Lead Electrical Engineer – Control Panel Design & Industrial Automation

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc.; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc. is seeking a Lead Electrical Engineer to guide the design and execution of custom control systems and industrial automation projects.

You will lead the electrical engineering design for automation projects, ensuring compliance with NEC/NFPA 79 and UL 508A, and provide technical oversight across multidisciplinary teams. The role requires strong leadership, extensive experience in electrical design, and a track record of delivering turnkey automation solutions from

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Electrical Engineering Technology.
• 8+ years designing industrial electrical control systems.
• 3+ years of technical leadership or lead engineering experience.
• Advanced proficiency with AutoCAD Electrical.
• Strong knowledge of PLC-based control systems and industrial automation.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering projects from concept through commissioning.
• Strong understanding of electrical power distribution and industrial control circuits.
• Ability to review and interpret electrical schematics, one-line diagrams, P&IDs, loop diagrams, instrumentation drawings, control narratives.

Responsibilities

• Lead the electrical engineering design for custom automation and control system projects.
• Design industrial control panels in compliance with NEC, NFPA 79, and UL 508A.
• Provide technical oversight for multiple projects and mentor junior engineers.
• Coordinate with controls, software, mechanical, and fabrication teams throughout project execution.
• Support FAT, SAT, startup, commissioning, and field troubleshooting.

Skills

Technical leadership

PLC-based control systems

Industrial automation

Customer-facing skills

Project management

Mentoring

Leadership communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Electrical Engineering Technology

Tools

AutoCAD Electrical

Allen-Bradley

Siemens PLC

Schneider Electric

SCADA Ignition

Job description

Lead Electrical Engineer – Control Panel Design & Industrial Automation

Company Overview

A growing industrial automation and systems integration company is seeking a Lead Electrical Engineer to provide technical leadership for the design and execution of custom control systems and industrial automation projects. The company delivers turnkey automation solutions including electrical engineering, UL control panel fabrication, PLC/HMI programming, SCADA integration, field installation, and commissioning for customers across a wide range of manufacturing and process industries.

Position Summary

The Lead Electrical Engineer will serve as the technical leader for electrical engineering projects, overseeing the design and implementation of industrial control panels, power distribution systems, and automation solutions from concept through commissioning. This role provides engineering direction to project teams, establishes design standards, mentors junior engineers and designers, and works closely with customers to deliver reliable, high-quality automation systems.

The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise in electrical design with leadership experience in industrial automation, control panel design, and multidisciplinary project execution.

• Lead the electrical engineering design for custom industrial automation and control system projects.
• Design industrial control panels in compliance with customer specifications, NEC, NFPA 79, and UL 508A standards.
• Power distribution drawings
• PLC I/O drawings
• Loop drawings
• Bills of Materials (BOMs)
• Establish engineering standards, design practices, and documentation procedures.
• Provide technical oversight for multiple engineering projects simultaneously.
• Review and approve electrical designs produced by engineers and designers.
• Mentor junior engineers, electrical designers, and CAD personnel while supporting their technical development.
• Work directly with customers to define project scope, review specifications, and resolve technical issues.
• Coordinate with controls engineers, software developers, mechanical engineers, fabrication teams, and project managers throughout project execution.
• Specify and select electrical equipment including:
  • PLC platforms
  • HMIs
  • Industrial PCs
  • VFDs
  • Servo systems
  • MCCs
  • Motor starters
  • Circuit protection devices
  • Industrial networking equipment
  • Safety components
• Support Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), startup, commissioning, and field troubleshooting.
• Manage engineering change orders (ECOs), drawing revisions, and document control.
• Identify opportunities to improve engineering efficiency through design standardization and reusable templates.
• Provide technical support during panel fabrication, installation, and startup activities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Electrical Engineering Technology.
• 8+ years of experience designing industrial electrical control systems.
• 3+ years of technical leadership or lead engineering experience.
• Advanced proficiency with AutoCAD Electrical.
• Strong knowledge of PLC-based control systems and industrial automation.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering projects from concept through commissioning.
• Strong understanding of electrical power distribution and industrial control circuits.
• Ability to review and interpret:
  • Electrical schematics
  • One-line diagrams
  • P&IDs
  • Loop diagrams
  • Instrumentation drawings
  • Control narratives
• Excellent communication, leadership, and customer-facing skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer (PE) license is a plus.
• Experience with UL 508A panel design.
• Familiarity with UL 698A, NFPA 70 (NEC), NFPA 79, and IEC standards.
• Experience with Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Omron, or Beckhoff automation platforms.
• Knowledge of industrial networking including EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, Profinet, and Ethernet-based control systems.
• Experience with SCADA systems such as Ignition, FactoryTalk View SE, Wonderware, or AVEVA.
• Experience supporting industries such as manufacturing, food & beverage, water/wastewater, life sciences, chemicals, or oil & gas.
• Previous experience supporting field commissioning and startup activities.

Technical Skills

• AutoCAD
• UL 508A
• PLC Hardware Design
• HMI Integration
• Power Distribution Systems
• Motor Control Centers (MCCs)
• Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
• Instrumentation & Process Controls
• SCADA Systems
• BOM Development
• Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT)
• Site Acceptance Testing (SAT)
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Technical leadership and engineering mentorship
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Project planning and execution
• Customer relationship management
• Design review and quality assurance
• Continuous improvement and engineering standardization
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced environment

Travel

• Occasional travel (approximately 10–20%) to customer facilities for project meetings, site surveys, startup support, and commissioning activities may be required.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Electrical Engineer who enjoys leading engineering teams, designing advanced industrial control systems, and delivering turnkey automation solutions for complex manufacturing and process control applications.