Instrument and Controls Designer

Audubon Companies; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Audubon Companies seeks a Senior Instrument & Controls Designer to lead design, development, and coordination of instrumentation and control system deliverables for industrial facilities, including oil & gas, LNG, petrochemical, refining, and chemical processing projects.

The role provides technical guidance to junior designers, supports project execution, and drives continuous improvement across engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction activities.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Associate's Degree from a Technical Institution preferred.
• Minimum 10+ years of instrumentation and controls design experience in oil & gas, LNG, petrochemical, refining, chemical processing, midstream facilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of detailed instrumentation and control drawings, layouts, wiring diagrams, loop diagrams, and installation details.
• Develop and maintain instrument location plans, cable tray layouts, conduit routing, junction box layouts, wiring interconnections, loop and hook-up drawings, and marshalling cabinet layouts.
• Perform instrument and electrical design calculations including cable sizing, conduit sizing, voltage drop, and cable tray fill.
• Support PLC, DCS, SIS/ESD systems and control logic schematics; relay logic and interlock diagrams.
• Review and optimize application and functionality of instrumentation and control systems; ensure accuracy and completeness of drawings.
• Prepare BOMs, IO lists, cable schedules, procurement packages, and material take-offs.

Skills

Instrumentation design

Controls design

Team leadership

Mentoring

Site coordination

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Associate's Degree in a technical field

Tools

AutoCAD

SPI / Intools

PDMS

E3D

AutoCAD Plant 3D

Job description

The Senior Instrument & Controls Designer is responsible for leading the design, development, and coordination of instrumentation and control system deliverables for industrial facilities including oil & gas, LNG, petrochemical, refining, and chemical processing projects. This position applies advanced technical knowledge and extensive design experience to independently execute complex assignments, support multidisciplinary coordination, and ensure compliance with project specifications, industry standards, and client requirements.

The Senior Instrument & Controls Designer provides technical guidance to junior designers, supports project execution activities, and contributes to continuous improvement initiatives throughout all phases of engineering, procurement, fabrication, and construction.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and preparation of detailed instrumentation and control system drawings, layouts, wiring diagrams, loop diagrams, installation details, and assembly drawings from engineering designs, markups, and specifications
• Develop and maintain:
  • Instrument location plans
  • Cable tray layouts
  • Conduit routing drawings
  • Junction box layouts
  • Wiring interconnection diagrams
  • Loop drawings
  • Hook-up drawings
  • Marshalling cabinet layouts
  • Control panel layouts
• Interpret verbal and written engineering direction to initiate and complete preliminary and final instrument/control system designs
• Perform instrument and electrical design calculations including:
  • Cable sizing
  • Conduit sizing
  • Voltage drop calculations
  • Cable tray fill calculations
• Support development and implementation of:
  • PLC systems
  • DCS systems
  • SIS/ESD systems
  • Control logic schematics
  • Relay logic and interlock diagrams
• Review and optimize application and functionality of instrumentation and control systems
• Check and verify accuracy and completeness of drawings and deliverables prepared by others
• Prepare and maintain:
  • Bills of materials (BOMs)
  • Instrument indexes
  • I/O lists
  • Cable schedules
  • Procurement packages
  • Material take-offs
• Revise drawings, models, and documentation consistent with engineering changes and company change management procedures
• Implement revisions and change control processes in accordance with company standards and project requirements
• Assemble information and reference documentation from multiple disciplines and sources
• Identify opportunities for design improvements, constructability enhancements, and cost reductions
• Determine optimal drawing/model views and layouts to effectively communicate installation and construction requirements
• Review field redlines and generate accurate as-built documentation
• Support preparation and review of Operation & Maintenance (O&M) manuals and turnover packages
• Utilize 2D and 3D CAD software to create and maintain instrumentation and controls design deliverables
• Create technical documentation supporting procurement, fabrication, installation, and construction activities
• Support Engineering Change Order (ECO) development and implementation
• Analyze impacts of proposed design changes and identify potential interferences or constructability issues
• Coordinate with:
  • Process engineers
  • Electrical engineers
  • Mechanical engineers
  • Piping designers
  • Automation specialists
  • Vendors and contractors
• Produce deliverables in accordance with company standards while maintaining project schedule and budget requirements
• Maintain proper electronic file management and document control practices
• Interact and communicate effectively with clients, subcontractors, vendors, and project teams
• Track and maintain awareness of project schedules, manpower requirements, and budget impacts
• Comply with all company and client HSSE standards and applicable regulations
• Participate in hazard identification, safety observations, and incident reporting programs
• Position requires candidate to work from clients office 5 days a week

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required
• Associate's Degree from a Technical Institution preferred
• Minimum 10+ years of instrumentation and controls design experience in:
  • Oil & gas
  • LNG
  • Petrochemical
  • Refining
  • Chemical processing
  • Midstream facilities
• Advanced proficiency with:
  • AutoCAD
  • SPI / SmartPlant Instrumentation (Intools)
  • 3D modeling platforms such as:
    • PDMS
    • E3D
    • AutoCAD Plant 3D
• Strong working knowledge of:
  • Instrumentation design standards
  • ISA standards
  • NEC requirements
  • PIP standards
  • Client specifications
• Experience with:
  • PLC systems
  • DCS systems
  • SIS/ESD systems
  • Industrial networking and communications layouts
• Extensive field experience and ability to perform site walkdowns independently
• Experience leading small to medium-sized projects and coordinating multidisciplinary teams
• Ability to independently solve complex design and constructability issues
• Strong communication, organizational, and leadership skills
• Ability to read and understand:
  • Engineering drawings
  • P&IDs
  • Wiring diagrams
  • Loop diagrams
  • Instrument specifications
• Ability to mentor junior designers and support team development

Preferred

• Experience with LNG facilities strongly preferred
• Experience supporting global engineering execution teams preferred
• Familiarity with laser scan integration and intelligent 3D modeling environments preferred
• Experience with document management systems and project workflows preferred

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled