Associate Engineer - Control Systems

City of San Diego; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of San Diego is seeking an Associate Engineer – Control Systems to design and support distributed control systems across multiple facility sites. You will ensure hardware and software repair and upgrades, analyze and enhance control programs, and design electrical/hydraulic control systems for plant equipment.

Applicants should have a relevant engineering degree or an EIT/Professional Engineer credential. Experience with DCS/SCADA and process automation is highly desirable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in electrical/control/related field.
• EIT certificate accepted as alternative minimum.
• CA Professional Engineer registration accepted as alternative minimum.

Responsibilities

• Design electrical and hydraulic control systems for plant equipment.
• Prepare guidelines to ensure uniformity of control systems.
• Identify operational requirements and interfaces at facilities to meet needs.
• Analyze, write, and review control systems programs to improve efficiency.
• Repair, replace, and upgrade hardware and software in control systems.

Skills

Control systems design

Process automation

Industrial instrumentation

DCS/SCADA programming

Safety/Cybersecurity basics

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Control/Computer/Mechanical/Mechatronics/Systems Engineering or related field

Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certificate

Professional Engineer registration (CA)

Tools

Ovation PLC

WonderWare

Mondicon PLCs

Job description

See NOTES below for future wage increases and/or additional compensation opportunities.

Associate Engineer - Control Systems positions ensure design for distributed control systems equipment at various facility sites are appropriate, effective, and can support ongoing operations; ensure hardware and software repair, replacements, and upgrades are correct; analyzes, writes, and reviews control systems programs to increase operating efficiency or adapt a program to a new requirement; design electrical and hydraulic control systems for plant equipment; prepare guidelines to ensure uniformity of control systems; identifies operational requirements and parameters at facilities to ensure necessary interfaces and requirements are met; and perform other duties as assigned.

NOTES:

• Employees in job classifications represented by Municipal Employees Association (MEA) are scheduled to receive the following general wage increases:
  • 3.5% effective 7/1/27
  • 2% effective 7/1/28
  • 2% effective 1/1/29
• Eligible benefited employees originally hired on or after July 10, 2021, will be automatically enrolled in the San Diego City Employees Retirement System (SDCERS).
• Associate Engineer- Control Systems employees with valid State of California registration as a Professional Control Systems or Electrical Engineer are eligible for 31% additional pay.
• Associate Engineer – Control Systems employees who do not have a valid State of California Professional Engineer registration but have a valid Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification that meets the requirements established by California's Department of Consumer Affairs, Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists are eligible for 8% additional pay. The employee's eligibility for EIT certification pay will end when he or she achieves state registration.
• This recruitment may be used to fill more than one vacancy.

You must meet the following requirements on the date you apply, unless otherwise indicated.

EDUCATION

You must meet ONE of the following options:

1. Bachelor's Degree in Electrical, Control, Computer, Mechanical, Mechatronics, or Systems Engineering, or a closely related field.
2. Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Certificate issued by a state licensing board.
3. Registration as a Professional Electrical or Control Systems Engineer with a state licensing board.

NOTE:

• Additional qualifying professional-level experience may be substituted for education lacked on a year-for-year basis. One year of full-time experience = 30 semester/45 quarter college-level units.

EXPERIENCE

Three years of full-time professional industrial engineering project management experience.

NOTES:

• A Master’s degree in Electrical, Control, Computer, Mechanical, Mechatronics, or Systems Engineering may be substituted for a maximum of one year of the required experience.
• City of San Diego employees using Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA) experience to qualify must submit written documentation signed by their appointing authority or payroll specialist, detailing the work performed, dates, and total number of qualifying OCA hours. OCA experience without the required documentation will NOT be considered.

LICENSE

A valid California Class C Driver's License is required at the time of hire.

NOTE:

• Candidates will generally be required to provide proof of a valid driver license within approximately two weeks of receiving a conditional job offer.

HIGHLY DESIRABLES

• Progressively responsible experience in the design, programming, configuration, or maintenance of control systems, process automation, or industrial instrumentation systems, preferably in a water or wastewater treatment environment.
• DCS/SCADA programming/configuration experience with Ovation/WonderWare/Mondicon PLCs.
• Experience in process automation, control logic implementation, and instrumentation integration.
• Knowledge of applicable safety, cybersecurity, and control system standards (e.g., ISA, NIST).

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS (MUST SUBMIT WITH APPLICATION):

• Proof of degree/transcripts, certificate, or registration, if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.
• For City of San Diego employees, proof of Out-of-Class Assignment (OCA), if utilized to meet the minimum requirements.

Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental questions will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in this initial screening process, your application will be reviewed for applicable education, experience, and/or training to ensure all minimum requirements have been met. Successful candidates will be placed on a list which will be used to fill position vacancies during the next six months (180 days). For each vacancy, only those candidates with the most appropriate qualifications will be contacted by the hiring department for an interview.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS:

Employment offers are conditional pending the results of all screening processes applicable to this position, which may include the following: confirmation of citizenship or legal right to work in the United States; completion of a pre-employment medical review and exam (which may include drug and alcohol testing); reference checks; and fingerprinting. Fingerprints will be submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice for a conviction record report. Certain positions may require additional screening processes, including a polygraph examination and/or background investigation. All screening processes must be successfully completed before employment begins. A positive test result for alcohol, cannabis/marijuana, illegal drugs, or inadequately explained prescription drugs, or misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of pertinent facts in any step of the screening or selection process, may be cause for disqualification or termination of employment. Nothing in this job posting constitutes an express or implied contract for employment with the City of San Diego. Candidates must notify the Personnel Department of any change to their name, mailing address, email address, or phone number, otherwise they may miss employment opportunities.

Rev. 2 - October 30, 2026 (New Recruitment Date)