Senior Controls Engineer

MidCentral Energy; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 130,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Expanse is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer to design, develop, and maintain control applications for unattended wellhead pressure control products. You will lead system architecture, critical control logic, redundant sensor validation, alarm management, FAT and commissioning, and field-driven improvements across North Dakota and Texas operations.

You will write maintainable code, set engineering standards, and collaborate directly with customer technical teams while mentoring automation

Qualifications

• 7+ years of hands-on PLC programming and controls engineering in industrial environments.
• Experience taking applications from architecture through FAT/commissioning as product owner.
• Willingness to travel regularly to field sites and panel facilities in ND and TX.

Responsibilities

• Architect, program, and document PLC applications on Schneider Electric and Rockwell platforms.
• Define I/O requirements and control strategies from P&IDs and specs.
• Develop field-facing software with fault management, alarms, and scalable CC/SCADA integration.

Skills

PLC programming

Control systems

HMI/SCADA

Field commissioning

Mentor technicians

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical/controls engineering

Tools

Schneider Electric EcoStruxure

Rockwell Automation

AVEVA InTouch

FactoryTalk

Job description

• Base Pay $130,000.00 - $165,000.00 / Year
• Job Category Electrical Automation & Controls, Engineering, Control Systems Engineering
• Employee Type FT Exempt
• Travel 40%
• Manage Others Yes

No matter the role, everyone at Expanse, a MidCentral company, brings it. EVERY. DAY.

Our smart, gritty team supports, challenges, and motivates each other to think hard and work harder—from our headquarters in OKC to our field offices in Colorado, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Texas. Whether it's asset management, field services, Assembly Maintenance & Overhaul (AMO), MidCentral and Expanse Electrical scalable, data-driven solutions reduce costs and increase productivity for our customers. We shorten timelines . We increase uptime . And we push the energy industry forward.

Got what it takes to join us? Bring it.

Position Summary :

The Senior Controls Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining the control application for an unattended wellhead pressure control product. This role leads system architecture, critical control logic, redundant sensor validation, controller-side alarm management, factory acceptance testing, and commissioning. The Senior Controls Engineer provides ongoing technical ownership, developing new features and implementing field-driven improvements as the product line grows. You will apply the same engineering approach to facility construction engineering and programming across our North Dakota and Texas operations, including production facilities, compression, panel plant builds, and SCADA/HMI systems. Across all of this work, you will write code that other people can maintain , set the standards others build on, and work directly with customers' technical teams.

Essential Functions

• Architect, program, and document PLC applications on Schneider Electric and Rockwell Automation platforms.
• Review P&IDs and functional specifications to define I/O requirements and control strategies.
• Implement programs from customer-issued Cause & Effect matrices and functional specifications. Raise contradictions and gaps formally instead of working around them.
• Develop deterministic logic for time critical shutdown and relief functions, and demonstrate that it meets defined response time requirements.
• Build controller-side alarm lifecycle management, including state, acknowledgement, and classification, that stays synchronized across multiple HMIs and a remote SCADA system and recovers cleanly after communication loss.
• Design redundant-sensor validation, fault discrimination, degraded mode operation, and cold-start behavior.
• Implement role based command authority and event journaling, with validation enforced in the controller.
• Integrate field networks and telemetry: EtherNet /IP, Ethernet RIO on fiber rings, Modbus, CANopen , and J1939. Include store-and-forward telemetry to cloud SCADA.

HMI / SCADA

• Develop and maintain HMI and SCADA applications in AVEVA (Wonderware) InTouch and System Platform, FactoryTalk View, and Schneider Electric Vijeo Designer
• Define HMI tag interfaces and coordinate with HMI developers.

Test, commissioning, and support

• Write and run factory acceptance tests (FAT) and site acceptance tests (SAT), including formally specified validation test blocks.
• Support yard testing, field commissioning, and startup in ND and TX.
• Work on-site at customer locations to commission, start up, and troubleshoot systems alongside customer operations teams and Expanse field crews
• Prepare engineering documentation and handover packages, train customer personnel, and recommend spare parts.
• Take part directly in customer technical working sessions.
• Establish and maintain programming standards, code structure, and documentation across the division.
• Coordinate with Expanse’s panel engineering team and panel plants in both regions on I/O and design requirements.
• Evaluate new and alternate products and technologies and contribute to new product development.
• Mentor automation technicians and apprentices.

Requirements

Position Summary :

The Senior Controls Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining the control application for an unattended wellhead pressure control product. This role leads system architecture, critical control logic, redundant sensor validation, controller-side alarm management, factory acceptance testing, and commissioning. The Senior Controls Engineer provides ongoing technical ownership, developing new features and implementing field-driven improvements as the product line grows. You will apply the same engineering approach to facility construction engineering and programming across our North Dakota and Texas operations, including production facilities, compression, panel plant builds, and SCADA/HMI systems. Across all of this work, you will write code that other people can maintain , set the standards others build on, and work directly with customers' technical teams.

