DCS Controls Engineer

Airswift; Baytown (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Airswift is seeking a DCS Controls Engineer for a 6-month contract-to-hire in Baytown, TX. You will support daily plant operations in a chemical manufacturing environment, focusing on distributed control systems, process control, and safety systems to improve safety, productivity and reliability.

Responsibilities include troubleshooting, control loop tuning, DCS programming (Honeywell Experion), alarm management, and collaboration with operators to align control strategy with plant conditions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in chemical, electrical, or control systems engineering.
• At least five years of controls engineering experience in chemical manufacturing.
• At least three years of DCS programming experience.
• Onsite plant operations experience supporting process control.

Responsibilities

• Design, program, optimize, and maintain automated control systems.
• Tune control loops and address DCS alarms.
• Implement safety systems and ensure compliance with EH&S standards.
• Collaborate with process operators to align control strategy with plant conditions.
• Troubleshoot system faults and hardware/software issues.

Skills

Honeywell Experion

DCS programming

Process control

Control loop tuning

Alarms management

Safety systems

Troubleshooting

Team collaboration

MS Office / Teams

SPC

Education

Bachelor's degree in chemical, electrical, or control systems engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office

SPC software

Project management software

Job description

Job Title: DCS Controls Engineer

Duration: 6 month contract-to-hire

Schedule: 5/40 schedule

Location: Baytown, TX

This opportunity offers the chance to support daily plant-wide operations within a chemical manufacturing environment, with a strong focus on distributed control systems, process control, and safety systems. The role is centred on improving safety, production efficiency, and reliability through optimisation, troubleshooting, and control loop tuning. There is also potential for the position to become permanent following the initial contract term.

Required Education

Bachelor's degree in chemical, electrical, or control systems engineering, or a related discipline.

Required Experience

• At least five years of relevant experience in controls engineering roles within or around the chemical manufacturing industry.
• At least three years of DCS programming experience.
• Experience working onsite in plant operations and supporting process control in a manufacturing environment.

Required Skills

• Strong proficiency in Honeywell Experion distributed control systems.
• Ability to design, program, optimise, and maintain automated systems that regulate chemical manufacturing processes.
• Experience tuning control loops, monitoring and addressing DCS alarms, and implementing safety systems.
• Ability to diagnose and resolve system faults, hardware failures, and software bugs.
• Knowledge of process control improvement, reducing process variability, and improving product yield.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with process operators to align control strategy with plant conditions and operational goals.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organisational, and communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Teams, Statistical Process Control (SPC), and project management software.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Commitment to environmental, health, safety, and industry compliance standards.

Preferred Qualifications

Previous experience handling hazardous chemicals in a process safety management regulated facility.

About Airswift

Airswift is an international workforce solutions provider within the energy, process and infrastructure industries. Airswift serves as a strategic partner to clients, offering a turnkey workforce solution to capture and deliver the top talent needed to complete successful projects by aligning with unique project needs. With over 1000 employees and 9,000 contractors operating in over 60 countries, Airswift's geographical reach and pool of talent available is unmatched in the industry.