Controls Engineering Manager

Orenco Systems, Inc. (a subsidiary of Infiltrator Water Technologies) is a manufacturer of innovative onsite and decentralized wastewater collection and treatment technologies. Solutions include community collection systems, advanced secondary treatment systems, watertight fiberglass tanks, and in-tank pumping and filtration systems. Orenco also manufactures high-quality standard, custom, and OEM controls, along with state-of-the-art fiberglass buildings, tanks, and enclosures. Infiltrator Water Technologies is a market leader in the onsite wastewater treatment industry, producing environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional stone, pipe, and concrete septic system components. Products are sold through wholesale distribution across the United States and Canada.

About the role

Leads, manages, and directs a diverse workforce of engineers, technicians, and programmers to design, optimize, and enhance electronic control systems and instruments that automate and monitor industrial processes. This role drives standardization across control panel designs while ensuring seamless operation across Orenco's sales, engineering, product management, manufacturing, supply chain, and customer support teams through structured processes, tools, and documentation. The Controls Engineering Manager bridges engineering innovation and business strategy by optimizing component selection, panel assembly, and market-driven product improvements.

Responsibilities

• Continuously maintain Orenco’s safety, cultural, and professional standards; promote and reinforce a positive safety culture and safe work environment.
• Manage the deployment and integration of EPLAN Engineering Configurator (EEC) to automate engineering design and manufacturing workflows.
• Ensure EEC, EPLAN, CPQ, Quoter, and shop floor operations are fully integrated for seamless design-to-manufacturing execution.
• Develop and implement Engineering Design Guidelines to standardize custom controls while embedding continuous improvement into Orenco’s standard panel lines.
• Collaborate across sales, engineering, operations, manufacturing, quality control, and supply chain to align SOPs, testing procedures, and quality documentation with standardized design and production.
• Oversee revision control and approval processes, ensuring accurate, up-to-date documentation that supports efficiency at every stage of the product lifecycle.
• Develop, program, and troubleshoot PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and HMI (Human Machine Interface) systems from various manufacturers (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Schneider, etc.).
• Stay ahead of industry trends, competitor offerings, and customer needs to shape Orenco’s control panel product strategy.
• Work with procurement and supply chain staff to identify, negotiate, and select high-quality, cost-sensitive components, balancing price, availability, and performance.
• Evaluate aggregate control panel costs with cost accounting, factoring in labor savings from automation to justify higher-cost components.
• Partner with procurement to negotiate pricing, secure supply chains, and establish long-term partnerships with key component manufacturers.
• Lead rapid prototyping efforts for control panels utilizing new component configurations, ensuring feasibility before full production.
• Collaborate with the engineering team to evaluate new customer and OEM needs, providing value-engineered solutions that optimize design, cost, and manufacturability.
• Support customers in scaling their panel volume, ensuring Orenco’s control solutions drive efficiency, reliability, and business growth.
• Work closely with engineering and production teams to integrate new component configurations into Orenco’s existing control panel product lines.
• Develop and maintain a preferred components library, streamlining engineering design and manufacturing workflows.
• Collaborate with quality control staff to establish best practices, failure analysis protocols, a feedback loop, and preventive measures to reduce defects and production errors.
• Enhance engineering efficiency by reducing customization bottlenecks and driving standardization in control panel design.
• Design and develop scalable control panel solutions using the EPLAN suite and integration with corporate enterprise solutions, ensuring reliability, manufacturability, and compliance with industry standards.
• Ensure all designs align with UL508A, UL698A, NEC, NFPA, and other regulatory requirements, balancing safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
• Establish and manage structured revisioning and approval processes, ensuring design updates are documented, communicated, and implemented across teams.
• Specify and select electrical components, sensors, drives, and instrumentation for control systems.
• Act as the technical expert and trusted advisor for sales, distributors, and OEMs, providing deep insights into control panel capabilities and configurations.
• Support sales and business development teams in positioning Orenco’s control solutions competitively in the market.
• Develop and maintain a customer support knowledge base, ensuring field engineers and end users have access to clear troubleshooting guides and product documentation.
• Conduct technical training sessions for internal teams and key external partners to enhance product knowledge and adoption.
• Collaborate with sales, operations, engineering, product management, and manufacturing to ensure product offerings meet market demands and operational capabilities.
• Partner with the Orenco Water Sales team to ensure pump selection remains their responsibility while Controls focuses on electrical panel standardization and integration.
• Ensure CPQ, Quoter, EEC, and EPLAN tools remain fully synchronized, supporting Orenco’s long-term engineering automation strategy.
• Set departmental goals in support of corporate objectives; establish metrics and measurements for department work standards.
• Ensure each employee has a training plan and is fully trained to perform their job; conduct goal setting, quarterly evaluations, and annual performance appraisals.
• Document employee successes and failures; create and implement plans for challenging employees to grow and improve job performance or change behavior.
• Establish and continually improve standard operating procedures and workflows; maintain staffing levels based on workload forecasting and succession planning.
• Lead employees with compassion, respect, and honesty, upholding Orenco’s core values; facilitate and foster teamwork among employees.
• Provide feedback, coaching, and direction via frequent interactions with employees as they perform their work; offer training and development opportunities to assist employees in developing leadership skills.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, controls engineering, automation engineering, mechatronics, or related field required. Additional coursework or experience in product management, project management, business, or marketing is a plus.
• Minimum ten years of experience in control panel design, industrial automation, and product management (controls manufacturing experience preferred).
• 3-5 years of experience managing a team of engineers and technicians in a control panel design and manufacturing environment.
• 1-3 years of project management experience.
• Proficiency in EPLAN, including schematic design, component libraries, and automation tools is preferred; high-level skills in AutoCAD Electrical or SolidWorks Electrical are considered.
• Demonstrated experience deploying and managing a software application for engineering standardization.
• Strong understanding of motors, VFDs (Variable Frequency Drive), instrumentation, and industrial control circuits.
• Experience with SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition), remote telemetry, DCS (Distributed Controls Systems), IIOT (Industrial Internet of Things), and industrial communication protocols.
• Ability to troubleshoot and optimize electrical and control system panel designs for manufacturability and performance.
• Experience with cyber security strategies and standards for connected products in industrial environments.
• Familiarity with Intellectual Property (IP) protection, search, and filing is a plus.
• Experience in go-to-market strategies or product portfolio management with a focus on SKU complexity management is helpful.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with a talent for mentoring and influencing teams.
• Ability to balance multiple projects, meet deadlines, and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and related business software.
• Must be willing and able to travel by auto and airplane; comply with current travel regulations and guidelines of airlines and destination locations.
• Must meet and maintain Orenco’s approved driver criteria: valid driver’s license, satisfactory driving record, current insurance on personal vehicle, and meet company insurability requirements.

Tools & Equipment

• Cell Phone
• Computer
• General office equipment
• Hand Tools (screwdrivers and drills)
• Multi-line phone with intercom
• Multimeter
• Shop equipment (drill press, punch, break)
• Vehicle

Working Conditions

Primarily office environment with work sessions in manufacturing/production environments. Indoor/outdoor production environments may include some limited exposure to chemicals, paints, and solvent fumes generated during manufacturing processes.