, work through testing and ultimately help bring the system online. Projects can support a variety of industries, including water/wastewater, food and beverage, microelectronics and municipal applications, so the engineering challenges can vary considerably from project to project. It's also primarily an engineering office role, rather than a constant travel position. When travel is required, it's generally tied to a specific need such as FAT, panel checkout, customer meetings, site visits, or commissioning.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or equivalent technical education/experience
• 5+ years of relevant engineering or controls experience
• Hands-on PLC programming experience
• Experience with HMI and/or SCADA
• Understanding of instrumentation, VFDs and process controls
• Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, electrical schematics and I/O documentation
• Understanding of industrial networking
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with engineering teams and customers
• Valid driver's license and passport
• Willingness to travel approximately 20 to 25% when projects require it

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401(k)
• PTO