Controls Engineer I (Capital Projects)

Leprino Foods; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 102,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life and health benefits

401(k) with profit sharing

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

Leprino Foods in Denver seeks a Controls Engineer I to lead controls scope for large capital projects, shaping system-level automation across plants. You will coordinate with OEMs and internal teams to ensure reliable operation and safe commissioning of new production lines.

The role requires a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering (or related field) and at least four years in PLC/SCADA integration, including ControlLogix and Wonderware/InTouch. Travel up to 50% is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or closely related technical field.
• Minimum four years of PLC/SCADA integration experience including ControlLogix programming and/or Wonderware InTouch or System Platform.
• Experience leading controls scope on capital projects with vendor coordination.
• Strong understanding of industrial networking, safety systems, instrumentation, and line-integration principles.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% to domestic facilities.

Responsibilities

• Own the controls strategy for major capital projects, defining architecture, standards, and system requirements for new production lines and automation upgrades.
• Design line-level controls solutions that coordinate equipment across OEM platforms and deliver reliable, transparent operation across plants.
• Develop system specifications, including network design, safety architecture, interlock strategy, sequencing logic, SCADA interfaces, and MES data requirements.
• Coordinate OEM and integrator work; ensure programming, documentation, and hardware designs meet Leprino standards and integrate into plant systems.
• Review, approve, and guide PLC and HMI development while delegating detailed coding to Controls Integration Engineers.

Skills

PLC/SCADA integration

ControlLogix programming

Industrial networking

Safety systems

Line integration

Project leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in Engineering

Tools

Wonderware System Platform

InTouch

Job description

Within our Corporate Project Engineering team located in Denver - Leprino is seeking a Controls Engineer I to lead the controls scope for large capital projects and shape the system-level automation architecture that keeps our plants running safely, reliably, and at scale. This role focuses on high-impact project leadership, controls design, and vendor coordination while partnering closely with Controls Integration Engineers who execute detailed programming and commissioning work.

At Leprino, starting compensation for this role typically ranges between $90,000 and $102,000. This position has an annual target bonus of 5%. Based on your experience, we may also consider you for our Associate, Engineer II, or Senior levels.

What You'll Do:

• Own the controls strategy for major capital projects, defining architecture, standards, and system requirements for new production lines and automation upgrades.
• Design line-level controls solutions that coordinate equipment across OEM platforms and deliver reliable, transparent operation across plants.
• Develop system specifications, including network design, safety architecture, interlock strategy, sequencing logic, SCADA interfaces, and MES data requirements.
• Coordinate OEM and integrator work, ensuring programming, documentation, and hardware designs meet Leprino standards and integrate cleanly into plant systems.
• Review, approve, and guide PLC and HMI development while delegating detailed coding and field execution to Controls Integration Engineers.
• Lead FAT and SAT activities, validate system behavior, and direct corrective actions with vendors and internal engineers.
• Provide technical leadership during installation and startup, resolving system-level issues, tuning performance, and ensuring safe commissioning.
• Advise plants and project teams on automation strategies, controls reliability, and long-term maintainability.
• Support project planning, including scope definition, timelines, risk assessments, and early detection of scope or budget impacts.
• Contribute to enterprise standards for controls engineering, safety systems, instrumentation, and industrial networking.

You Have At Least (Required Qualifications):

• A Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, or a closely related technical field.
• A minimum of four years of experience in PLC/SCADA integration, including ControlLogix programming and/or Wonderware System Platform, InTouch, or related tools.
• Experience leading controls scope on capital projects, including vendor coordination and system-level design.
• Strong understanding of industrial networking, safety systems, instrumentation, and line-integration principles.
• The ability to travel up to 50 percent to our domestic facilities.

We Hope You Also Have (Preferred Qualifications):

• A Master's degree in Engineering.
• Experience directing controls programming or integration work in a manufacturing environment.
• Exposure to robotic systems, advanced communication networks, or large-scale automation platforms.
• Prior involvement in major line installations, including FAT/SAT oversight and system commissioning.

Offering You In Return:

A chance to be part of a global team of individuals passionate about producing and delivering high-quality products that help feed and nourish families around the world. Leprino could not be where it is today without our incredible employees. That is why we share in our success together by rewarding you for your hard work. Hiring great people who are in it for the long run is our goal. Through competitive salaries and bonuses, life, medical/dental/vision coverage, voluntary benefits, employee assistance programs, wellness incentives, tuition assistance, vacation, ten paid holidays, sick time, paid parental leave, annual merit increases, as well as the LFC Profit‑Sharing & 401(k) plan. Your impact will be noticed and rewarded, as you seek to further our company, our customers, and one another.

At Leprino, we believe in equal employment opportunity and make employment decisions based on each individual's unique talents, experience, skills, and knowledge; we do not discriminate on the basis of any personal characteristics. We know we are better together and are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive culture in which all employees can thrive.