Senior Principal Engineer – Instrument & Controls

Jobgether; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel opportunities

Professional development

Mentoring and leadership

Job summary

Jobgether is seeking a Senior Principal Engineer – Instrument & Controls in Houston, TX, to lead instrumentation and control activities across complex LNG and energy projects. You will oversee design, document development, and technical coordination with multidisciplinary teams and clients to meet quality, schedule, and budget targets.

You will mentor engineers, establish design concepts, and drive safety and reliability standards across projects, including field surveys and vendor interfaces.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Chemical, or Mechanical Engineering.
• At least 20 years of instrumentation and control experience in LNG, energy transition, carbon capture, refining, or petrochemical projects.
• PE license in Louisiana and/or Texas preferred, multistate licensure a plus.
• Functional safety certifications preferred (e.g., CFSP, CFE, TÜV FS Engineer).

Responsibilities

• Develop and review P&IDs, control philosophies, and instrumentation design criteria.
• Prepare instrument specifications, sizing calculations, datasheets, and material requisitions.
• Develop specifications for DCS, SIS, Fire and Gas, PLC, and related systems.

Skills

P&IDs

Control philosophies

Instrumentation specs

DCS/SIS/PLC knowledge

Analyzer systems

Vendor document reviews

Project coordination

Mentoring

Communication

Education

Electrical, Chemical, or Mechanical Engineering degree

Professional Engineer license (preferred)

Tools

SmartPlant Instrumentation (SPI)

Navisworks

PDF markup software

Microsoft Office

Job description

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Principal Engineer – Instrument & Controls based in Houston, Texas, United States.

The Senior Principal Engineer – Instrument & Controls will provide advanced technical expertise and engineering leadership across complex EPC projects in LNG, energy transition, carbon capture, refining, and petrochemical industries. This role oversees the development and delivery of instrumentation and control systems engineering solutions, ensuring technical excellence and alignment with project objectives. You will lead engineering activities involving process control, safety systems, analyzers, instrumentation specifications, and multidisciplinary technical interfaces. Working alongside project managers, engineering teams, suppliers, and clients, you will help ensure projects meet quality, schedule, budget, and performance requirements. The position also offers opportunities to lead projects, mentor engineering professionals, and influence technical standards and best practices. This is an opportunity to contribute to major energy infrastructure projects and support the development of innovative industrial solutions.

Accountabilities

Responsibilities

• Develop and review Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), control and protection philosophies, and instrumentation and control design criteria.
• Prepare field instrument specifications, flowmeter and control valve sizing calculations, datasheets, and material requisitions.
• Develop specifications, control narratives, cause-and-effect documentation, and technical requisitions for Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS), Fire and Gas systems, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), and other control and safety systems.
• Prepare analyzer and analyzer shelter specifications, datasheets, and material requisitions.
• Produce or oversee engineering drawings and documentation, including wiring diagrams, instrument location plans, installation details, loop diagrams, panel drawings, and remote instrument building layouts.
• Prepare technical bid evaluations, support purchase order administration, and review supplier and vendor technical documentation.
• Coordinate engineering interfaces, technical requirements, and design criteria with other disciplines.
• Conduct site surveys and provide technical support during project execution when required.
• Lead small to medium-sized projects and serve as the technical lead for instrumentation and control activities on larger projects.
• Define engineering scopes of work, project milestones, staffing plans, resource requirements, and man-hour estimates.
• Monitor project progress, engineering schedules, staffing needs, and budget utilization, identifying and escalating deviations or major changes.
• Establish engineering design concepts and ensure the technical accuracy and compliance of project deliverables.
• Coordinate and monitor engineering deliverables produced by international workshare offices.
• Coach and mentor less experienced engineers and designers while contributing to the development and maintenance of departmental procedures.
• Apply recognized engineering methods, codes, and standards, including ISA, IEC, and API requirements.
• Evaluate and adapt engineering techniques, procedures, and systems to meet project-specific objectives.
• Identify scope changes, investigate technical solutions, and communicate their potential cost and schedule impacts.
• Ensure compliance with project engineering, quality, and Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) procedures.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Chemical, or Mechanical Engineering.
• At least 20 years of instrumentation and control engineering and design experience within LNG, energy transition, carbon capture, refining, and/or petrochemical projects.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in Louisiana and/or Texas preferred, with the ability to obtain multistate licensure.
• Certification as a Certified Functional Safety Professional, Certified Functional Safety Expert, or TÜV Functional Safety Engineer is preferred.
• Strong expertise in P&IDs, control and protection philosophies, instrumentation specifications, and sizing calculations.
• Extensive knowledge of DCS, SIS, Fire and Gas, PLC, and other industrial control and safety system design and integration.
• Experience developing control narratives, cause-and-effect documentation, wiring diagrams, loop diagrams, and equipment layouts.
• Expertise in analyzer systems, technical requisitions, bid evaluations, purchase order administration, and vendor documentation reviews.
• Strong understanding of engineering scope development, project schedules, resource planning, budgets, and multidisciplinary technical coordination.
• Working knowledge of applicable ISA, IEC, and API codes, standards, and engineering practices.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, SmartPlant Instrumentation (SPI), Navisworks, and PDF markup software.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated technical leadership, project coordination, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Ability to mentor engineering professionals, manage competing priorities, and make sound technical decisions.
• Must be authorized to work in the United States.
• Willingness to travel for site surveys and project support when required.

Benefits

• Opportunity to work on complex, large-scale EPC projects across LNG, energy transition, carbon capture, refining, and petrochemical industries.
• Exposure to innovative engineering technologies and major industrial infrastructure developments.
• Opportunities to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and contribute to strategic technical decisions.
• Professional development through technical leadership, mentoring, and involvement in complex engineering projects.
• Collaborative environment involving international engineering teams and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Potential opportunities for professional engineering licensure and functional safety certification development.
• Travel opportunities for site surveys and project support, depending on project requirements.