Controls Engineer - Systems Integration

LAPORTE; West Chester (Chester County); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

LAPORTE is seeking a Controls Engineer in West Chester, PA to join a hybrid team focused on industrial systems integration for pharma and food & beverage manufacturing. You will program Allen-Bradley PLCs and HMI/SCADA for batch processes, read P&IDs and translate requirements into control-system specs, and support commissioning and startup.

The role requires a 2+ year industrial controls background, and familiarity with industrial networks, panel design, and NEC/UL 508A compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in electrical, chemical or related engineering field.
• Industrial controls experience of 2+ years in end-user, OEM or system integration.
• Experience with Allen-Bradley PLCs and HMIs.

Responsibilities

• Program PLC, HMI and SCADA applications focused on batch processes; support continuous and discrete applications.
• Read P&IDs and translate operating requirements into control-system specifications.
• Design and troubleshoot industrial networks (Ethernet, Modbus, IO-Link).
• Prepare I/O lists, process narratives, FDS, commissioning forms and docs.
• Assist control-panel design, component selection and NEC/UL 508A compliance.
• Troubleshoot panels and field equipment; support testing, commissioning and startup.
• Coordinate project tasks and deliverables with clients, vendors and team.

Skills

Project coordination

Communication skills

Microsoft Office

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

Allen-Bradley PLCs

HMI/SCADA programming

Siemens STEP 7

Kepware

OSIsoft PI

Job description

Location: West Chester, PA (Hybrid)

Employment type: Full-time

Join LAPORTE as a Controls Engineer focused on industrial systems integration for pharmaceutical and food & beverage manufacturing. Program Allen-Bradley/Rockwell PLCs and industrial HMI/SCADA applications, primarily for batch process systems. Contribute to control-panel and industrial-network design, electrical troubleshooting, commissioning and startup.

What you will deliver

• Program PLC, HMI and SCADA applications with a primary focus on batch process systems, including process sequences, recipes, interlocks and exception handling. Support continuous and discrete applications as required by the project.
• Read P&IDs and process documentation, and work with process and electrical designers to translate operating requirements into control-system specifications.
• Specify, design and troubleshoot industrial networks, including Ethernet, Modbus and IO-Link.
• Prepare I/O lists, process narratives, functional design specifications, commissioning forms and other customer-required documentation.
• Assist with control-panel design, component selection and equipment specifications, applying NEC, UL 508A and other relevant project requirements.
• Troubleshoot control panels and field equipment, including VFDs and transmitters; configure equipment and support industrial control-system testing, commissioning and startup.
• Coordinate assigned project tasks, technical questions and deliverables with clients, equipment vendors and the project team.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering or Chemical Engineering.
• At least 2 years in an industrial controls role with an end user or OEM, or in system integration/consulting as a controls engineer.
• Experience with Allen-Bradley PLCs, HMIs and their programming software.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with industrial HMI/SCADA platforms such as Ignition (Inductive Automation), AVEVA Wonderware or GE iFIX.
• Experience with Siemens SIMATIC controllers and STEP 7.
• Experience configuring historians such as FactoryTalk Historian or OSIsoft PI, OPC servers such as Kepware or Matrikon, and SQL databases.
• Control-panel design, industrial-network design and component-selection experience.
• Strong project coordination, organization and communication skills; proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Hybrid work and project travel

This is an office-based hybrid role with remote work and project-site assignments. Office attendance is coordinated with the project team. Project work includes commissioni ng and startup; travel and site schedules depend on the project and will be discussed with the hiring team.

The salary for this position is between $80,000-$130,000, contingent upon the candidate’s experience and demonstrated technical proficiency.

About LAPORTE

Founded in 1999, LAPORTE is a consulting engineering firm serving pharmaceutical, food & beverage, and industrial manufacturing clients across North America and Europe.

We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, compensatory paid time off (PTO), a flexible work environment, and opportunities for professional growth and collaboration.