Sr. Commissioning Engineer - Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation & Controls

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc.; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc. is seeking a Sr. Commissioning Engineer for Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation & Controls to lead field commissioning of waste-to-energy and renewable energy plants across North America.

This role requires extensive on-site work with 70% travel and hands-on optimization from pre-commissioning through handover. You’ll develop and execute commissioning plans, coordinate with project teams, perform start-up tests, verify system readiness, and ensure safety and

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of relevant industrial experience, with hands-on commissioning and/or start-up
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical discipline
• Ability to work in industrial environments and wear PPE
• Willingness to travel 70% across North America
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute commissioning plans and test protocols
• Coordinate onsite commissioning from pre-commissioning through SAT and handover
• Verify mechanical completion and system readiness
• Troubleshoot equipment, instrumentation, and controls in field
• Review risk assessments and safety plans for commissioning
• Collaborate with PM, engineering, vendors, and client

Skills

Commissioning & Start-up

Mechanical Systems

Electrical Systems

Instrumentation & Controls

PLC / HMI / SCADA

P&IDs & Documentation

Risk Assessments & Safety

Field Troubleshooting

Project Coordination

MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Technical diploma considered

Job description

Sr. Commissioning Engineer - Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation & Controls

REQUIRED: 70% travel throughout North America

Commission the plants that turn waste into energy

You’ll be on the front lines bringing new waste-to-energy, renewable energy, and industrial process facilities to life across North America.

From pre-commissioning through start-up, performance testing, and handover, you own the details that make complex plants run safely and reliably.

You’re the one in the field verifying systems, chasing down issues in process and control systems, and proving that everything works the way it should.

If you live for hands-on commissioning, troubleshooting, and getting plants over the line into full operation, we want to talk to you.

What You'll Work On

You’ll get deep into the systems that make industrial and renewable facilities run:

• Waste-to-energy and renewable energy process systems
• Mechanical and electrical systems from equipment to balance of plant
• Instrumentation, controls, and automation systems
• PLC, HMI, and SCADA-based control systems
• Industrial communication networks and field instrumentation
• Start-up, performance testing, and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT)
• Commissioning documentation, test protocols, and punch lists
• Safety and risk management in active industrial environments

You’ll work daily with P&IDs, process flow diagrams, electrical drawings, control schematics, and technical documentation to prove systems are ready for operation.

Your mission: take complex, multidisciplinary plants from "mechanically complete" to "fully running and handed over".

What You'll Be Doing

• Supporting development and execution of commissioning plans, procedures, schedules, checklists, and test protocols
• Helping shape the commissioning strategy and sequence with the Project Manager, engineering, construction, automation, vendors, and the client
• Executing and coordinating onsite commissioning from pre-commissioning through start-up, SAT, performance testing, and handover
• Coordinating daily commissioning activities with construction teams, equipment vendors, sub-contractors, and project personnel
• Verifying mechanical completion and system readiness before commissioning begins
• Performing equipment inspections, equipment checkout, calibration verification, loop checks, I/O checks, and functional testing
• Coordinating and performing dry and wet commissioning for mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control, automation, and process systems
• Supporting PLC, HMI, SCADA, and control system testing during commissioning and start-up
• Troubleshooting equipment, instrumentation, control systems, and process issues and assisting with corrective actions
• Working closely with automation engineers and equipment vendors to verify proper system functionality and performance
• Preparing and reviewing Risk Assessments, Job Hazard Analyses (JHA), LOTO reviews, and commissioning safety planning
• Ensuring commissioning work complies with project specs, company procedures, quality requirements, and safety regulations
• Documenting commissioning results and maintaining records, test reports, checklists, and punch-list items
• Tracking and reporting commissioning progress, open issues, corrective actions, and testing results
• Supporting management of commissioning punch lists and closing out deficiencies
• Coordinating with operations personnel and client reps during start-up, testing, and handover
• Supporting operator training and operational readiness activities
• Reviewing and verifying as-built documentation, operating manuals, and turnover packages
• Assisting with preparation of commissioning reports and final handover documentation
• Promoting a strong safety culture and addressing or reporting unsafe conditions and practices

What We're Looking For

• Strong understanding of commissioning and start-up activities for industrial process facilities
• Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control, and automation systems
• Hands-on experience with loop checks, I/O checks, functional testing, equipment checkout, and commissioning activities
• Working knowledge of PLC, HMI, SCADA, industrial communication networks, and instrumentation systems
• Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, process flow diagrams, electrical drawings, control schematics, and technical documentation
• Proven troubleshooting and analytical problem-solving skills
• Knowledge of commissioning safety practices including LOTO, permit-to-work systems, and risk assessments
• Strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills; able to operate effectively in multidisciplinary project teams
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications
• Minimum 3–5 years of relevant industrial experience, including hands-on commissioning and/or start-up and operations experience
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical discipline; equivalent technical diploma with relevant commissioning experience considered
• Ability to work in industrial and construction environments, including climbing ladders, walking on uneven surfaces, and wearing required PPE
• Ability to work extended hours during critical start-up and commissioning activities when required

The Experience That Will Really Get Our Attention

You’ve taken at least a few industrial facilities from late-stage construction through commissioning to stable operations, and you know where issues hide in process, controls, and field instrumentation. You’re comfortable in the control room and out on the deck, moving between drawings, test sheets, and real-world equipment without missing a beat.

If your background includes facilities like renewable energy plants, biogas, wastewater treatment, waste-to-energy, chemical processing, power generation, or similar complex industrial environments, you’ll stand out here.

Why This Opportunity?

This is your chance to see the full life of a plant coming online and to be the person who makes the call: "we’re ready for start-up." You’ll see a wide range of facilities and processes instead of being locked into a single asset.

You’ll work shoulder-to-shoulder with engineering, construction, automation, vendors, and operations—gaining exposure across the full project lifecycle from pre-commissioning to final handover.

If you want your commissioning work to directly support renewable and waste-to-energy projects with real environmental impact, this role puts you at the center of that mission.

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