Sr. Project Engineer - Instrumentation & Controls

LJA; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Time Off

Comprehensive Benefits

Family Support

Education Support

Referral Bonuses

Community Impact

Professional Development

Career Growth

Fun Culture

Job summary

LJA Energy is seeking a Sr. Project Engineer to lead instrumentation and controls for oil and gas midstream facilities from office in Houston. You will own technical deliverables, serve as Engineer of Record, and collaborate with clients, vendors, and multi-disciplinary teams.

The ideal candidate holds a PE license, 7+ years of instrumentation and controls experience, and a strong background in midstream projects. Travel and comity licensure in Texas are expected as part of the role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Controls Engineering, or another engineering discipline directly applicable to instrumentation and control systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop instrumentation and controls deliverables for feasibility studies, front-end engineering, detailed engineering, facility modifications, debottlenecking projects, and brownfield installations.
• Preparing, reviewing, and approving instrument indexes, data sheets, I/O lists, alarm and setpoint lists, specifications, location plans, installation details, control-system architecture diagrams, material takeoffs, and procurement specifications.
• Reviewing P&IDs for instrumentation, control loops, alarms, shutdowns, safeguards, control valves, isolation requirements, and consistency with the project design basis.
• Developing and reviewing control philosophies, control narratives, operating philosophies, alarm philosophies, shutdown philosophies, cause-and-effect diagrams, interlock descriptions, and sequence-of-operation documents.
• Coordinating control-system requirements with process engineers, operations personnel, control-system programmers, system integrators, vendors, and client automation personnel.

Skills

Professional Engineer license

7+ years exp

Oil & gas midstream

Control Systems

Field instrumentation

Engineer of Record

Travel readiness

PLC/SCADA/DCS

Hazardous area

MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Chemical/Controls Eng or related

Tools

AutoCAD

CADWorx

Bluebeam Revu

Document management systems

Job description

What Lja Has To Offer

LJA is offering an exciting opportunity that will allow you to reach your full career potential. The structure of our organization is designed to amplify your capabilities while gaining the benefits of being an employee-owner. What truly sets this opportunity apart is the chance to collaborate every day with dedicated, skilled, and supportive leaders. Whether you are in the office, in the field, or behind the scenes, working at LJA gives you the chance to grow through hands‑on experience and exposure to a broad range of clients and services.

What Lja Has To Offer

LJA is offering an exciting opportunity that will allow you to reach your full career potential. The structure of our organization is designed to amplify your capabilities while gaining the benefits of being an employee-owner. What truly sets this opportunity apart is the chance to collaborate every day with dedicated, skilled, and supportive leaders. Whether you are in the office, in the field, or behind the scenes, working at LJA gives you the chance to grow through hands‑on experience and exposure to a broad range of clients and services.

What Makes Lja Different

At LJA, our employee‑owners take pride in their work and their workplace. We’re guided by leaders who foster a culture of respect, collaboration and a shared vision of success. Our difference is evident in the experiences and opportunities we provide:

• Employee-owned. Client‑focused
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Consistently ranked as a Top Workplace
• Internal recruitment team, in‑house training, and a marketing department specific to our industry
• We celebrate flexibility, allowing every team and office to lead with their proven approach
• Our culture champions continuous learning and personal growth
• We believe success comes through constant evolution and communication
• We are passionate about having fun and making money, all while creating impact

POSITION OVERVIEW:

As a Sr. Project Engineer at LJA Energy, you will support instrumentation and controls engineering for oil and gas midstream facilities, including natural gas processing plants, compressor stations, pipeline facilities, pump stations, terminals, metering facilities, liquids‑handling systems, and brownfield modifications. This role is focused on engineering definition, specification, coordination, checking, and professional oversight of instrumentation and control systems. The ideal candidate is a licensed Professional Engineer who is prepared to take technical ownership of assigned work, serve as Engineer of Record, and collaborate directly with clients, vendors, project managers, and multidisciplinary engineering teams.

