Automation Application Engineer

Actalent; Irving (TX); Hybrid; USD 69,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Disability benefits

HSA

PTO / Vacation

Job summary

Actalent is seeking an Application Engineer for Industrial Automation & Controls in Irving, TX. The role focuses on developing automation solutions, leading technical discovery with customers, and translating needs into robust architectures for PLC, SCADA, and HMI systems.

You will support proposal development, collaborate with engineering and estimating teams, and help define detailed requirements and scope for automation projects. This is a contract hybrid role.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in industrial automation, controls engineering, systems integration, or applications engineering.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical discovery sessions with customers to understand objectives, requirements and constraints.
• Conduct site assessments and field evaluations to gather data and support scoping.
• Develop conceptual automation solutions covering PLC, SCADA, HMI, networks, and control systems.
• Prepare high-level system architectures and recommendations aligned with customer needs.

Skills

Industrial automation

Controls engineering

Systems integration

Applications engineering

Allen-Bradley Studio 5000

PLC programming

SCADA

HMI

Industrial networks

Proposal support

Job description

Job Title: Application Engineer - Industrial Automation & Controls

This role focuses on developing automation solutions and supporting opportunity qualification for industrial control and process automation projects. You will lead technical discovery with customers, design conceptual solutions across PLC, SCADA, HMI, and industrial networks, and support proposal development by translating operational needs into robust, scalable technical architectures. The position combines hands-on technical expertise with customer-facing consulting to ensure proposed solutions align with both business objectives and engineering best practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical discovery sessions with customers to understand operational objectives, process requirements, and constraints.
• Conduct site assessments and field evaluations to gather data, validate existing systems, and support project scoping activities.
• Develop conceptual automation solutions that encompass PLC systems, SCADA platforms, HMI applications, industrial networks, process control systems, and instrumentation and controls.
• Prepare preliminary system architectures and high-level technical recommendations that align with customer requirements and industry standards.
• Identify project risks, assumptions, exclusions, and key deliverables to ensure clear expectations and realistic project planning.
• Partner closely with customers to define detailed operational and performance requirements for proposed automation solutions.
• Evaluate opportunity readiness prior to releasing opportunities to estimating, ensuring sufficient definition and clarity of scope.
• Develop detailed scope documentation and supporting technical information to guide engineering, estimating, and project execution teams.
• Collaborate with engineering, project management, and estimating teams to create comprehensive customer proposals.
• Support equipment selection, system integration strategies, labor planning, and execution approaches for automation projects.
• Participate in proposal reviews and validate alignment between customer requirements and proposed technical solutions.
• Contribute technical insight on PLC programming, automation upgrades, and control system modernization to improve solution quality and competitiveness.

Essential Skills

• 7+ years of experience in industrial automation, controls engineering, systems integration, or applications engineering.
• Strong understanding of industrial control systems and automation technologies, including PLC systems, SCADA platforms, HMI applications, and industrial networks.
• Hands-on experience with Rockwell Automation technologies, including Allen-Bradley platforms and Studio 5000.
• Experience with PLC programming and automation upgrades in industrial environments.
• Proven experience with scope development, requirements gathering, and proposal support for automation or control system projects.
• Ability to lead customer-facing technical discovery and translate operational needs into clear technical requirements.
• Strong understanding of process automation, instrumentation, and controls in industrial applications.
• Familiarity with industrial networking concepts and architectures.

This is not a programming role, but more of an opp to be the technical SME in bridging the need and solution.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Irving, TX.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $70.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Irving,TX.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 7, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.