Lead Electrical Controls Engineer

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc.; Sergeant Bluff (IA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k)

Job summary

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc. is seeking a Lead Electrical Controls Engineer to design, program, and commission PLC/HMI systems for municipal water and wastewater projects across the Midwest.

You will develop PLC code, configure HMIs, and oversee field commissioning of instruments and motor controls. You will work with a range of platforms (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Modicon, GE) and collaborate closely with operators, technicians, and project teams.

Qualifications

• Experience with PLC/SCADA in municipal or industrial settings.
• Hands-on PLC/HMI project experience from concept to commissioning.
• Knowledge of electrical, automation, or controls engineering principles.

Responsibilities

• Develop PLC code for municipal water and wastewater SCADA systems.
• Design and configure HMI applications for operators and staff.
• Commission control systems and related instrumentation and motor controls.
• Set up communications networks (fiber, radio telemetry, broadband).
• Manage project documentation to company standards and requirements.
• Collaborate with customers during design, construction, and startup phases.
• Provide after-market support and troubleshooting for installed systems.
• Coordinate with internal teams (programmers, technicians, sales, engineers).
• Handle multiple projects and deadlines with high attention to detail.
• Stay current with new automation technologies and IT trends.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI programming

Electrical engineering

Communication skills

Attention to detail

IT familiarity

Education

Electrical engineering degree

Tools

Allen-Bradley RSLogix 500/5000

Modicon

Siemens S7

GE PAC systems

Wonderware

FactoryTalk View

Cimplicity

Intellution

Job description

Lead Electrical Controls Engineer

Build smarter controls that keep communities running

You’ll be the go-to controls expert building and tuning PLC and HMI systems that keep water and wastewater facilities running safely and reliably across the Midwest.

From raw code to live SCADA, you’ll take projects from the laptop to the field – commissioning instruments, motor controls, and communications networks that operators depend on every day.

Your work will be seen in control rooms, treatment plants, and municipal systems that can’t afford to fail.

If you know your way around PLCs, HMIs, and SCADA – and you like seeing your code drive real-world equipment – we want to talk to you.

What You'll Work On

You’ll focus on controls and automation for municipal water and wastewater systems:

• PLC-based control systems for water and wastewater treatment
• HMI and SCADA systems for plant and remote operations
• Instrumentation and motor control devices in the field
• Communications networks including fiber and radio telemetry
• Broadband and associated industrial communication technologies
• Customer-facing projects across Iowa and the broader Midwest
• Project documentation and standards compliance

You may touch platforms like Allen-Bradley RSLogix 500/5000, Modicon, Siemens S7, GE PAC systems, Wonderware, FactoryTalk View, Cimplicity, and Intellution, depending on the project.

Your code, your panels, your networks – all working together in live municipal plants.

What You'll Be Doing

• Develop PLC code for municipal water and wastewater SCADA systems
• Design and configure HMI applications for operators and plant staff
• Commission control systems, including instrumentation and motor control devices
• Set up and commission communications networks (fiber optic, radio telemetry, broadband)
• Manage all project documentation to company standards and project requirements
• Collaborate with customers during design, construction, and startup phases
• Provide aftermarket support and troubleshooting for installed systems
• Coordinate with internal programmers, technicians, sales, and project engineers
• Handle multiple concurrent projects and deadlines with high attention to detail
• Stay current and learn new automation and information technologies quickly

What We're Looking For

• Programming experience with PLCs and/or HMIs in industrial or municipal environments
• Hands-on skills with PLC platforms such as Allen‑Bradley RSLogix 500/5000, Modicon, Siemens S7, GE PAC systems, or similar
• Experience with HMI platforms such as Wonderware, FactoryTalk View, Cimplicity, Intellution, or similar
• Background in electrical, automation, or controls engineering (degree preferred but not required)
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills across all levels of clients and co‑workers
• Ability to manage multiple tasks with excellent attention to detail
• Willingness and ability to learn new technologies quickly
• Information technology experience is a plus

The Experience That Will Really Get Our Attention

You’ve taken PLC/HMI projects from concept to commissioning, and you’re comfortable walking into a plant, plugging in, and making things work. You enjoy both the programming and the field side – and you don’t mind getting close to the equipment when it’s time to start up.

You’re equally at home talking to operators about what they need on-screen and digging into ladder logic or function blocks to squeeze more reliability out of a system.

Why This Opportunity?

Your work directly supports critical water and wastewater infrastructure for communities across Iowa and the Midwest – projects that matter every single day.

You’ll span coding, commissioning, networking, and customer interaction, giving you true end-to-end ownership on controls projects, not just a small slice.

On top of the technical challenge, you’ll have a solid benefits package including health, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k), and paid time off.

Approximately 25% overnight travel, all within the Midwest, is required.

Lead Electrical Controls Engineer, Electrical Controls Engineer, Controls Engineer, PLC Programmer, PLC Engineer, SCADA Engineer, Automation Engineer, Electrical Engineer, RSLogix 500, RSLogix 5000, Allen-Bradley, Modicon, Siemens S7, GE PAC systems, Wonderware, FactoryTalk View, Cimplicity, Intellution, HMI programming, SCADA systems, water treatment, wastewater, municipal water, municipal wastewater, instrumentation, motor control, radio telemetry, fiber optic communications, broadband networks, industrial controls, Midwest travel