Controls Design Manager

About the Role

This position combines engineering leadership, project execution, team development, and design governance to ensure high-quality, standards-compliant deliverables that support automation projects. As a hands-on technical leader, you will focus on team development, workload management, design quality, standards compliance, and successful project execution within a collaborative engineering and manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, train, and develop Controls Designers and Senior Controls Designers.
• Manage departmental workload planning, scheduling, staffing, priorities, and resource allocation.
• Establish, maintain, and enforce electrical CAD standards, procedures, best practices, and documentation requirements.
• Review and approve electrical drawing packages, design documentation, redlines, and release packages prior to manufacturing.
• Ensure compliance with UL 508A, NFPA 70 (NEC), NFPA 79, SCCR requirements, and customer specifications.
• Serve as the technical authority for industrial control panel design, electrical documentation, and controls design standards.
• Collaborate with Project Managers, Controls Engineers, Panel Shop personnel, and customers to support successful project execution.
• Support recruiting, onboarding, training, mentoring, and performance management of department personnel.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on design quality, workflow efficiency, standardization, and engineering processes.
• Oversee customer design reviews, technical discussions, and resolution of design-related issues.
• Review part selection, standardization efforts, component substitutions, and maintenance of design libraries and databases.
• Balance day-to-day project execution with long-term team development and departmental growth.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex controls design and documentation issues, ensuring cross-functional communication and alignment between engineering, manufacturing, and other departments.

Requirements

• 8+ years of industrial controls design experience, including industrial control panel design, electrical schematics, and controls documentation.
• 2–5+ years of leadership, supervisory, team lead, or people management experience within a controls design, electrical design, or engineering environment.
• Advanced proficiency with AutoCAD Electrical and/or EPLAN, including reviewing and approving electrical drawing packages.
• Experience leading workload planning, resource allocation, prioritization, and execution of multiple design projects.
• Strong knowledge of industrial control systems, control panel design practices, PLCs, instrumentation, VFDs, motor controls, and power distribution.
• Strong understanding of UL 508A, NFPA 70 (NEC), NFPA 79, SCCR requirements, and industrial control panel standards.
• Experience developing, maintaining, and enforcing design standards, CAD procedures, documentation requirements, and quality expectations.
• Excellent communication, customer-facing, mentoring, and cross-functional leadership skills with experience supporting project teams and customer design reviews.
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Electrical Technology, or a related technical discipline.

Additional Qualifications

• Previous experience as a Controls Design Manager, Engineering Manager, or Technical Team Lead.
• UL 508A Manufacturer Technical Representative (MTR) designation.
• Experience developing CAD standards, quality systems, and design best practices.
• Experience supporting panel fabrication and design-for-manufacturing initiatives.
• Experience maintaining design libraries, component databases, and documentation systems.
• Experience implementing workflow improvements, process standardization, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong working knowledge of both AutoCAD Electrical and EPLAN.
• Experience working within industrial automation, systems integration, OEM, control panel, or electrical design environments.

Work Environment

This is a full-time, on-site leadership opportunity within a collaborative engineering and manufacturing environment supporting industrial automation projects. The role works closely with Project Managers, Controls Engineers, Panel Shop personnel, customers, and company leadership to support successful project execution.

Pay

The pay range for this position is $89,000.00 - $98,000.00 per year.

Benefits

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and 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 position based in Harrisburg, PA, with a fully onsite work environment.