Principal I&C Engineer

CGR Career Portal; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Core Group Resources is seeking a Lead Instrumentation & Controls Engineer to own the I&C scope on industrial projects, guiding work from early design through procurement and construction support.

You will collaborate with mechanical, electrical, process, and piping teams as well as client engineers and equipment vendors, leading a design team, controlling budget, and ensuring high technical standards.

Qualifications

• Experience leading the I&C discipline on multi-discipline industrial projects
• Hands-on experience producing instrument lists, I/O schedules, cause and effect charts, control logic descriptions, and data sheets
• Solid working knowledge of codes and standards for instrumentation and control systems
• Experience supervising engineers and designers against budgeted hours and deadlines
• Experience building labor estimates, supporting schedules, and managing scope changes
• Strong communication skills with clients, vendors, and other engineering disciplines

Responsibilities

• Serve as the I&C technical lead across multiple concurrent projects
• Collaborate with other engineering groups and client teams to produce practical, buildable designs that control cost
• Develop and check instrument lists, I/O schedules, cause and effect charts, control logic descriptions, alarms, data sheets, and design criteria
• Review designs and calculations at milestones to ensure codes, standards, and contract terms compliance
• Uphold QA/QC procedures and maintain quality records throughout the project lifecycle
• Direct day-to-day work of engineers and designers to stay within planned hours and deadlines
• Provide labor hour estimates and schedule input to project managers and controls
• Track scope changes and their cost/schedule impact through formal change process
• Coordinate with vendors during procurement, fabrication, and construction

Skills

I&C leadership

Budget & schedule management

QA/QC procedures

Labor hour estimation

Job description

Lead Instrumentation & Controls Engineer

Job Summary

Core Group Resources is hiring a Lead Instrumentation & Controls Engineer for an engineering client. This role owns the I&C scope on industrial projects, guiding the technical work from early design through procurement and construction support.

You will work hand in hand with mechanical, electrical, process, and piping teams, as well as client engineers and equipment vendors. The right candidate is an experienced I&C lead who can manage a design team, keep work on budget and on schedule, and hold deliverables to a high technical standard.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the I&C technical lead across multiple concurrent projects
• Work with other engineering groups and the client’s engineering team to produce practical, buildable designs that control cost
• Develop and check key I&C documents such as instrument lists, I/O schedules, cause and effect charts, control logic descriptions, alarm management documents, instrument data sheets, and design criteria
• Review designs and calculations at key milestones to verify compliance with industry codes, standards, and contract terms
• Uphold QA/QC procedures and keep clear quality records throughout the project lifecycle
• Direct the day-to-day work of engineers and designers to stay within planned hours and deadlines
• Provide labor hour estimates and schedule input to project managers and project controls
• Track scope changes and their effect on cost and schedule through the formal change process
• Coordinate with instrument and controls vendors during procurement, fabrication, and construction

Requirements

• Experience leading the I&C discipline on multi-discipline industrial projects
• Hands‑on experience producing and checking instrument lists, I/O schedules, cause and effect charts, control logic descriptions, and data sheets
• Solid working knowledge of relevant codes and standards for instrumentation and control systems
• Experience supervising engineers and designers against budgeted hours and project deadlines
• Experience building labor estimates, supporting schedules, and managing scope changes
• Strong communication skills for working with clients, vendors, and other engineering disciplines

Preferred Requirements

• Background supporting procurement and field construction on industrial projects
• Experience in a mentoring or technical review role within an engineering group