Electrical Controls Engineering Manager - Industrial Automation

Zen Sherpa LLC; Las Vegas (NV); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual base salary + 10% annual bonus

Medical insurance options

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with employer match

Paid time off

Disability and life insurance

Employee assistance program

Tuition reimbursement

Pet insurance

Job summary

Zen Sherpa LLC is seeking an experienced Electrical & Controls Engineering Manager to lead electrical, controls, automation, and instrumentation engineering for an industrial manufacturer. The role is a hands-on leadership position supporting reliability improvements and capital projects nationwide, with bases possible in Oregon or Nevada.

You will oversee a 20+ person engineering team, drive modernization initiatives, and set engineering standards while coordinating with operations,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field required.
• 8+ years in electrical engineering, industrial automation, or control systems engineering.
• Experience leading and developing a sizable engineering team (15–20+ professionals).
• Proven ability to lead engineers, establish accountability, and earn respect of a technical team.
• Strong people-management, coaching, mentoring, and organizational leadership skills.
• Strong knowledge of industrial electrical systems, MCCs, VFDs, instrumentation, and electrical distribution.
• Hands-on knowledge of PLC, HMI, SCADA, DCS, and industrial networks.
• Experience leading projects from design through commissioning.
• Strong troubleshooting, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of 20+ engineering professionals.
• Build a collaborative engineering culture with varied experience levels.
• Coach, mentor, and develop engineering talent.
• Provide technical leadership for electrical distribution, motor controls, instrumentation, and automation systems.
• Guide design, implementation, and modernization of PLC, HMI, SCADA, DCS, and networks.
• Review and approve designs, drawings, specs, and docs.
• Lead capital and modernization projects from concept through commissioning.
• Troubleshoot complex electrical/control issues and support root-cause analysis.
• Drive reliability, performance, and safety improvements.
• Ensure compliance with NEC, NFPA, OSHA, ISA, and IEEE standards.
• Coordinate with operations, maintenance, contractors, and suppliers.
• Develop engineering standards and support continuous improvement.

Skills

Electrical engineering

Industrial automation

Team leadership

Project management

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

PE license

Master's degree in engineering/engineering management or business

Tools

PLC programming

SCADA systems

DCS integration

Industrial network architectures

Job description

Electrical & Controls Engineering Manager - Industrial Automation

Location: Lebanon, Oregon or Henderson, Nevada

Work Arrangement: On-site

Relocation: Relocation assistance available for qualified candidates

Search: Nationwide

A growing industrial manufacturer is seeking an experienced Electrical & Controls Engineering Manager to lead electrical, controls, automation, and instrumentation engineering.

This is a nationwide search. The position may be based in either Lebanon, Oregon or Henderson, Nevada, and relocation assistance is available for qualified candidates.

This is a hands-on engineering leadership role for an experienced technical leader who combines deep knowledge of industrial electrical and control systems with a proven ability to lead engineers, projects, and modernization initiatives.

You’ll play a key role in improving reliability, modernizing electrical and control systems, developing engineering talent, and leading capital projects from concept through commissioning.

Requirements

What You'll Do

• Lead, develop, and manage a team of 20+ engineering professionals, including experienced senior engineers and technical specialists
• Build a collaborative, accountable engineering culture while effectively leading professionals with varying levels of experience and technical expertise
• Coach, mentor, and develop engineering talent while setting clear expectations and priorities
• Provide technical leadership for electrical distribution, motor controls, instrumentation, and automation systems
• Guide the design, implementation, and modernization of PLC, HMI, SCADA, DCS, and industrial network systems
• Review and approve engineering designs, drawings, specifications, and technical documentation
• Lead capital and modernization projects from concept and design through installation and commissioning
• Troubleshoot complex electrical and control system issues and support root-cause analysis
• Drive improvements in equipment reliability, system performance, and operational safety
• Ensure compliance with applicable NEC, NFPA, OSHA, ISA, and IEEE standards
• Coordinate with operations, maintenance, contractors, system integrators, and equipment suppliers
• Develop engineering standards and support continuous improvement and change-management initiatives

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical field
• 8+ years of experience in electrical engineering, industrial automation, or control systems engineering
• Demonstrated success leading and developing a sizable engineering team or organization, ideally 15-20+ technical professionals
• Proven ability to lead highly experienced engineers and technical experts, establish accountability, build consensus, and earn the respect of a technically accomplished team
• Strong people-management skills, including coaching, mentoring, performance management, team development, and organizational leadership
• Strong knowledge of industrial electrical systems, including MCCs, VFDs, instrumentation, and electrical distribution
• Hands-on knowledge of PLC, HMI, SCADA, DCS, and industrial network architectures
• Experience leading engineering projects from design through installation and commissioning
• Strong troubleshooting, problem-solving, communication, and project leadership skills

Preferred

• PE license
• Master's degree in engineering, engineering management, or business
• Experience within industrial manufacturing or process industries
• PMP, automation, controls, or reliability-related certification
• Experience with industrial cybersecurity and modern connected manufacturing technologies
• Experience leading electrical or controls modernization and reliability initiatives

Why This Role Stands Out

• Lead an accomplished team: Manage and develop an engineering organization of 20+ professionals, including experienced senior engineers and technical experts
• Make an organizational impact: Shape engineering culture, accountability, standards, talent development, and technical direction
• Stay technically engaged: Bring the technical credibility necessary to guide complex engineering decisions while empowering experienced engineers to own their areas of expertise
• Modernize the operation: Help drive controls upgrades, electrical modernization, reliability improvements, and capital investments
• Develop engineering talent: Mentor engineers, strengthen leadership capabilities, and build the team's long-term technical depth
• Own major initiatives: Lead projects from concept and design through contractor coordination, installation, startup, and commissioning

Benefits

• Annual Base Salary + 10% annual performance bonus
• Medical insurance options
  • Traditional PPO with optional medical FSA
  • High Deductible Health Plan with HSA
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Dependent care FSA
• 401(k) with 4% employer match
• Paid time off
• Employer-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, basic life, and AD&D
• Employee assistance program
• Optional voluntary life insurance
• Pet insurance
• Tuition reimbursement