Engineering Manager

Role overview

Lead the controls and automation engineering function for a fast-paced technical organization. You will provide people leadership and technical direction for engineers designing control systems, developing controls software, and supporting field execution. The goal is to build a scalable engineering organization that delivers innovative, reliable control solutions across multiple customer projects.

Responsibilities

Engineering leadership & oversight

• Lead, coach, and mentor controls engineers; ensure technical development and performance accountability.
• Set technical expectations and oversee delivery to meet internal quality standards and customer requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement, innovation, and technical rigor.
• Act as a senior technical authority for complex engineering challenges and high-level design decisions.
• Participate in design reviews and represent the engineering function with customers, partners, and internal stakeholders.

Systems, processes & organizational development

• Develop and maintain engineering standards, workflows, and tools aligned with industry codes.
• Ensure scalable and consistent engineering execution across programs and project types.
• Partner with project management and functional leaders to align staffing, manage capacity, and balance priorities.

Commercial & customer support

• Provide technical support for business development (customer meetings, site walkdowns, solution scoping).
• Support proposals with technical input, budgets, schedules, and risk assessments.
• Advise customers during engagements to align expectations with deliverable capabilities.

Required qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in control systems or automation engineering.
• At least 2 years in a formal engineering leadership/management role.
• Strong background in process control environments (preference for combustion or thermal process applications).
• Proven end-to-end control system lifecycle experience, including:
  • Converting PFDs and P&IDs into detailed control requirements
  • Defining system architectures (control panels, networks, I/O structures)
  • Selecting and specifying field instrumentation and final control elements
  • Supporting custom control panel design/fabrication (including UL508A documentation)
  • Designing burner management, flame safety, and combustion control systems
  • Working knowledge of fuel trains, gas detection, heat tracing, and industrial wireless technologies
• Controls software & commissioning experience, including:
  • Developing PLC, safety, and logic applications for burner management and combustion control systems
  • SCADA and HMI configuration
  • Functional documentation (control narratives, alarm strategies, interlocks, I/O databases)
  • Implementing combustion control strategies (jackshaft, parallel positioning, fully metered cross-limited)
  • Commissioning experience (I/O checks, loop tuning, FAT/SAT, startup, operator training)

Remote / location

• Fully remote, but candidates must be based near Concord, NC for occasional in-person meetings (about once every couple of weeks).