Control Automation Engineer

Veolia; Port Arthur (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) plan

Tuition reimbursement

Paid volunteering

Job summary

Veolia in North America seeks a Control Automation Engineer to design, implement, program, and maintain ABB 800xA DCS, PLCs, HMIs, and SCADA systems across our facility operations. The role bridges operations, maintenance, and IT to drive continuous improvement and minimize downtime.

You will develop and troubleshoot automation, network integration, and documentation while ensuring safety and reliability in a manufacturing environment. Occasional after-hours support is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related technical field (or equivalent combination of education and hands-on industrial experience).

Responsibilities

• Provide daily technical support, diagnostics, and troubleshooting for automated production equipment to minimize downtime.
• Develop, modify, configure, and optimize ABB 800xA DCS logic and PLC/HMI programs.
• Oversee industrial networks and data integration using OPC DA/UA, Ethernet/IP, Profinet and Modbus.
• Update electrical schematics, P&IDs, loop sheets, and technical manuals.
• Implement preventative maintenance, backup protocols, patch management, and disaster recovery.
• Collaborate with maintenance, process engineers, and project teams for automation upgrades.
• Ensure compliance with safety standards (OSHA, NFPA 70E).

Skills

DCS programming

PLC & HMI experience

SCADA systems

Industrial networking

Electrical schematics

Root cause analysis

OT cybersecurity knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering / Automation / Mechatronics

Tools

ABB 800xA

Studio 5000

TIA Portal

Job description

Veolia in North America is the top-ranked environmental company in the United States for three consecutive years, and the country’s largest private water operator and technology provider as well as hazardous waste and pollution treatment leader. It offers a full spectrum of water, waste, and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. Veolia helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Veolia has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across North America.

Job Description

Position Purpose:

We are seeking a highly skilled and proactive Control Automation Engineer to join our engineering team. In this critical role, you will be responsible for the design, implementation, programming, and lifecycle maintenance of our facility’s automated control systems. You will serve as the technical subject matter expert for our ABB 800xA Distributed Control Systems (DCS), PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, and industrial networks.

The ideal candidate will bridge the gap between operations, maintenance, and IT, driving continuous improvement initiatives and providing rapid troubleshooting support to minimize production downtime. You will play a vital role in ensuring our manufacturing processes run efficiently, safely, and reliably while integrating modern automation standards.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities:

• System Maintenance & Troubleshooting: Provide daily technical support, diagnostics, and troubleshooting for automated production equipment, prioritizing rapid resolution of DCS and PLC faults to minimize manufacturing downtime.
• DCS & PLC Programming: Develop, modify, configure, and optimize logic for ABB 800xA DCS systems, as well as facility PLCs and HMIs, to support new equipment installations, process upgrades, and safety improvements.
• Network & Integration Management: Oversee and maintain industrial communication networks and data integration architecture, ensuring robust communication between field devices, control systems, and data collection platforms using OPC DA/UA, Ethernet/IP, Profinet, and Modbus.
• Documentation & Design: Regularly read, interpret, and update electrical schematics, Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), loop sheets, and technical manuals to ensure all facility documentation remains accurate and up to standard.
• Preventative Maintenance: Develop and implement robust preventative maintenance procedures, backup protocols, patch management, and disaster recovery plans for all critical automation infrastructure.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with maintenance technicians, process engineers, and capital project teams to design and execute automation upgrades, ensuring seamless handover and comprehensive operator training.
• Safety & Compliance: Ensure all automation and electrical control designs comply with industry safety standards (e.g., OSHA, NFPA 70E) and internal company policies.
• Ability to work in a manufacturing environment, which may include exposure to noise, varying temperatures, and moving machinery.
• Willingness to support occasional off-hours or on-call emergencies to support critical continuous operations.

Qualifications

Education/Experience/Background:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related technical field (or equivalent combination of education and hands-on industrial experience).

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• DCS Expertise: Must have demonstrated proficiency and hands-on experience programming, configuring, and troubleshooting ABB 800xA DCS systems.
• Automation Platforms: Strong applied experience working with various PLCs, HMIs, and SCADA platforms in a manufacturing, continuous process, or heavy industrial environment.
• Industrial Networking: Deep understanding and practical experience with industrial communication protocols, specifically Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus, and OPC DA/UA.
• Technical Literacy: Proven ability to read, interpret, and redline electrical schematics, P&ID drawings, and complex technical manuals.
• Problem Solving: Excellent analytical skills with a proven track record of diagnosing root causes, reducing equipment downtime, and optimizing complex control loops.

Preferred Qualifications:

• OT Cybersecurity: Knowledge of Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity concepts, including network segmentation, secure architecture, firewall configurations, and safeguarding industrial control systems against vulnerabilities.
• Additional PLC Experience: Experience with Allen-Bradley/Rockwell (Studio 5000) or Siemens (TIA Portal) environments.
• Project Management: Experience leading small to medium capital automation projects from scoping and budget approval through FAT, SAT, and final commissioning.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to walk the production floor, climb stairs/ladders, and occasionally lift up to [Insert Weight, e.g., 30 lbs] when inspecting equipment.

Additional Information

Benefits: Veolia’s comprehensive benefits package includes paid time off policies, as well as health, dental, vision, life insurance, savings accounts, tuition reimbursement, paid volunteering and more. In addition, employees are also entitled to participate in an employer sponsored 401(k) plan, to save for retirement.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer! All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.