Sr. Controls Designer

North Wind; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 57,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

North Wind in Saint Paul, MN, is seeking a Sr. Controls Designer to design and draft electrical equipment, wiring, and control systems for wind tunnel and hypersonic test projects. You will release custom equipment and support major facility upgrades, working closely with engineering teams.

The role combines hands-on design, hardware selection, field installation, and mentoring of junior designers. Occasional travel and a strong foundation in ECAD tools are required.

Qualifications

• Associate's Degree from an accredited institution.
• 8+ years of practical work experience in drafting of wiring, electronics, data acquisition systems, or a similar role.
• Combination of education and experience equivalent to the above.
• US Citizenship status is required due to security requirements.

Responsibilities

• Design electrical, controls, and facility-integrated systems and organize CAD drawings and BOMs.
• Research and specify hardware, coordinating with vendors and suppliers.
• Communicate and manage release of BOMs and drawings to downstream departments.
• Interface with procurement, production, and installation teams to resolve issues.
• Provide labor and schedule estimates and help manage project budgets.
• Perform remote site field installation, testing, and update as-built drawings.
• Mentor junior designers and interns within the team.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Self-starter

Team collaboration

Education

Associate's Degree

Tools

AutoCAD Electrical

EPLAN Electric P8

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Sr. Controls Designer

Full Time St Paul, MN, US

Salary Range: $41.50 To $55.00 Hourly

Summary: Responsible for design and drafting of electrical equipment, wiring, control equipment, and data acquisition systems used in wind tunnel and hypersonic ground test projects. This is a diverse role that includes working closely with engineering to release predominantly custom one-off equipment and components for new tunnel facilities as well as major capability upgrades to existing facilities.

Responsibilities:

• Design (35%)-Partner with engineers to design electrical, controls, and facility-integrated systems. Organize CAD drawings (junction box and other larger assemblies, panel layouts, schematics, cable assemblies, etc.) and bills of material in accordance with the company configuration management plan and established procedures.
• Hardware Selection (15%) -Research and select/specify hardware based on design requirements, coordinating with vendors and suppliers on component specifications, lead times, and sourcing.
• Release (15%) - Clearly communicate and manage the release of bills of material and drawings outside of engineering. Includes communication of changes due to drawing and bill of materials revisions to downstream departments and customers.
• Support (15%)- Interface with procurement, production, and installation teams to resolve issues and concerns discovered during equipment assembly, testing, and commissioning.
• Budget & Schedule (5%) - Perform design duties on schedule and within budget, adhering to quality standards, industry codes, and customer requirements. Provides accurate labor and schedule estimates across assigned scope, coordinating with the Engineering Lead and Project Manager.
• Field Work (10%) - Perform remote site field installation, checkout, testing, and customer service, including updating drawings from field redline markups to produce as-built documentation.
• Leadership (5%) - Provide guidance and mentorship for newer designers and interns. At North Wind we encourage an open-door policy, it's vitally important that everyone feels comfortable asking questions and working with others to find the best solution for a given task or problem. Senior members of the design team are key to this and are empowered to also be proactive in helping other members of the project team and department as a whole.

Preferred Education / Experience:

• Associate's Degree from an accredited institution.
• 8+ years of practical work experience in drafting of wiring, electronics, data acquisition systems, or a similar role.
• A combination of education and experience equivalent to the above.
• Due to security requirements, US Citizenship status is required.

Preferred Knowledge / Ability:

• Experience with design and implementation of automation or data acquisition systems in an industrial setting.
• Experience with one-line power diagrams
• Experience with P&ID drawings (Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams)
• Strong electro-mechanical systems with PLC control integration experience preferred.
• Strong AutoCAD Electrical, or similar ECAD software (e.g. EPLAN Electric P8), 2D wiring diagram experience preferred.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD modeling review preferred.
• Familiarity with NEC (NFPA 70), NFPA 70E arc flash safety requirements, and UL 508A control panel standards.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally. Travel typically is less than 15%.
• Must be a self-starter, able to balance priorities between multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work effectively and productively as an individual contributor and collaborate as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and positive attitude.