Controls Engineer I (Capital Projects)

Leprino Foods Company•Denver, CO

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Within our Corporate Project Engineering team located in Denver – Leprino is seeking a Controls Engineer I to lead the controls scope for large capital projects and shape the system-level automation architecture that keeps our plants running safely, reliably, and at scale. This role focuses on high-impact project leadership, controls design, and vendor coordination while partnering closely with Controls Integration Engineers who execute detailed programming and commissioning work. At Leprino, starting compensation for this role typically ranges between $90,000 and $102,000. This position has an annual target bonus of 5%. Based on your experience, we may also consider you for our Associate, Engineer II, or Senior levels.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, or a closely related technical field.
A minimum of four years of experience in PLC/SCADA integration, including ControlLogix programming and/or Wonderware System Platform, InTouch, or related tools.
Experience leading controls scope on capital projects, including vendor coordination and system-level design.
Strong understanding of industrial networking, safety systems, instrumentation, and line-integration principles.
The ability to travel up to 50 percent to our domestic facilities.

Nice To Haves

A Master’s degree in Engineering.
Experience directing controls programming or integration work in a manufacturing environment.
Exposure to robotic systems, advanced communication networks, or large-scale automation platforms.
Prior involvement in major line installations, including FAT/SAT oversight and system commissioning.

Responsibilities

Own the controls strategy for major capital projects, defining architecture, standards, and system requirements for new production lines and automation upgrades.
Design line-level controls solutions that coordinate equipment across OEM platforms and deliver reliable, transparent operation across plants.
Develop system specifications, including network design, safety architecture, interlock strategy, sequencing logic, SCADA interfaces, and MES data requirements.
Coordinate OEM and integrator work, ensuring programming, documentation, and hardware designs meet Leprino standards and integrate cleanly into plant systems.
Review, approve, and guide PLC and HMI development while delegating detailed coding and field execution to Controls Integration Engineers.
Lead FAT and SAT activities, validate system behavior, and direct corrective actions with vendors and internal engineers.
Provide technical leadership during installation and startup, resolving system-level issues, tuning performance, and ensuring safe commissioning.
Advise plants and project teams on automation strategies, controls reliability, and long-term maintainability.
Support project planning, including scope definition, timelines, risk assessments, and early detection of scope or budget impacts.
Contribute to enterprise standards for controls engineering, safety systems, instrumentation, and industrial networking.