Controls Engineer

Actalent; Virginia; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Controls Engineer to design, program, and commission automation systems for water, wastewater, and manufacturing environments. You will own projects from planning through field start-up, with hands-on troubleshooting and strong documentation.

Ideal candidates have 3–5 years of automation experience, proficiency in Rockwell/Siemens platforms, and the ability to work in a small team. Travel up to 25% is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related field.
• Experience with PLC and HMI/SCADA programming required.
• Strong troubleshooting and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Design automation control systems based on customer specs.
• Program PLCs and HMIs and develop new programs from scratch.
• Specify electrical equipment using calculations and requirements.
• Create and maintain electrical schematics and P&ID drawings.
• Troubleshoot PLC/SCADA hardware and software issues.
• Develop and debug data acquisition and SCADA systems.
• Power up, debug, and calibrate control systems for multiple industries.
• Travel to local customer sites for installation and support (up to 25%).

Skills

PLC programming

HMI/SCADA programming

Electrical troubleshooting

Industrial controls

Systems integration

VFD/motor control

Documentation

Education

Electrical Engineering degree

Tools

Rockwell PLC

Siemens PLC

GE PLC

Modicon PLC

Emerson Control Wave

VFDs

Job description

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Controls Engineer

Job Description

The Controls Engineer designs, programs, and commissions automation control systems for water and wastewater facilities as well as manufacturing environments, working on projects from initial planning through field installation and start-up. This role suits an experienced systems integrator who wants to expand their expertise and grow their career within a major organization while taking ownership of full project lifecycles and applying strong troubleshooting skills.

Responsibilities

• Design automation control systems based on customer specifications, engineering principles, and project requirements.
• Program automation and control systems involving PLCs and HMIs, including developing new programs from scratch.
• Specify electrical equipment and materials such as PLCs, automation control components, and instrumentation using calculations and customer requirements.
• Develop and maintain electrical schematics and P&ID drawings to support design, construction, and commissioning activities.
• Troubleshoot hardware and software issues related to PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, and associated control hardware.
• Design, configure, and debug data acquisition and SCADA systems for process monitoring and control.
• Power up, debug, and calibrate control systems for water/wastewater, automotive, and manufacturing applications.
• Identify, maintain, troubleshoot, and modify automation controls including motor starters, variable frequency drives, and standard electrical components.
• Work with process control instrumentation such as flow meters, pressure transmitters, and level transmitters to ensure accurate and reliable process measurements.
• Read, revise, and create PLC logic, HMI/SCADA programs, and VFD parameters to meet system performance and safety requirements.
• Follow established company processes and checklists and contribute to the development and improvement of standardized design platforms.
• Maintain accurate drawings, files, bills of materials, spare parts lists, and equipment specifications throughout the project lifecycle.
• Collaborate with a small engineering team to plan, execute, and support projects from office-based design through field commissioning.
• Travel to local customer sites as needed for installation, commissioning, troubleshooting, and support, up to approximately 25% annually.

Essential Skills

• Electrical engineering degree with 1–2 years of experience, or 2–5 years of equivalent experience in automation programming of PLCs.
• At least 2 years of PLC and HMI/SCADA programming experience.
• Proficiency in programming PLCs such as Rockwell, Siemens, GE, Modicon, Emerson Control Wave, or similar platforms.
• Proficiency in programming HMI/SCADA systems such as FactoryTalk, Maple, VTSCADA, Wonderware, Ignition, or similar tools.
• Demonstrated ability to program control systems from scratch rather than only modifying existing code.
• Industrial electrical hands-on experience and troubleshooting with 480 VAC three-phase, 120 VAC, 24 VDC systems, and variable frequency drives (VFDs).
• Experience identifying, maintaining, troubleshooting, and modifying automation controls including motor starters, VFDs, and standard electrical components.
• Experience with process control instrumentation, including flow meters, pressure transmitters, and level transmitters.
• Strong troubleshooting skills with a logical and systematic approach to diagnosing and resolving issues.
• Working knowledge of relevant industry standards and regulations such as NEC, IEEE, NFPA, and OSHA.
• Ability to read, revise, and create PLC logic, HMI/SCADA programs, and VFD parameters.
• High attention to detail to maintain accurate engineering documentation, bills of materials, and equipment specifications.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to approximately 25% annually for local field work.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Approximately 3–5 years of overall controls or automation experience is ideal.
• Experience as a systems integrator, supporting projects from design through commissioning.
• Experience in controls and automation beyond a single manufacturing environment, such as water/wastewater or other process industries.
• Comfort working in a small, rapidly growing team environment.
• Strong communication skills to work effectively with internal teams and external customers.
• Organizational skills to manage multiple projects and maintain thorough documentation.

Work Environment

This role is primarily office-based in the Chesapeake ar