Essential Functions

• Architect, program, and document PLC applications on Schneider Electric and Rockwell Automation platforms.
• Review P&IDs and functional specifications to define I/O requirements and control strategies.
• Implement programs from customer-issued Cause & Effect matrices and functional specifications. Raise contradictions and gaps formally instead of working around them.
• Develop deterministic logic for time critical shutdown and relief functions, and demonstrate that it meets defined response time requirements.
• Build controller-side alarm lifecycle management, including state, acknowledgement, and classification, that stays synchronized across multiple HMIs and a remote SCADA system and recovers cleanly after communication loss.
• Design redundant-sensor validation, fault discrimination, degraded mode operation, and cold-start behavior.
• Implement role based command authority and event journaling, with validation enforced in the controller.
• Integrate field networks and telemetry: EtherNet /IP, Ethernet RIO on fiber rings, Modbus, CANopen , and J1939. Include store-and-forward telemetry to cloud SCADA.

HMI / SCADA

• Develop and maintain HMI and SCADA applications in AVEVA (Wonderware) InTouch and System Platform, FactoryTalk View, and Schneider Electric Vijeo Designer
• Define HMI tag interfaces and coordinate with HMI developers.

Test, commissioning, and support

• Write and run factory acceptance tests (FAT) and site acceptance tests (SAT), including formally specified validation test blocks.
• Support yard testing, field commissioning, and startup in ND and TX.
• Work on-site at customer locations to commission, start up, and troubleshoot systems alongside customer operations teams and Expanse field crews
• Prepare engineering documentation and handover packages, train customer personnel, and recommend spare parts.
• Take part directly in customer technical working sessions.
• Establish and maintain programming standards, code structure, and documentation across the division.
• Coordinate with Expanse’s panel engineering team and panel plants in both regions on I/O and design requirements.
• Evaluate new and alternate products and technologies and contribute to new product development.
• Mentor automation technicians and apprentices.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of hands‑on PLC programming and controls engineering, preferably in oil and gas, industrial, or process environments.
• Production experience with all of the following: Schneider Electric EcoStruxure Control Expert (M580/M340), Rockwell Studio 5000 (ControlLogix/CompactLogix), Rockwell FactoryTalk, and AVEVA (Wonderware) InTouch and/or System Platform.
• A track record of taking an application from architecture through FAT and commissioning, as the owner of the finished product.
• Experience programming to Cause & Effect matrices or formal functional specifications.
• Working knowledge of industrial networks: EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP/RTU, and remote I/O architectures.
• Ability to read electrical schematics, P&IDs, and panel drawings.
• Clear written documentation and direct communication with customer engineers.
• Willingness to travel regularly to field sites and panel facilities in North Dakota and Texas.
• A valid driver's license.
• A bachelor's degree in electrical, controls, or a related engineering field, or equivalent experience.
• Ability to pass a pre‑employment drug screen and background check. The position is subject to random and for‑cause drug testing.

Preferred Qualifications

• Controller-side alarm management design, and familiarity with recognized alarm management standards.
• Safety relevant or time critical control applications, such as shutdown, relief, or burner management.
• CANopen and J1939 integration.
• SCADA and field communications, including Ignition, SCADAPack, licensed and unlicensed radios and cellular modems (such as MDS, FreeWave, and Sierra Wireless), HART, and OPC.
• Schneider Electric Vijeo Designer and Red Lion HMI experience.
• Equipment design and installation in hazardous (classified) locations, including intrinsically safe systems.
• Wellsite, production facility, or compression automation in the Bakken or Permian.
• ISA certifications or equivalent industry credentials.

The job combines office and engineering work with field time at customer sites and Expanse panel plants. Field work involves outdoor conditions, including North Dakota winters and West Texas summers. Required PPE and site safety practices apply.

Regular on-site time at customer locations is expected, particularly during commissioning, startup, and troubleshooting. This engineer is the technical lead in the field, working directly with customer operations and engineering staff and with Expanse electricians and automation technicians.

Why Expanse

• Long term ownership of a product line, from first deployment through continued development and innovation.
• You work closely with panel builders, field crews, and customers in two major U.S. basins.
• You help set controls standards for a growing automation division.

Other:

This position is safety sensitive. It is subject to pre-employment and/or periodic background checks, motor vehicle records (MVR) and drug testing.

Driving Requirements:

Must possess a valid driver's license, must be at least 21 years of age. Must maintain a satisfactory driving record to safely operate company vehicles.

*This position description is a general guideline for work behavior and is not intended to be a comprehensive listing of all job duties. Therefore, it is also not, nor can it be implied to be, a contract of employment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential tasks. Must be able to successfully complete an intense background investigation.*

Summary

The Senior Controls Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining the control application for an unattended wellhead pressure control product. This role leads system architecture, critical control logic, redundant sensor validation, controller-side alarm management, factory acceptance testing, and commissioning. The Senior Controls Engineer provides ongoing technical ownership, developing new features and implementing field-driven improvements as the product line grows. You will apply the same engineering approach to facility construction engineering and programming across our North Dakota and Texas operations, including production facilities, compression, panel plant builds, and SCADA/HMI systems. Across all of this work, you will write code that other people can maintain , set the standards others build on, and work directly with customers' technical teams.