Lead Controls Engineer

About the role

Lead the controls engineering behind industrial process equipment — from PLC architecture and electrical design through commissioning and startup. Our client is an established industrial engineering and manufacturing organization supporting complex process equipment and automation systems. This is a hands‑on technical leadership opportunity for an experienced Controls Engineer who wants ownership of controls design, programming, commissioning, and field execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead controls engineering for industrial process equipment and systems.
• Develop and review PLC/HMI control systems and automation architecture.
• Program and troubleshoot Allen‑Bradley PLCs, including ControlLogix/Studio 5000.
• Develop HMI/SCADA applications using platforms such as FactoryTalk.
• Develop and review I/O lists, control narratives, P&IDs, and control schematics.
• Support electrical and instrumentation design and equipment selection.
• Coordinate controls integration with engineering, fabrication, and field teams.
• Lead FAT, commissioning, startup, and field troubleshooting activities.

Requirements

• 8+ years of industrial controls engineering experience.
• Strong hands‑on PLC programming experience.
• Allen‑Bradley / ControlLogix / Studio 5000 experience.
• HMI/SCADA experience, preferably FactoryTalk.
• Strong understanding of instrumentation, I/O, P&IDs, and control systems.
• Experience with electrical/control schematics and panel systems.
• Experience with FAT, commissioning, startup, and troubleshooting.
• Ability to lead projects and serve as a senior technical resource.

Preferred Qualifications

• Burner Management Systems (BMS) or combustion controls experience.
• Industrial process heating, boilers, burners, or combustion equipment.
• Hazardous‑area / classified‑location experience.
• Oil & gas, midstream, energy, or process‑industry experience.
• Experience with industrial emissions‑control equipment.
• Experience leading or mentoring other controls engineers.

Pay

Salary: $120,000 – $160,000 per year.