Sr Project Engineer (Controls)

Worthington Enterprises is seeking an experienced Senior Project Engineer to provide technical leadership and deliver electrical engineering, industrial automation, equipment modernization, and capital-project initiatives at our Jefferson, Ohio manufacturing facility.

The Senior Project Engineer supports moderately complex stand-alone projects and portions of larger projects, including equipment enhancements, maintenance improvements, procurement and installation of new equipment and products, and process improvements that improve quality, throughput, safety, reliability, and cost performance.

This is a project-focused engineering leadership position with significant technical ownership and no direct supervisory responsibilities. The Senior Project Engineer provides functional oversight and direction to maintenance personnel, contractors, installation crews, equipment manufacturers, and system integrators during assigned projects.

Key Responsibilities

Project Engineering, Capital Improvements & Execution

• Lead electrical, controls, automation, equipment, and process-improvement projects from concept through design, capital approval, installation, commissioning, startup, and final acceptance.
• Develop project scopes, objectives, technical specifications, engineering designs, cost estimates, budgets, schedules, return-on-investment justifications, and risk-management plans.
• Present project proposals, financial justifications, progress, metrics, risks, and results to plant management, senior leadership, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate work with maintenance, contractors, installation crews, equipment manufacturers, and integrators; ensure materials, equipment, resources, and site readiness support safe, accurate, and timely execution.
• Provide project-site functional oversight, update schedules for progress and work-sequence changes, and coordinate plant and contractor activities during downtime, installation, and startup events.
• Lead FAT, SAT, commissioning, startup, and performance validation; maintain accountability for project safety, technical quality, cost, schedule, and results.

Electrical Engineering & Industrial Automation

• Design, specify, evaluate, and implement industrial electrical and automation-control systems, including PLC, HMI, SCADA, motor-control, VFD, servo, motion-control, and industrial-network applications.
• Develop and review electrical schematics, control-panel designs, component specifications, functional specifications, control narratives, and technical documentation.
• Lead control-system integration, troubleshooting, upgrades, modernization, standardization, and obsolescence-planning initiatives.
• Evaluate automation technologies, equipment designs, supplier proposals, and system-integrator solutions to identify safe, reliable, and cost-effective improvements.
• Collaborate with IT and technical partners on industrial network architecture, connectivity, and operational-technology cybersecurity.
• Ensure engineering designs and installations comply with applicable electrical codes, machine-safety requirements, and engineering standards.
• Troubleshoot production equipment and processes; support production, maintenance, sales, and training activities; and identify cost-savings and continuous-improvement opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in industrial electrical engineering, controls engineering, automation, project engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement, modify, troubleshoot, and improve industrial PLC-based control systems and related electrical and automation equipment.
• Proven experience independently leading engineering projects or assuming significant technical ownership of complex industrial automation projects, including vendor and contractor coordination, installation, and commissioning.
• Strong working knowledge of industrial electrical systems, motor controls, automation equipment, electrical schematics, machine design and operating principles, and machine-repair troubleshooting practices.
• Ability to develop technical specifications, evaluate engineering solutions, conduct root-cause analysis, and make sound engineering decisions with limited supervision.
• Strong project-management, organizational, problem-solving, verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills; proficiency with CAD, Microsoft Office, and project-scheduling tools such as Microsoft Project and Gantt charts.
• Working knowledge of blueprints and installation drawings; product and process design techniques including APQP, flow charts, control plans, FMEA, and PPAP; and applicable electrical and machine-safety principles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Automation Engineering, Project Engineering, or a related technical discipline; equivalent relevant experience will be considered.
• Experience with Rockwell Automation / Allen-Bradley control systems, including ControlLogix, CompactLogix, and Studio 5000.
• Experience developing or supporting industrial HMI and SCADA systems, particularly Ignition SCADA, along with AutoCAD Electrical or similar electrical-design software.
• Experience with servo drives, motion control, industrial Ethernet, and automation-network architecture.
• Knowledge of machine-safety standards and safety-related control-system design, including ISO 13849, NFPA 70, NFPA 70E, NFPA 79, or related standards.
• Experience with capital-project budgeting, financial justification, return-on-investment analysis, project presentations, and preventive or predictive maintenance principles.
• Experience providing technical mentorship or leading multidisciplinary project teams; relevant certifications such as PE, PMP, industrial automation, or functional-safety credentials are a plus.