Automation Project Manager

Knobelsdorff Enterprises•Eagan, MN

4h•Onsite

About The Position

Working at Knobelsdorff (KE) means building meaningful careers, lasting opportunities, and joining teams of dedicated individuals who truly own their work. As a leading turnkey specialty contractor specializing in Automation, Electric, Energy, and Power Services, KE tackles challenging, cutting-edge projects that provide opportunities to build new skills, confidence, and gain valuable hands-on experience in a variety of different industries, including industrial electrical installations, advanced automation systems, and renewable energy solutions. Founded as a family-owned company in 1988, KE has grown while staying true to its core values, fostering a culture that values contributions, moves quickly, takes calculated risks, and celebrates team members who step up and own their work. This role supports the Automation division by leading the full lifecycle of industrial automation projects, ensuring technical accuracy, strong customer communication, and successful project delivery. The Automation Project Manager is responsible for managing PLC, HMI, SCADA, and network-based automation projects that directly impact customer operations, project performance, and KE’s reputation as a trusted automation partner. Success in this role involves delivering projects on time and within budget, maintaining strong customer relationships, and driving clear communication across engineering, field teams, and stakeholders, all while upholding KE’s commitment to Safety, People, Passion, and Performance. This position is ideal for someone who takes pride in doing things the right way and thrives in a fast-moving environment.

Requirements

5–7+ years of experience managing automation projects involving PLC, HMI, and SCADA systems
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Industrial Automation, or related field (or equivalent experience)
Strong understanding of industrial control system architecture, panel design, and field instrumentation
Ability to communicate technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously
Familiarity with industry standards such as ISA, NFPA, and UL508A
Ability to travel up to 30%

Nice To Haves

PMP certification

Responsibilities

Lead the full lifecycle of automation projects from kickoff through execution, testing, and final handover
Serve as the technical-facing project leader for customer engineers, plant personnel, and decision-makers
Translate customer requirements and control narratives into actionable scopes and detailed project plans
Coordinate engineering resources, procurement, and subcontractors to meet project goals
Conduct internal and customer-facing project reviews to track progress, manage risk, and resolve issues
Support design reviews, panel builds, software development timelines, and commissioning activities
Maintain strong customer relationships and act as a trusted advisor throughout the project
Collaborate with sales and engineering during pre-project planning and post-project lessons learned
Lead status meetings, track milestones, manage budgets and financials, and process change orders
Ensure all projects meet quality standards, safety protocols, and customer expectations
Support onsite commissioning activities as needed, including travel to customer facilities