Electrical & Controls Project Manager

About the role

The Electrical & Controls Project Manager will own the electrical, controls, automation, and instrumentation scope for complex industrial capital projects. This role is highly technical and requires someone who can operate across the full lifecycle of an electrical and controls project.

Responsibilities

• Lead the electrical, controls, automation, and instrumentation scope for industrial capital projects from early design through commissioning and startup.
• Manage and support the design, installation, optimization, troubleshooting, and enhancement of industrial electrical power distribution systems, process controls, automation systems, and monitoring systems.
• Serve as an owner-side technical lead with third-party engineering firms.
• Drive design intent, review technical drawings, provide comments, challenge assumptions, and ensure designs meet the company's operational and project requirements.
• Develop, review, and manage technical documentation, including bills of material, process diagrams, control narratives, P&IDs, SCADA block diagrams, control schematics, panel designs, instrument data sheets, wiring drawings, cable routing plans, and network architecture.
• Support LAN/WAN integration for PLC, HMI, SCADA, monitoring systems, software platforms, and data management solutions within existing and new infrastructure.
• Provide technical oversight for PLC, HMI, SCADA, instrumentation, automation, and controls programming.
• Bring direct programming experience or, at minimum, a strong understanding of how industrial automation programs work and how they interact with the physical process.
• Manage selection, specification, integration, and troubleshooting of sensors and field instrumentation such as cameras, encoders, pressure transmitters, limit switches, level sensors, proximity sensors, and other process monitoring devices.
• Cook up with electrical and instrumentation contractors to ensure correct field installation of electrical cabinets, PLC panels, control cabinets, sensors, instrumentation, cables, terminations, motors, and related equipment.
• Lead or support factory acceptance testing, user acceptance testing, field testing, motor testing, system verification, startup, commissioning, and troubleshooting of electrical power distribution and controls systems.
• Manage electrical and controls project scope, schedule, budget, risks, documentation, contractor performance, and reporting in partnership with the broader project management and project controls team.
• Work cross-functionally with mechanical, structural, civil, electrical, controls, automation, software, operations, procurement, and construction teams to complete projects safely, on time, and within budget.
• Provide practical field support when needed, including walking jobsites, identifying issues, making decisions, and helping resolve installation, sequencing, or commissioning problems.
• Support and mentor junior engineers or project team members as the team continues to grow.

Qualifications

• Strong industrial electrical and controls background.
• Experience with electrical systems, controls, automation, and instrumentation in industrial, manufacturing, processing, heavy industrial, or material handling environments.
• Experience with industrial power distribution, including design, procurement, installation, and commissioning of electrical power distribution systems for industrial facilities.
• Experience with controls and automation, including PLC, HMI, SCADA, instrumentation, automation logic, control systems, and industrial network integration.
• Experience with field installation and commissioning, including electrical installation, cable routing, terminations, instrumentation installation, cabinet installation, motor testing, system testing, startup, and commissioning.
• Experience managing third-party engineering firms, vendors, contractors, and field teams.
• Ability to drive design and execution through external partners rather than simply relying on others to make decisions.
• Experience working in an industrial environment. Commercial office, residential, interiors, retail, or light commercial construction experience will not be sufficient for this role.
• Project lifecycle exposure from design and procurement through construction, testing, startup, and handover.
• Strong problem-solving ability, including the ability to diagnose technical issues, troubleshoot in the field, evaluate design or installation problems, and determine practical solutions.
• High ownership and accountability.
• Ability to operate without constant direction, make decisions, follow through, and take responsibility for outcomes.
• Strong work ethic and flexibility.
• Understanding that critical project phases may require extra effort, urgency, and a willingness to do what it takes to get the job done safely and correctly.

Preferred Industry Background

• Cement
• Lime
• Aggregates
• Mining
• Gypsum
• Mineral processing
• Bulk material handling
• Heavy industrial manufacturing
• Industrial terminals
• Process plants
• Refineries
• Petrochemical
• Oil and gas
• Similar industrial environments
• Experience with powdered bulk solids, material handling systems, storage, conveyors, rail/barge/marine terminals, or industrial import/export facilities is highly preferred.
• Oil and gas or refinery experience may be considered strong if the candidate has broad electrical, controls, automation, and industrial project exposure rather than a narrow role on one small portion of a large project.