Senior Controls & Automation Engineer – Onsite VA

Actalent; Springfield (VA); On-site; USD 114,000 - 183,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mileage reimbursement

PTO

Holiday

Bonuses

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Sr. Controls/Automation Engineer for a permanent, onsite role in the Alexandria/VA area with hybrid-flexible travel to field locations.

You will design, program, and support industrial control and monitoring systems for natural gas gate stations and plant operations, focusing on PLC/HMI development, SCADA infrastructure, and communications. The role requires strong PLC programming, SCADA systems expertise, and proficiency with SQL databases to support reporting and

Qualifications

• Experience with SCADA systems design, integration, and management.
• Proficient PLC programming using vendor-specific languages.
• Strong understanding of process control systems and industrial automation for gate stations and plants.
• Experience implementing and supporting communication infrastructure across multiple media.
• Knowledge of UDP, TCP/IP, Modbus, and BSAP protocols.
• Ability to develop and maintain HMI applications.
• Experience with SQL databases for data archiving and reporting.
• Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Computer Systems, or related discipline.
• Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with internal teams to gather system requirements and define specifications.
• Design, develop, and test PLC code for gate station control and monitoring.
• Develop PLC logic for plant equipment supporting peak shaving operations.
• Implement and maintain diverse communication infrastructure for remote monitoring.
• Configure and support Modbus/TCP and other protocols for data integrity.
• Develop HMI interfaces for gas delivery and plant control systems.
• Manage SQL databases for reporting, history, and compliance.
• Perform startup operations to verify design parameters.
• Coordinate with IT and Gas Control to maintain system security and reliability.
• Participate in project management and cross-functional coordination.
• Create operation and maintenance procedures and wiring schematics.

Skills

SCADA systems

PLC programming

Process control

Industrial communications

UDP/TCP/IP/Modbus/BSAP

HMI development

MS SQL/ANSI SQL

C++

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field

Tools

MS SQL

ANSI SQL

Job description

Actalent is seeking a Sr. Controls/Automation Engineer for a permanent, onsite role in the Alexandria/VA area with hybrid-flexible travel to field locations.

You will design, program, and support industrial control and monitoring systems for natural gas gate stations and plant operations, focusing on PLC/HMI development, SCADA infrastructure, and communications. The role requires strong PLC programming, SCADA systems expertise, and proficiency with SQL databases to support reporting and