Process Controls Engineer

Actalent; Lansing (MI); Hybrid; USD 62,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k) plan

Life Insurance

PTO

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a lead Process Controls Engineer to guide a team in the water and wastewater sector from design to implementation. The role offers remote work with occasional day trips to Lansing/Detroit and a flexible schedule, averaging 45 hours per week.

The position is contract-to-hire with growth into management within months to a year. Responsibilities include steering projects, PLC/HMI development, electrical panel design, system startup, and ongoing testing to ensure robust municipal

Qualifications

• 10+ years in process automation and controls.
• Strong PLC programming skills (Allen Bradley or Siemens).
• Experience leading teams and customer-focused communication.
• HMI/SCADA experience and electrical design of control panels.
• Project management experience and ability to mentor a team.

Responsibilities

• Lead the process controls engineering team, providing direction, mentorship, and support across projects.
• Own the full control systems lifecycle from cradle to grave.
• Design and develop PLC controls systems for pumps, valves, pressure, and flow control, including PID loop configuration and optimization.
• Program, configure, and troubleshoot PLCs and HMI/SCADA systems for process controls systems.
• Create and review electrical designs for control panels, ensuring safe, reliable, and compliant configurations for process automation systems.
• Participate in system startup, commissioning, and testing, resolving technical issues and validating that control systems perform as specified in municipal and industrial water/wastewater environments.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Communication

HMI/SCADA experience

Electrical design

Problem solving

Team mentorship

Tools

Allen-Bradley PLC

Siemens PLC

HMI/SCADA

Ignition

VTScada

Wonderware

iFIX

Rockwell

Job description

Job Title: Process Controls Engineer - LeadJob Description

Seeking an experience process controls engineering team leader to guide a process controls group serving the water and wastewater sector.

Will be applying deep hands on expertise across the full control systems lifecycledesign, engineering, startup, testing, and implementationwithin water, wastewater, and related process industries.

Ideal path for this candidate is to grow into a management role after a few months - 1 year.

• REMOTE work
• outside of 25% travel to Lansing/Detroit area (typically just day trips).
• Hours: 8am - 4:30pm, flexible in/out times
• 45 hours a week

Responsibilities

• Lead the process controls engineering team, providing direction, mentorship, and support across projects
• Own the full control systems lifecycle from cradle to grave
• Design and develop PLC controls systems for pumps, valves, pressure, and flow control, including PID loop configuration and optimization
• Program, configure, and troubleshoot PLCs and HMI/SCADA systems for process controls systems
• Create and review electrical designs for control panels, ensuring safe, reliable, and compliant configurations for process automation systems.
• Participate in system startup, commissioning, and testing, resolving technical issues and validating that control systems perform as specified in municipal and industrial water/wastewater environments.

Essential Skills

• 10+ years in process automation and controls
• PLC Programming: Allen Bradley or Siemens
• Customer service and communication skills
• HMI/SCADA experience
• Electrical design experience (control panels)
• Project management experience

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Leadership experience or desire to lead the process controls team
• Ignition, VTScada, Wonderware, or iFIX experience
• Opto22 experience
• UL508A design experience
• OT cybersecurity experience
• Power distribution and motor controls experience
• Estimating and proposal development experience
• Municipal water/wastewater experience
• Rockwell, Siemens, Ignition, or Cisco certifications

Work Environment

The role offers a flexible and professional work environment with the opportunity to gain municipal wastewater experience while working remotely.

• Typical hours are from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with flexibility to start earlier or later based on personal preference and project requirements. 45 hour work week.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Lansing, MI.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $45.00 - $55.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Lansing,MI.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 16, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.