A TYPICAL DAY MIGHT INCLUDE:

• Developing instrumentation and controls deliverables for feasibility studies, front‑end engineering, detailed engineering, facility modifications, debottlenecking projects, and brownfield installations.
• Selecting and specifying field instrumentation for pressure, temperature, flow, level, composition, vibration, speed, density, and other process variables.
• Preparing, reviewing, and approving instrument indexes, data sheets, I/O lists, alarm and setpoint lists, specifications, location plans, installation details, control‑system architecture diagrams, material takeoffs, and procurement specifications.
• Reviewing P&IDs for instrumentation, control loops, alarms, shutdowns, safeguards, control valves, isolation requirements, and consistency with the project design basis.
• Developing and reviewing control philosophies, control narratives, operating philosophies, alarm philosophies, shutdown philosophies, cause‑and‑effect diagrams, interlock descriptions, and sequence‑of‑operation documents.
• Coordinating control‑system requirements with process engineers, operations personnel, control‑system programmers, system integrators, vendors, and client automation personnel.
• Supporting metering, measurement, fire and gas, safety systems, procurement, vendor coordination, field investigations, construction support, and quality reviews.
• Managing assigned work within approved project scope, budget, and schedule while identifying technical, quality, resource, and schedule concerns.
• Providing technical direction, mentorship, and review for supporting engineers, designers, and drafters.
• Representing LJA professionally in client meetings, site visits, design reviews, vendor discussions, and multidisciplinary project coordination.

REQUIRED EDUCATION/LICENSE/CERTIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Controls Engineering, or another engineering discipline directly applicable to instrumentation and control systems.
• Current and active Professional Engineer license in at least one United States jurisdiction.
• Willingness and eligibility to obtain professional engineering licensure by comity in Texas and other states where LJA performs project work within an agreed and reasonably short period.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of seven years of directly relevant instrumentation and controls engineering experience.
• Direct experience with oil and gas midstream facilities.
• Experience working within an engineering consulting, EPC, or midstream operating‑company environment.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare, check, approve, and take professional responsibility for instrumentation and controls deliverables.
• Demonstrated knowledge of field instrumentation, control systems, shutdown systems, metering systems, and industrial communications.
• Ability to accept professional responsibility for assigned instrumentation and controls work and serve as Engineer of Record within the limits of education, experience, licensure, and technical competence.
• Strong working knowledge of field instrumentation, industrial control systems, and midstream facility operations.
• Experience specifying pressure, temperature, flow, level, analytical, vibration, and other process instrumentation.
• Experience specifying control valves, shutdown valves, actuators, regulators, solenoids, switches, and related accessories.
• Understanding of PLC, RTU, DCS, SCADA, HMI, safety‑system, and packaged‑equipment control‑system applications.
• Knowledge of hazardous‑area classification and instrumentation requirements for classified locations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and Teams.
• Ability to work from LJA’s Houston office during the three‑month probationary period.
• Ability to travel to operating facilities and client locations when required.

IDEALLY, YOU SHOULD ALSO HAVE:

• Ten or more years of instrumentation and controls engineering experience.
• Previous experience serving as Engineer of Record.
• Experience as an instrumentation and controls discipline lead or technical authority.
• Experience with both greenfield and brownfield midstream projects.
• Experience with gas and liquid custody‑transfer metering systems.
• Experience with compressor controls, anti‑surge controls, vibration monitoring, and machinery‑protection systems.
• Experience with fire and gas detection systems, safety instrumented systems, and safety lifecycle documentation.
• Experience participating in or facilitating HAZOP, LOPA, and SIL‑assessment sessions.
• Experience with compressor stations, gas plants, meter stations, pump stations, terminals, or pipeline facilities.
• Experience conducting field investigations, facility walkdowns, commissioning, start‑up, factory acceptance testing, and site acceptance testing.
• Familiarity with AutoCAD, CADWorx, Bluebeam Revu, document‑management systems, and engineering drawing‑review software.

LEVEL UP WITH LJA

At LJA, we’re 100% employee‑owned. This drives results, rewards ambition and supports long‑term success for every team member. With almost 100 locations and 3,000+ employee‑owners (and growing), we’re building something big! We want you to be part of it.

Your future grows here.

• Generous Time Off: PTO, paid holidays, and a full office closure between Christmas and New Year’s.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Multiple plan options for health, dental, and pets. Along with mental health support.
• Family Support: Paid maternity and parental leave to help you focus on what matters most.
• Education Support: Tuition reimbursement and in‑house courses provided by our Learning and Development team.
• Referral Bonuses: Know great talent? Get rewarded for helping us grow.
• Community Impact: Company‑sponsored volunteer days and philanthropic initiatives.
• Professional Development: Memberships to industry organizations to keep you connected and growing.
• Career Growth: Great internal mobility opportunities to advance your career.
• Fun Culture: LJA social events, employee sports teams, bring your kid to work day, etc.

To Executive Search Firms & Staffing Agencies: LJA, Inc. and its subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited resumes from any agencies that have not signed a service agreement. All unsolicited resumes will be considered LJA's property. This includes resumes submitted directly to hiring managers without contacting LJA's Human Resources Talent Department.