Senior Controls Engineer

About the role

Joining Arup, a collective of designers, advisors and experts working globally dedicated to sustainable development, we are seeking a Senior Controls Engineer to join us in one of our east offices in New York, New Jersey, Boston, or DC. The ideal candidate will work on a wide range of projects including data centers, transportation facilities, buildings, theaters, science and industry, education, and commercial office/residential buildings.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical contributor for controls engineering on complex and mission-critical projects, including data centers, working under the direction of project leadership to deliver high-quality outcomes.
• Support the development and execution of controls strategies and system architectures, including Building Management Systems (BMS), SCADA, plant controls, and integration of vendor-furnished systems across mechanical, power, and infrastructure scopes.
• Apply owner standards, reference designs, and project requirements to assist in developing project-specific controls implementations, adapting sequences, architectures, and network approaches to site conditions, resilience goals, and delivery constraints.
• Independently develop and review DDC and PLC-based control system designs, contributing from concept design through construction and commissioning while escalating key decisions and risks to project leadership.
• Contribute to instrumentation and controls strategies and device selection, with emphasis on reliability, maintainability, data consistency, and operational performance.
• Aid in the design and coordination of control system and OT networks, including communications protocols, system integration, and coordination with IT, cybersecurity, and operational stakeholders.
• Prepare and review controls documentation, including P&IDs, control schematics, sequences of operation, network diagrams, specifications, and integration matrices, particularly in multi-vendor and fast-track delivery environments.
• Support evaluation of control system vendors and integrators, contributing to bid reviews, technical comparisons, and recommendations in coordination with senior project leadership.
• Review vendor and contractor submittals and drawings, identifying compliance issues, coordination conflicts, and constructability concerns, and support resolution through the project team.
• Participate in Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), and integrated systems testing, supporting test planning, witnessing, documentation, and issue resolution.
• Provide construction-phase and startup support, including responses to RFIs, site coordination, field observation, and assistance with commissioning and transition to operations.
• Represent the controls discipline in client and internal coordination meetings, providing technical input and supporting senior leads in client engagement and decision-making.
• Mentor and collaborate with junior engineers, contributing to technical development, consistency, and knowledge sharing within the controls team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Controls, Mechanical, Electrical, Architectural Engineering or relevant engineering degree required.
• 6+ years of total professional experience required.
• Professional experience within an engineering or related technical firm.
• Preferred qualifications include membership in ISA, ASHRAE or ASME, EIT License, experience in sustainability, Energy/thermal modeling, AutoCAD drafting with controls/HVAC emphasis and Revit, and prior experience working on data centers or mission critical facilities.