Controls Engineering Manager
A global advanced manufacturing company supporting high-tech industries is seeking a Controls Engineering Manager to lead automation and controls engineering efforts within a 24/7 manufacturing environment. This role is responsible for overseeing plant-wide control systems, automation infrastructure, instrumentation, SCADA and historian systems, industrial networking, and capital project execution.
The Controls Engineering Manager will provide technical leadership while managing and developing a team of controls engineers. This position plays a critical role in improving system reliability, minimizing downtime, supporting production operations, driving continuous improvement initiatives, and ensuring compliance with operational and regulatory requirements.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and develop a Controls Engineering team supporting continuous manufacturing operations.
- Establish and implement automation standards, tools, and best practices to improve equipment reliability and reduce unplanned downtime.
- Oversee process control networks, automation infrastructure, and industrial communication systems.
- Manage PLC programming standards, troubleshooting methodologies, and system architecture.
- Lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of instrumentation and control systems.
- Oversee HMI and SCADA system development, deployment, and optimization.
- Administer and maintain plant historian systems and data collection infrastructure.
- Provide technical troubleshooting support for operations, including participation in on-call and remote support activities.
- Develop data-driven strategies to improve process performance, equipment reliability, and operational efficiency.
- Ensure automation and control system changes follow Management of Change (MOC) procedures and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Collaborate with equipment suppliers and automation vendors to implement best practices and optimize system performance.
- Lead controls and automation activities for capital projects from concept through commissioning.
- Manage automation-related project budgets, schedules, and resource allocation.
- Support cybersecurity, system reliability, and long-term automation strategy initiatives.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.
- Minimum 10 years of industrial controls engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Previous experience within chemical processing, specialty chemicals, or other process manufacturing environments preferred.
- Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing engineering or technical teams.
- Strong experience leading capital projects from design through startup and commissioning.
- Extensive hands-on experience with instrumentation, control systems, and process automation technologies.
Job Requirements
- Expert knowledge of PLC programming, troubleshooting, and industrial automation systems.
- Experience designing, implementing, and supporting SCADA architectures.
- Strong understanding of industrial networking technologies and process control infrastructure.
- Experience working with historian systems and manufacturing data collection platforms.
- Knowledge of Foundation Fieldbus and other industrial communication protocols.
- Proven ability to diagnose and resolve complex automation and controls issues.
- Strong project management, budgeting, and execution skills.
- Ability to provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineering teams.
- Experience supporting manufacturing operations in a 24/7 production environment.
- Familiarity with enterprise maintenance or ERP systems (SAP experience preferred).
- Ability to participate in an on-call rotation and provide after-hours support when required.
- Willingness to support production outages, maintenance events, and commissioning activities during evenings or weekends as needed.
FAQs
Congratulations, we understand that taking the time to apply is a big step. When you apply, your details go directly to the consultant who is sourcing talent. Due to demand, we may not get back to all applicants that have applied. However, we always keep your resume and details on file so when we see similar roles or see skillsets that drive growth in organizations, we will always reach out to discuss opportunities.
Yes. Even if this role isn’t a perfect match, applying allows us to understand your expertise and ambitions, ensuring you're on our radar for the right opportunity when it arises.
We also work in several ways, firstly we advertise our roles available on our site, however, often due to confidentiality we may not post all. We also work with clients who are more focused on skills and understanding what is required to future-proof their business.
That's why we recommend registering your resume so you can be considered for roles that have yet to be created.
Yes, we help with CV and interview preparation. From customized support on how to optimize your CV to interview preparation and compensation negotiations, we advocate for you throughout your next career move.