Automation Solutions Consultant – Control Systems

Software Placement Group; Ruston (LA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Software Placement Group is seeking an Automation Solutions Consultant to act as senior technical authority across control systems projects. You will lead from concept to commissioning with high autonomy and client engagement.

Ideal candidates bring 7+ years in automation, strong leadership, and deep experience with Rockwell, Siemens, Honeywell, and DeltaV platforms. Travel to client sites is required.

Qualifications

• 7+ years hands-on experience in automation projects.
• Ability to read electrical drawings, schematics, P&IDs and related diagrams.
• Experience designing and implementing industrial automation systems.
• Project management and leadership experience.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
• Education in Electrical or control systems engineering.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects from concept through commissioning with autonomy.
• Provide senior technical leadership and influence decisions.
• Design and implement complex automation and control solutions.
• Serve as primary technical liaison with customers and scope teams.
• Develop scope of work, proposals, and project cost estimates.
• Program, configure, migrate, and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, SCADA, and DCS platforms.
• Provide maintenance support for existing control systems at client sites.
• Support sales with technical proposals and documentation.
• Travel to client facilities for technical sales support and reviews.
• Stay current with automation trends and best practices.

Skills

Project management

Technical leadership

Communication skills

System design

Industrial automation

Education

Electrical Engineering degree

Control Systems Engineering degree

Tools

Rockwell ControlLogix

Honeywell Experion

Siemens PLCs

Emerson DeltaV

ABB 800xA

Wonderware InTouch

Ignition by Inductive Automation

PanelView

FactoryTalk View

WinCC

Job description

Location: Ruston, LA | Schedule: Full-time, on-site with periodic travel

Overview

An industrial automation and controls engineering firm is seeking an Automation Solutions Consultant to serve as a senior technical authority for control systems projects across multiple industries. This role is critical to ensuring the reliable, safe, and efficient operation of client industrial control systems, leading projects from concept through commissioning with a high degree of autonomy and technical leadership.

What you'll do

• Perform project-related engineering services including project management, project estimation, control system design & programming, system and functional documentation, and startup/commissioning
• Provide senior-level technical leadership and influence engineering decisions across multiple projects
• Lead the design, architecture, and implementation of complex automation and control system solutions
• Act as the primary technical liaison between the customer and the company, ensuring clear communication, alignment, and expert guidance
• Independently develop comprehensive scope of work packages, proposals, and project cost estimates
• Program, configure, migrate, and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, SCADA, and DCS platforms including Rockwell ControlLogix, Honeywell Experion (a plus), Siemens, Emerson DeltaV, and ABB 800xA
• Provide technical and maintenance support for existing control system platforms at client facilities
• Lead full project life cycles—from initial discovery and requirements gathering through commissioning and site acceptance
• Support the sales team with technical expertise, solution proposals, and customer-facing documentation
• Travel to client facilities for technical sales support, project review, system assessments, and implementation
• Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and automation best practices
• Analyze project requirements, propose optimized solutions, and assist estimators with resource planning
• Proactively identify system bottlenecks, recommend improvements, and manage deliverables with minimal oversight

Required qualifications

• 7+ years of hands-on experience
• Ability to read and interpret electrical control panel drawings, electrical schematics, P&IDs, and other engineering drawings
• Ability to design and implement industrial automation systems
• Project management and leadership experience
• Strong communication skills
• Enjoys working in a team environment
• Ability to serve as a learning or training resource
• In-depth knowledge of the role and required job duties
• Demonstrated ability to perform job duties with minimal oversight and direction
• Education in Electrical Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, or a related field

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with Honeywell Experion is a plus
• Platform experience with Allen-Bradley PLCs (PLC-5, ControlLogix, CompactLogix, MicroLogix)
• Platform experience with Siemens PLCs
• Platform experience with GE Fanuc PLCs
• HMI platform experience with Allen-Bradley (PanelView, FactoryTalk View ME/SE)
• HMI platform experience with Siemens WinCC
• HMI platform experience with Wonderware InTouch / ArchestrA
• HMI platform experience with Ignition by Inductive Automation
• DCS platform experience with ABB 800xA
• DCS platform experience with Rockwell PlantPAx
• DCS platform experience with Emerson DeltaV
• DCS platform experience with Honeywell Experion

Why this role

This position offers the opportunity to lead complex automation projects from concept through commissioning with a high degree of autonomy, technical leadership, and direct client engagement across multiple industries.