Senior Electrical Controls Engineer

Smartsearchonline; Santa Fe Springs (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary range

Performance bonus

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k)

Paid vacation

Holidays

Career growth

Stable environment

Custom projects

Job summary

Smartsearchonline in Santa Fe Springs, CA seeks a Senior Electrical Controls Engineer to design and commission custom automation systems from concept through startup. You will work with mechanical, fabrication, project management, and field service teams to deliver unique control solutions.

The role emphasizes AutoCAD Electrical design, Allen-Bradley PLC/HMI programming, FAT testing, and field troubleshooting with travel ~10%. Requires 10+ years’ experience and a strong NEC/UL background.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years designing electrical control systems for industrial machinery or custom automation.
• Extensive experience with Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI programming.
• Proficiency with electrical schematic design tools, ideally AutoCAD Electrical.
• Strong background in industrial electrical systems, instrumentation, remote I/O, VFDs, motor controls, soft starts.
• Experience designing industrial electrical control panels.
• Experience developing Bills of Material and technical documentation.
• Experience leading FATs (Factory Acceptance Tests).
• Strong troubleshooting skills in industrial automation environments.
• Ability to read and interpret P&IDs.
• Working knowledge of NEC and UL 508.

Responsibilities

• Design electrical schematics and control panels using AutoCAD Electrical.
• Program Allen-Bradley PLCs and HMIs.
• Select electrical components and develop Bills of Material.
• Support conceptual electrical designs during quotation process.
• Develop FAT procedures and functional test plans.
• Debug and optimize industrial control systems.
• Support fabrication, assembly, startup, commissioning, and customer acceptance.
• Troubleshoot electrical and automation issues in the field.
• Train customers and internal teams on equipment operation.
• Ensure designs comply with NEC, UL 508, and industry standards.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI programming

Field service

Troubleshooting

Reading P&IDs

NEC/UL knowledge

Education

Bachelors in Electrical Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD Electrical

Allen-Bradley PLC

HMI development

FactoryTalk Remote

Job description

Job Details

Senior Electrical Controls Engineer Santa Fe Springs, CA Posted:7/31/2026 Job Description

Job ID#: 86786

Job Category: Engineering

Position Type: Direct

Duration: Direct

Shift: 1

Design Custom Automation Systems That Don't Exist Yet

If you're looking for more than repetitive PLC programming, this is an opportunity to engineer custom control systems from concept through commissioning. Our client is an established engineering and manufacturing company with more than 40 years of experience designing and building highly engineered process systems for aerospace, defense, semiconductor, chemical processing, water treatment, food processing, and industrial manufacturing customers. Every project is custom. Every system presents a new challenge. You'll work alongside mechanical engineering, fabrication, assembly, project management, and field service teams to bring complex equipment to life.

What You'll Do

• Design electrical schematics and control panels using AutoCAD Electrical
• Program Allen-Bradley PLCs and HMIs
• Select electrical components and develop Bills of Material
• Support conceptual electrical designs during the quotation process
• Develop Functional Test and Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) procedures
• Debug and optimize industrial control systems
• Support fabrication, assembly, startup, commissioning, and customer acceptance
• Troubleshoot electrical and automation issues in the field
• Train customers and internal teams on equipment operation
• Ensure designs comply with NEC, UL 508, and applicable industry standards

Approximately 10% travel is required for startup, commissioning, and customer support.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent experience
• 10+ years of experience designing electrical control systems for industrial machinery or custom automation
• Extensive experience with Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI programming
• Proficiency with an electrical schematic design tool. Ideally AutoCAD Electrical.
• Strong background in industrial electrical systems, instrumentation, remote I/O, VFDs, motor controls, and soft starts
• Experience designing industrial electrical control panels
• Experience developing Bills of Material and technical documentation
• Experience leading Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT)
• Strong troubleshooting skills within industrial automation environments
• Ability to read and interpret P&IDs
• Working knowledge of NEC and UL 508

Preferred experience includes

• Proficiency with AutoCAD Electrical
• Siemens PLCs
• Safety PLCs
• FactoryTalk Remote
• EWON
• Motion control and servo systems
• Hydraulic and pneumatic systems

Why Join

• Salary range of $70,000 to $200,000, depending on experience
• Performance bonus
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid vacation and holidays
• Long-term career growth
• Stable, established engineering environment
• Opportunity to work on one-of-a-kind custom automation projects from concept through commissioning

If you enjoy solving complex automation challenges and want to see your designs become fully operational systems, we'd like to hear from you.