Senior Controls Engineer

Wunderlich-Malec Engineering; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership)

Medical/Dental/Vision

Life Insurance

Paid PTO/Holidays

401(k)

Job summary

Wunderlich-Malec Engineering, Irvine, CA, seeks a Senior Controls Engineer to lead automation projects from concept to commissioning. You will design control systems, develop architecture, and program PLC/HMI with a focus on safety and reliability.

The role offers hybrid collaboration, travel up to 25%, and opportunities to mentor engineers while working with Life Sciences, Food & Beverage, and Manufacturing sectors. Competitive salary and ESOP benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of experience in controls engineering including PLC programming.
• Experience with RSLogix/Studio 5000 and Siemens Step 7/TIA Portal.
• Familiarity with Ignition, Rockwell PlantPAx, S88/MES/ERP systems.
• Proficiency in electrical schematics and control panel design.
• AutoCAD proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects from concept to commissioning and coordinate with clients and internal teams.
• Design and implement control systems using PLC, HMI, SCADA, and DCS platforms.
• Develop control system architecture and select components; create schematics and databases.
• Program controllers (Ladder, SFC, Structured Text) and visualization systems (HMI/SCADA).
• Mentor junior staff and manage project execution plans, budgets, and schedules.

Skills

PLC programming

RSLogix/Studio 5000

Siemens Step 7/TIA Portal

Ignition

S88/recipes/MES/ERP

Electrical schematics

AutoCAD

Leadership & mentorship

Client-facing communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Chemical Engineering or CS

Tools

Ignition

Siemens Step 7

TIA Portal

Rockwell PlantPAx

Job description

Join a Top Engineering Firm That's 100% Employee-Owned

Wunderlich-Malec Engineering (WM) is one of the largest and most well-established engineering firms in the U.S., with over 40 years of industry leadership. As a 100% employee-owned ESOP company, we're proud to be ranked among the Top 5 Systems Integrators and an ENR Top 500 Firm.

We're looking for a Senior Controls Engineer to join our Irvine, CA office. In this leadership role, you'll design and implement innovative automation solutions across industries like Life Sciences, Food & Beverage, and Manufacturing.

What You'll Do

As a Senior Controls Engineer, you'll lead projects from concept to commissioning, working directly with clients and internal teams. Your responsibilities will include:

Automation & Controls Engineering

• Design and implement control systems using PLC, HMI, SCADA, and DCS platforms (Ignition and PlantPAx experience is a plus)
• Develop control system architecture, select components, and create detailed schematics
• Program controllers (Ladder, SFC, Structured Text) and visualization systems (HMI/SCADA)
• Build databases for historical data archiving and display
• Utilize programming languages like VBA, .NET, SQL, and Python for advanced HMI/SCADA development

Industrial Networking

• Design and implement fiber, wired, and wireless networks using industrial protocols (Ethernet/IP, Profinet, IT/OT)

Project Leadership & Management

• Lead engineering teams and mentor junior staff
• Manage project execution plans, budgets, schedules, and reporting
• Oversee daily operations of projects up to $1M and ensure profitability
• Act as technical lead and occasionally serve as Project Manager

What You Bring

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience
• 7+ years of experience in controls engineering, including:
  • Rslogix 500, Studio 5000 PLC programming
  • Siemens Step 7 and TIA Portal programming
  • Rockwell Automation platforms (FactoryTalk, PlantPAX)
  • Inductive Automation Ignition
  • S88 Batch/Recipes, OEE, MES, ERP systems
  • Electrical schematics and control panel design
  • AutoCAD proficiency

Leadership & Collaboration

• Proven ability to lead teams and mentor engineers
• Strong communication and client-facing skills
• Professional references from a manager, peer, and subordinate

Travel

• Up to 25% out-of-state travel; regular visits to client sites in Southern California

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

• Hybrid mix of standard office environment and work-from-home leadership (at least 3 days of office work, discretionary 2 days of remote work, and on-site job walks as needed per week), up to 25% level of travel to client sites in the US; diverse industrial environments; flexible for out-of-region candidates but Southern California Region (specifically Orange County, Inland Empire, and San Diego) preferred.

Physical Demands of Position

• Seeing, color perception, hearing, clear speech, dexterity in hands, driving, lifting, ability to mount/dismount equipment, pushing and pulling.

Why Join WM?

We offer a comprehensive benefits package for full-time employee-owners, including:

Ready to lead cutting-edge automation projects and grow with a company that invests in you?

*Job Descriptions are not exhaustive lists of all skills, responsibilities, or efforts associated with a job. They reflect principal job elements essential for performing the job and evaluating performance.

Wunderlich-Mal is proud to offer a comprehensive employee-owner benefit package. Full-time employees may be eligible for the following benefits:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Basic and Supplemental Life and AD&D
• Long Term Disability
• Voluntary Short Term Disability
• Healthcare & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Savings Account
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Referral Bonus Program
• 401(k)/Profit Sharing
• 100% ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Will Preparation Resources
• Worldwide Travel Assistance

The expected salary range is $110,000 to $155,000 base per year depending on qualifications plus a discretionary bonus and employee stock program.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.

For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.