Control Systems Engineer (Instrumentation & Controls)

HDR•Walnut Creek, CA

About The Position

HDR is seeking a Control Systems Engineer to provide technical support and project delivery for the Northern California Control Systems and Cybersecurity team. The team works across industrial automation, operational technology (OT), SCADA, instrumentation and controls (I&C), industrial networking, building automation, and OT cybersecurity. Projects serve hyperscale data centers, municipal water and wastewater utilities, renewable energy and battery storage facilities, agribusiness and food processing clients, advanced manufacturing, and other critical infrastructure. The role offers involvement throughout the project lifecycle, including planning, assessment, design, implementation support, commissioning, and operational optimization of industrial control systems. The engineer will develop and integrate control, networking, power, instrumentation, and process systems, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and clients. HDR is particularly interested in adaptable engineers who want to develop expertise across multiple controls disciplines and help grow its Northern California controls, automation, networking, and cybersecurity practice. Periodic travel to client facilities in Northern California and the western United States is required. The position is subject to a pre-employment drug test.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
Professional Engineer (PE or P.Eng) license.
Minimum 5 years of applicable experience.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office products.
Commitment to actively participating in HDR's employee-owned culture.
Ability to travel periodically to client facilities throughout Northern California and the western United States.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to work directly with clients, contractors, vendors, and internal project teams.
The position is subject to a pre-employment drug test.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
Experience supporting industrial control systems, SCADA systems, automation, OT, industrial networking, building automation, or related engineering disciplines.
Experience at an engineering consulting firm, systems integrator, technology provider, industrial automation firm, or industrial owner/operator.
Experience in municipal water and wastewater, data centers, renewable energy, battery energy storage systems, agribusiness, industrial manufacturing, or critical infrastructure.
Project management, task management, or technical leadership experience.
Experience with field investigations, startup, commissioning, FAT, SAT, and operational readiness activities.
Experience working with multidisciplinary engineering and project teams through planning, design, implementation, testing, commissioning, and operational support.
Experience preparing technical documents, reports, engineering calculations, specifications, and construction documentation.
Experience designing SCADA, industrial control, instrumentation, and process automation systems.
Experience developing P&IDs, network architecture diagrams, control panel layouts, wiring diagrams, loop drawings, instrumentation schedules, control narratives, and technical specifications.
Experience selecting, specifying, configuring, calibrating, and commissioning instrumentation.
Experience developing and reviewing construction documents for industrial and municipal facilities.
Experience with water and wastewater treatment facilities, pumping systems, process controls, or industrial automation projects.
Familiarity with AutoCAD, Plant 3D, Revit, or similar engineering design platforms.
Experience programming, configuring, and testing PLC, HMI, SCADA, or DCS systems.
Experience with control panel design, panel fabrication support, and field implementation.
Experience starting up, commissioning, troubleshooting, and providing operational support for industrial control systems.
Experience with Rockwell Automation, Siemens, Schneider Electric, Emerson, GE, AVEVA/Wonderware, Ignition, FactoryTalk, iFIX, VTScada, or similar automation platforms.
Experience integrating third-party systems, instrumentation, databases, historians, and OT platforms.
Experience designing industrial Ethernet and OT network architectures.
Experience with managed switches, industrial firewalls, cellular communications, remote access platforms, radio systems, or network segmentation.
Experience with network assessments, asset inventories, vulnerability assessments, or modernization planning.
Knowledge of OT cybersecurity principles and security control implementation for industrial environments.
Experience applying ISA/IEC 62443, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST 800-82, DoD RMF, NERC CIP, or similar guidance.
Experience in critical infrastructure sectors such as water, wastewater, power generation, renewable energy, manufacturing, transportation, or data centers.
Certifications such as GICSP, CISSP, CISM, Security+, CCNA, CCNP, or equivalent technical certifications.
Experience with SCADA systems, industrial automation platforms, PLC and HMI development, industrial Ethernet and OT networking, building management systems, instrumentation and process controls, OT cybersecurity, commissioning and startup, data center automation, water and wastewater treatment, agribusiness, renewable energy, or battery energy storage facilities.

Responsibilities

Develop SCADA, PLC, HMI, instrumentation, and industrial networking solutions for municipal, industrial, and commercial clients.
Prepare engineering studies, master plans, assessments, basis-of-design reports, and technical memoranda related to control systems, automation, networking, and operational technology.
Design and develop construction documents, including P&IDs, network architecture diagrams, control panel layouts, wiring diagrams, loop drawings, instrumentation schedules, control narratives, and technical specifications.
Support industrial control system implementations, including PLC programming, HMI development, system integration, testing, commissioning, startup, and troubleshooting.
Participate in OT and industrial cybersecurity assessments, network architecture development, asset inventories, segmentation strategies, and implementation of security controls.
Integrate control, networking, power, instrumentation, and process systems in coordination with multidisciplinary engineering teams.
Participate in client workshops, field investigations, site assessments, factory acceptance testing (FAT), site acceptance testing (SAT), commissioning, and operational readiness evaluations.
Support proposal development, technical presentations, client engagement, and business development initiatives.
Work across multiple market sectors and adapt to a range of client requirements and project delivery models.
Travel periodically to client facilities throughout Northern California and the western United States.