Senior Controls Engineer: Lead Industrial Automation

| GrayMatter |; Ashland (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Short-term disability & life insurance

Paid holidays

Job summary

GrayMatter in Ashland, Virginia seeks a Senior Engineer to lead the design, development, and implementation of complex industrial automation solutions. You will apply expertise across SCADA, HMI, PLC, and MES to optimize client operations, mentor engineers, and drive continuous improvement.

This role requires 7–10 years of automation experience, strong architecture skills, and the ability to manage projects and collaborate with customers and partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (or associate with 4+ years in field).
• 7–10 years of industrial automation engineering experience.
• Advanced experience designing, programming, configuring, and troubleshooting SCADA/HMI/PLC/MES.
• Experience with GE iFIX, Historian or comparable platforms.
• Strong system architecture, integration, networking, and TCP/IP knowledge.
• Proven ability to lead complex projects and deliver on timelines.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills; customer relations focus.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, architecture, development, and implementation of automation solutions.
• Design, program, configure, test, document, and troubleshoot industrial systems.
• Deliver engineering services within budgets and timelines, meeting utilization targets.
• Collaborate with customers and internal stakeholders to define requirements.
• Lead technical project activities: reviews, testing, pilots, commissioning, demos.
• Coordinate resources with PMs and team leads; manage risks and scope changes.
• Provide technical support, training, and onsite/remote assistance.
• Mentor junior engineers and promote best practices.
• Support sales through technical consultations, proposals, and workshops.
• Develop reusable templates and standardized processes for quality and efficiency.

Skills

SCADA/HMI/PLC/MES

System architecture

Networking/TCP-IP

Project leadership

Customer collaboration

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Associate degree +4 years experience

Tools

GE iFIX

Historian

Rockwell

Siemens

Ignition

Wonderware

Job description

GrayMatter in Ashland, Virginia seeks a Senior Engineer to lead the design, development, and implementation of complex industrial automation solutions. You will apply expertise across SCADA, HMI, PLC, and MES to optimize client operations, mentor engineers, and drive continuous improvement.

This role requires 7–10 years of automation experience, strong architecture skills, and the ability to manage projects and collaborate with customers and partners.