Control Systems Engineer - Houston, TX

About the role

S&B is seeking a Control System Engineer for all phases of control system development and control system equipment design for projects of varying sizes and complexities.

Responsibilities

• Meets with clients' technical staff to discuss technical information and features.
• Prepares sketches and performs calculations for a detailed segment of a project.
• Conducts field trips to existing plants to gather operating data and equipment information.
• Prepares equipment specifications, inquiry, and purchase requisitions for approval.
• Evaluates vendors' bids and drawings to assure compliance with specifications.
• Communicates equipment design to client and other design disciplines.
• Reviews and approves design drawings for assigned segment of a project.
• Participates in reviews of Process Flow Diagrams and Piping and Instrument Diagrams.
• Participates in the preparation of equipment lists, instrument index and process specifications for instruments.
• Develop System Architecture drawings showing all control systems on the project including required hardware and communication protocols that interface with the DCS, SIS, PLCs, Analyzers, vendor packaged equipment and Central Control rooms and any other required platform.
• Prepare control system specification and procurement for multiple control system platforms and attend Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) for equipment purchased by the project or by the client.
• Develop and support Safety Instrument System (SIS) documentation, which includes but is not limited to Cause and Effect, Safety Requirement Specification, Safety Instrumented Function design, Safety Integrity Level (SIL) calculations and all other documentation related to the Functional Safety Management Plan.
• Able to support and/or facilitate an Alarm Rationalization between key stakeholders for the project.
• Makes sure subcontracted technical services' activities are monitored.
• Participates in preparation of design guides, guide specifications and contract proposals.
• May supervise and direct the activities of other personnel working on one or more projects.
• Provides input to estimates, proposals, scheduling, manpower planning, et cetera.
• Participates in plant start-ups and field assignments as required.
• Participates in equipment inspections at vendors' facilities.
• May plan, organize and supervise design engineering activities for a project of significant size and complexity (e.g., continuing services project requiring the integration of two or more engineering disciplines), or two or more projects of moderate size and complexity (e.g., continuing services projects involving a single engineering discipline).
• Experienced in safety shutdown and/or critical control systems.
• Experienced in PLC programming, logic, human-machine interface and/or graphics.
• Experienced in DCS programming, configuration, human-machine interface and/or graphics.
• May participate with construction personnel concerning constructability issues as related to field conditions, sequencing, and scheduling of construction activities.
• May require foreign travel and assignment.

Qualifications and Experience

• Requires a minimum of 10 years’ experience in Control Systems Engineering (or equivalent working knowledge/experience).
• Incumbent must be cognizant of the capabilities and limitations of various computer software packages and automated engineering and design equipment to effectively direct their use for diverse engineering assignments.
• Certified Functional Safety Engineer (Exida CFSE) or TUV Functional Safety Engineer registration is preferred.

Skills

• Ability to read, analyze and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures or governmental regulations.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence and procedure manuals.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of clients, managers, designers and engineers.
• Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference, and fundamentals of plane and solid geometry and trigonometry.
• Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations.

Physical Demands

• Occasionally may conduct or participate in a field trip to an operating plant or construction site.
• This requires normal hearing, the ability to stand, walk, reach, climb and balance, clear close and distance vision, depth perception and the ability to focus.
• Lifting up to 25 pounds may be required.