Senior Instrumentation and Controls Specialist

Jacobs; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Jacobs in Toronto is seeking a Senior Instrumentation & Controls Engineer to lead the development and delivery of advanced automation solutions for municipal water and wastewater facilities. You will design, integrate, and commission ICS systems, mentor junior engineers, and drive quality and best practices across multidisciplinary teams.

The role focuses on P&IDs, SCADA, PLC/PAC designs, and system reliability, with collaboration across project stages from planning to startup.

Qualifications

• P.Eng. designation in Ontario or Alberta, or eligible for registration through Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) or APEGA.
• 10+ years of progressive experience delivering instrumentation, controls, and automation solutions for municipal water and wastewater facilities within a consulting, engineering, or system integration environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading instrumentation and controls design for complex water and wastewater projects from planning and design through commissioning and startup.
• Experience developing control philosophies, system architectures, instrumentation specifications, and detailed design documentation.
• Strong understanding of industrial networking, OT systems, and cybersecurity principles for critical infrastructure environments.
• Proven leadership experience mentoring technical staff and coordinating multidisciplinary project teams.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with engineering, project management, and client stakeholders to develop and oversee ICS design packages for tendering and construction, including P&IDs, SCADA network architecture drawings, PLC/PAC system designs, instrument installation details, cable schedules, wiring diagrams, and associated construction documents.
• Prepare and contribute to technical deliverables including technical reports, Process Control Narratives, ICS testing plans, tender specifications, and Opinions of Probable Cost (OPCs).
• Lead and coordinate the work of instrumentation and controls team members while collaborating with multidisciplinary project teams to achieve project objectives, schedules, and quality requirements.
• Facilitate and participate in client meetings, workshops, design reviews, and contractor coordination meetings throughout project execution.
• Support project planning and resource management by providing input on workload forecasting, staffing requirements, and project priorities.
• Provide construction and commissioning support activities, including shop drawing and submittal reviews, site inspections, FAT, SAT, commissioning activities, troubleshooting, and project closeout.
• Drive the implementation of best practices in automation, industrial networking, OT, cybersecurity, and system reliability.

Skills

Leadership

Instrumentation & Controls

Project coordination

Industrial networking

Cybersecurity basics

Mentoring

Education

P.Eng. designation (Ontario or Alberta) or eligible (PEO/APEGA)

Tools

SCADA

PLC/PAC designs

Job description

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

We are seeking a Senior Instrumentation & Controls Engineer to join our Electrical, Instrumentation & Controls team in Toronto. In this role, you will lead the development and delivery of advanced automation solutions for municipal water and wastewater treatment and distribution systems. You will play a key role in shaping complex infrastructure projects, working alongside multidisciplinary teams and industry-leading professionals to deliver reliable, innovative, and resilient control systems for our clients and communities.

As a senior technical leader, you will be responsible for the design, integration, and commissioning of Instrumentation and Control Systems (ICS) for municipal water and wastewater facilities, while providing technical leadership, mentoring team members, and driving quality project delivery.

As a Senior Instrumentation & Controls Engineer, you will

• Collaborate with engineering, project management, and client stakeholders to develop and oversee ICS design packages for tendering and construction, including Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), SCADA network architecture drawings, PLC/PAC system designs, instrument installation details, cable schedules, wiring diagrams, and associated construction documents.
• Prepare and contribute to technical deliverables including technical reports, Process Control Narratives, ICS testing plans, tender specifications, and Opinions of Probable Cost (OPCs).
• Lead and coordinate the work of instrumentation and controls team members while collaborating with multidisciplinary project teams to achieve project objectives, schedules, and quality requirements.
• Facilitate and participate in client meetings, workshops, design reviews, and contractor coordination meetings throughout project execution.
• Support project planning and resource management by providing input on workload forecasting, staffing requirements, and project priorities.
• Provide construction and commissioning support activities, including shop drawing and submittal reviews, site inspections, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), commissioning activities, troubleshooting, and project closeout.
• Drive the implementation of best practices in automation, industrial networking, operational technology (OT), cybersecurity, and system reliability.

You will play a key leadership role in guiding project execution, promoting technical excellence, and mentoring junior engineers and designers. Leveraging your expertise in automation and control systems, you will provide technical oversight, conduct design reviews, and help develop innovative solutions that align with client objectives, industry standards, and Jacobs' quality processes. This position offers the opportunity to influence major water infrastructure projects while contributing to the growth and development of a high-performing technical team.

Here's what you'll need

• P.Eng. designation in Ontario or Alberta, or eligible for registration through Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) or APEGA.
• 10+ years of progressive experience delivering instrumentation, controls, and automation solutions for municipal water and wastewater facilities within a consulting, engineering, or system integration environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading instrumentation and controls design for complex water and wastewater projects from planning and design through commissioning and startup.
• Experience developing control philosophies, system architectures, instrumentation specifications, and detailed design documentation.
• Strong understanding of industrial networking, OT systems, and cybersecurity principles for critical infrastructure environments.
• Proven leadership experience mentoring technical staff and coordinating multidisciplinary project teams.

Posted Salary Range Minimum

125,000.00

Posted Salary Range Upper

175,000.00

The base salary range for this position is $125,000.00 to $175,000.00. This range reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across Ontario, Canada locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. This job posting is for an existing vacancy.

At Jacobs, we use AI-driven recruitment to match top talent with opportunity—however, human connection and fairness remain at the heart of every hiring decision.

Jacobs welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. To request an accommodation, please select here.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we’re keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.