Lead Electrical Controls Engineer - PLC, HMI, SCADA

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc. is seeking a Lead Electrical Controls Engineer to architect and deliver connected power monitoring and control ecosystems.

This role entails owning projects from platform selection through field testing, with end‑to‑end responsibility for schedule, cost, and technical outcomes. You will lead multi-site programs, guide platform decisions, manage budgets, and mentor a team of control engineers, while interfacing with customers and suppliers to ensure profitability

Qualifications

• BSEE or BSME, or equivalent practical experience in industrial control systems or related education
• Minimum of 3+ years in industry
• Expert-level experience with PLC-based control / HMI / SCADA systems (Inductive Automation, Rockwell, Wonderware, Schneider)
• Expert knowledge of advanced network topologies including EtherNet/IP, Modbus RTU/TCP, PROFINET, and IO-Link
• Hands‑on experience developing in IPC-based environments using CODESYS
• Broad technical expertise across electrical, mechanical, and controls disciplines
• Proven experience in risk management and mitigation for complex projects
• Demonstrated budget and expense management capabilities
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and customer relationship‑building skills
• Proven track record leading engineering teams and project initiatives

Responsibilities

• Owning complete customer, program, and project delivery for connected services applications from $50K to $20M
• Selecting platforms and technologies, defining system architecture, and driving technical reviews
• Providing leadership for project execution across technical, financial, and commercial aspects
• Acting as primary customer interface on major projects, owning technical, schedule, and cost baselines
• Leading or supporting financial negotiations on proposals, estimates, quotations, change orders, and change directives
• Coordinating internal engineering, technical field personnel, and third-party suppliers for Electrical Power Delivery, Equipment, and Modular systems
• Collaborating with Sales, Solution Development, Engineering, Manufacturing / Production, and Service to deliver solutions and ensure customer satisfaction and profitability
• Supporting hiring, development, and retention of a top-tier team of Control System Engineers and Specialists
• Providing indirect leadership for project and initiative teams of approximately 5–10 reports
• Identifying execution risks early and implementing mitigation strategies
• Managing budgets, expenses, and purchasing decisions tied to project success
• Presenting project activity and financial updates to customer and internal stakeholder audiences

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Customer communication

Team leadership

Risk management

Budget management

Education

BSEE or BSME, or equivalent

Tools

Inductive Automation

Rockwell

Wonderware

Schneider

CODESYS

EtherNet/IP

Modbus RTU/TCP

PROFINET

IO-Link

Job description

Lead Electrical Controls Engineer

Build the brain of connected power systems

You’re the engineer who doesn’t just write code—you architect entire control and monitoring ecosystems and own the outcome, technically and financially.

In this role, you’ll lead the growth of a connected services business built around Electrical Power Monitoring and advanced control systems, from platform selection and system design through field installation support, testing, and commissioning.

You’ll take full ownership of complex applications ranging from $50K to $20M, driving decisions on technology stack, system architecture, resources, purchasing, and change management.

And you won’t just steer from the sidelines—you’ll often be the primary customer interface, setting technical, schedule, and cost baselines and leading negotiations on proposals and change orders.

If you’re a seasoned controls leader who lives in PLC / HMI / SCADA and wants to build both systems and teams, we want to talk to you.

What You'll Work On

• Electrical Power Monitoring and related control systems services
• PLC-based control, HMI, and SCADA solutions for industrial and power applications
• Connected services platforms and system architectures
• Advanced industrial networking and communications interfaces
• IPC-based control environments and applications
• Technical and commercial project strategies from $50K to $20M
• Multi-site customer programs spanning engineering, production, and field service
• Subcontractor and third-party supplier integration

You’ll work with technologies like PLC-based controls / HMI / SCADA (Inductive Automation, Rockwell, Wonderware, Schneider), advanced networks (EtherNet/IP, Modbus RTU/TCP, PROFINET, IO-Link), and IPC-based environments using CODESYS.

This is where deep controls engineering meets real P&L responsibility.

What You'll Be Doing

• Owning complete customer, program, and project delivery for connected services applications from $50K to $20M
• Selecting platforms and technologies, defining system architecture, and driving technical reviews
• Providing leadership for project execution across technical, financial, and commercial aspects
• Acting as primary customer interface on major projects, owning technical, schedule, and cost baselines
• Leading or supporting financial negotiations on proposals, estimates, quotations, change orders, and change directives
• Coordinating internal engineering, technical field personnel, and third-party suppliers for Electrical Power Delivery, Equipment, and Modular systems
• Collaborating with Sales, Solution Development, Engineering, Manufacturing / Production, and Service to deliver solutions and ensure customer satisfaction and profitability
• Supporting hiring, development, and retention of a top-tier team of Control System Engineers and Specialists
• Providing indirect leadership for project and initiative teams of approximately 5–10 reports
• Identifying execution risks early and implementing mitigation strategies
• Managing budgets, expenses, and purchasing decisions tied to project success
• Presenting project activity and financial updates to customer and internal stakeholder audiences

What We're Looking For

• BSEE or BSME, or equivalent practical experience in industrial control systems or related education
• Minimum of 3+ years in industry
• Expert-level experience with PLC-based control / HMI / SCADA systems (Inductive Automation, Rockwell, Wonderware, Schneider)
• Expert knowledge of advanced network topologies including EtherNet/IP, Modbus RTU/TCP, PROFINET, and IO-Link
• Hands‑on experience developing in IPC-based environments using CODESYS
• Broad technical expertise across electrical, mechanical, and controls disciplines
• Proven experience in risk management and mitigation for complex projects
• Demonstrated budget and expense management capabilities
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and customer relationship‑building skills
• Proven track record leading engineering teams and project initiatives

The Experience That Will Really Get Our Attention

You’re the senior controls leader who’s taken high‑stakes industrial or power projects from concept through commissioning, while also building up the people around you. You can talk architecture with engineers, risk with executives, and value with customers—and you’re comfortable making the hard calls on technology, scope, and resources.

You’ve integrated PLC / HMI / SCADA platforms, worked across multiple industrial networks, and shipped CODESYS‑based IPC solutions into real plants or facilities. You know how to spot risk in a project plan before it becomes a problem, and you have the financial acumen to protect both margin and relationships.

Why This Opportunity?

This is not a narrow “keep the lights on” controls role—you are helping shape and scale a connected services business line tied directly to Electrical Power Monitoring and critical control systems.

You’ll have true end‑to‑end ownership: architecture, execution, financial performance, and the growth of a high‑caliber engineering team that looks to you for technical and leadership direction.

You’ll operate at the intersection of engineering, operations, and the customer, with a voice in platform decisions, project negotiations, and continuous improvement across the organization.

Travel 30-50% as needed

Comfort working in an office environment with frequent visits to the production floor and manufacturing plant

Ability to move around a plant environment, including walking, standing, climbing stairs, and lifting up to 25 pounds

Interested?

If you’re ready to lead connected control systems from PLC rack to executive review and want real ownership over both projects and people, let’s get a conversation started.

Lead Electrical Controls Engineer, Senior Controls Engineer, Sr Engineer Control Systems, Connected Services Engineer, Electrical Power Monitoring, industrial control systems, PLC, HMI, SCADA, Inductive Automation, Rockwell, Wonderware, Schneider, CODESYS, IPC‑based controls, EtherNet/IP, Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP, PROFINET, IO-Link, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, controls engineering, control system design, industrial networking, risk management, project leadership, engineering management, budget management, controls jobs