Controls Technician- PLC

Actalent; Herndon (VA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Controls Technician to support deployment, maintenance, and optimization of Building Management Systems (BMS) and Electrical Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS) in data center environments. The role covers installation, commissioning, troubleshooting, and upgrades to drive reliability.

The ideal candidate has hands-on experience with industrial controls, instrumentation, and building automation, with a willingness to travel up to 40% domestically and work in fast-paced,

Qualifications

• Technical/trade school diploma or equivalent hands-on experience in controls, automation, instrumentation.
• 1+ year of experience with industrial controls, building automation, or related technologies.
• 1+ year of experience with computer hardware, operating systems, or network-connected devices.
• 1+ year of experience supporting mission-critical electrical and/or mechanical systems.
• Ability to read electrical schematics, control drawings, and technical documentation.

Responsibilities

• Deploy, service, upgrade, and maintain BMS and EPMS across multiple data centers.
• Perform diagnostics, troubleshooting, and maintenance of control system hardware and software.
• Conduct point-to-point testing between field devices and controllers.
• Configure and commission servers, controllers, industrial PCs, and network communications.
• Install, replace, calibrate, and configure sensors and field devices.
• Read and interpret electrical schematics, control drawings, and network diagrams.
• Support commissioning, startup, system testing, and root cause analysis activities.
• Oversee low-voltage contractors performing controls wiring and device installation.
• Create and maintain redlined drawings and system documentation.
• Follow change management procedures and develop MOPs.
• Train and mentor facilities personnel on BMS and EPMS operations.
• Manage service activities, ticket queues, vendor coordination, and maintenance contracts.
• Participate in factory acceptance testing and vendor witness testing.
• Support on-call rotations and respond to after-hours incidents as needed.
• Ensure compliance with safety requirements and best practices.

Skills

Troubleshooting

Documentation

Communication

Safety compliance

Education

Technical/trade school diploma / Associate's degree in related field

Associate's degree

Controls/automation/instrumentation background

ISA CCST Level I+ (preferred)

Tools

BMS/EPMS systems

SCADA/PLC

Industrial PCs

Networking basics

Job description

Job Title: Controls Technician

Job Description

The Data Center Controls Engineering team is seeking a Controls Technician to support the deployment, maintenance, and optimization of Building Management Systems (BMS) and Electrical Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS) within data center environments.

This role is ideal for candidates with experience in industrial controls, automation, instrumentation, building automation systems, or mission-critical electrical and mechanical systems. The successful candidate will support system installation, commissioning, troubleshooting, maintenance, and upgrades while driving operational excellence and reliability.

Key Responsibilities

• Deploy, service, upgrade, and maintain BMS and EPMS systems across multiple data centers.

• Perform diagnostics, troubleshooting, and maintenance of control system hardware and software.

• Conduct point-to-point testing between field devices and controllers.

• Configure and commission servers, controllers, industrial PCs, and network communications.

• Install, replace, calibrate, and configure sensors and field devices.

• Read and interpret electrical schematics, control drawings, and network diagrams.

• Support commissioning, startup, system testing, and root cause analysis activities.

• Oversee low-voltage contractors performing controls wiring and device installation.

• Create and maintain redlined drawings and system documentation.

• Follow change management procedures and develop work requests and methods of procedure (MOPs).

• Train and mentor facilities personnel on BMS and EPMS operations.

• Manage service activities, ticket queues, vendor coordination, and maintenance contracts.

• Participate in factory acceptance testing and vendor witness testing.

• Support on-call rotations and respond to after-hours critical incidents as needed.

• Ensure compliance with all safety requirements and best practices.

• Travel up to 40% domestically to support data center projects and vendor facilities.

Basic Qualifications

• Technical/trade school diploma, Associate's degree, or equivalent hands-on experience in controls, automation, instrumentation, or a related field.

• 1+ year of experience working with industrial controls, instrumentation, building automation systems, or related technologies.

• 1+ year of experience working with computer hardware, operating systems, or network-connected devices.

• 1+ year of experience supporting mission-critical electrical and/or mechanical systems.

• Basic knowledge of industrial control systems, controllers, sensors, networking, and troubleshooting of analog and digital I/O signals.

• Ability to read electrical schematics, control drawings, and technical documentation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a data center or other mission-critical environment.

• ISA Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST) Level I or higher certification.

• Knowledge of low-voltage copper and fiber optic cabling.

• Understanding of network architecture and communication protocols.

• Experience commissioning industrial control systems.

• Familiarity with BMS, EPMS, SCADA, PLC, or related automation platforms.

Desired Skills

• Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis abilities.

• Excellent organizational and project coordination skills.

• Ability to work independently in fast-paced, mission-critical environments.

• Strong communication and documentation skills.

• Continuous improvement mindset focused on automation and operational efficiency.

• Commitment to safety, quality, and customer service.

Work Environment

Support multiple data centers within a 15 minute radius.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Herndon, VA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $38.00 - $43.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Herndon, VA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 14, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Herndon,VA.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.