Controls Engineering Manager

Orenco Systems • Sutherlin, OR

22h • Hybrid

About The Position

Leads, manages, and directs a diverse workforce of engineers, technicians and programmers to design, optimize, and enhance electronic control systems and instruments that automate and monitor industrial processes. This role is essential in driving standardization across control panel designs while ensuring that Orenco's sales, engineering, product management, manufacturing, supply chain, and customer support teams operate seamlessly through structured processes, tools, and documentation. Develops control panel technical designs, wiring diagrams, panel layouts, I/O mapping PLC block programming, and control schematics. Configures systems using PLC and HMI techniques. Models, tests, and measures output and data to analyze performance or quality issues and develop solutions. The Controls Engineering Manager bridges engineering innovation and business strategy by optimizing component selection, panel assembly, and market-driven product improvements. Oversees the integration of Configure Price Quote (CPQ) development, EEC (EPLAN Engineering Configuration), EPLAN (software), and shop floor operations, ensuring that Engineering Design Guidelines, Quality Control manuals, SOP's (Standard Operating Procedures), and customer support knowledge bases remain standardized, up to date, in compliance with industry standards, and scalable for future growth. This is more than just an engineering role-it's an opportunity to lead industry innovation, standardize best practices, and shape the future of control panel technology at Orenco.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, controls engineering, automation engineering, mechatronics, or related field required.
• Minimum ten years of experience in control panel design, industrial automation, and product management (controls manufacturing experience is preferred).
• 3-5 years of experience managing a team of engineers and technicians in a control panel design and manufacturing environment.
• 1-3 years of project management experience.
• Proficiency in EPLAN, including schematic design, component libraries, and automation tools is preferred but high-level skills in AutoCAD Electrical or SolidWorks Electrical etc. are considered.
• Demonstrated experience deploying and managing a software application for engineering standardization.
• Strong understanding of motors, VFDs (Variable Frequency Drive), instrumentation, and industrial control circuits.
• Experience with SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) , remote telemetry, DCS (Distributed Controls Systems), IIOT (Industrial Internet of Things), and industrial communication protocols.
• Ability to troubleshoot and optimize electrical and control system panel designs for manufacturability and performance.
• Experience with cyber security strategies and standards for connected products in industrial environments.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with a talent for mentoring and influencing teams.
• Ability to balance multiple projects, meet deadlines, and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and related business software.
• Must be willing and able to travel by auto and airplane.
• Must be able to comply with current travel regulations and guidelines of airlines and destination locations.
• Must be able to meet and maintain Orenco's approved driver criteria; a valid driver's license, satisfactory driving record, current insurance on personal vehicle, and meet company insurability requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Additional coursework or experience in product management, project management, business, or marketing is a plus.
• Familiarity with Intellectual Property (IP) protection, search and filing is a plus.
• Experience in go-to-market strategies, or product portfolio management with focus on SKU (stock keeping unit) complexity management helpful.

Responsibilities

• Continuously maintains Orenco management's safety, cultural, and professional standards.
• Promotes, encourages, and reinforces a positive safety culture, safe practices, and a safe work environment to all employees.
• Manages the deployment and integration of EPLAN Engineering Configurator (EEC) to automate engineering design and manufacturing workflows.
• Ensures EEC, EPLAN, CPQ, Quoter, and shop floor operations are fully integrated for seamless design-to-manufacturing execution.
• Develops and implements Engineering Design Guidelines to standardize custom controls while embedding continuous improvement into Orenco's standard panel lines.
• Collaborates across sales, engineering, operations, manufacturing, quality control, and supply chain to align SOP's testing procedures, and quality documentation with standardized design and production.
• Oversee revision control and approval processes, ensuring accurate, up-to-date documentation that supports efficiency at every stage of the product lifecycle.
• Develops, programs, and troubleshoots PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and HMI (Human Machine Interface) systems from various manufacturers (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Schneider, etc.)
• Stays ahead of industry trends, competitor offerings, and customer need to shape Orenco's control panel product strategy.
• Works with procurement and supply chain staff to identify, negotiate, and select high-quality, cost-sensitive components, balancing price, availability, and performance.
• Works with cost accounting to evaluate aggregate control panel costs, factoring in labor savings from automation, ensuring that higher-cost components are justified by improved efficiency and scalability.
• Partners with procurement to negotiate pricing, secure supply chains, and establish long-term partnerships with key component manufacturers.
• Leads rapid prototyping efforts for control panels utilizing new component configurations, ensuring feasibility before full production.
• Collaborates with the engineering team to evaluate new customer and original equipment manufacturing (OEM) needs, providing value engineered solutions that optimize design, cost, and manufacturability.
• Supports customers in scaling their panel volume, ensuring that Orenco's control solutions help drive efficiency, reliability, and business growth for their operations.
• Works closely with engineering and production teams to successfully integrate new component configurations into Orenco's existing control panel product lines.
• Develops and maintains a preferred components library, streamlining engineering design and manufacturing workflows.
• Collaborates with quality control staff to establish best practices, failure analysis protocols, a feedback loop, and preventive measures to reduce defects and production errors.
• Enhances engineering efficiency by reducing customization bottlenecks and driving standardization in control panel design.
• Designs and develop scalable control panel solutions using the EPLAN suite and integration with corporate enterprise solutions, ensuring reliability, manufacturability, and compliance with industry standards.
• Ensures all designs align with UL508A (Underwriters Laboratory), UL698A, NEC (National Electrical Code), NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), and other regulatory requirements, balancing safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
• Establishes and manages structured revisioning and approval processes, ensuring design updates are documented, communicated, and implemented across engineering, manufacturing, and customer support teams.
• Specifies and selects electrical components, sensors, drives, and instrumentation for control systems.
• Acts as the technical expert and trusted advisor for sales, distributors, and OEMs, providing deep insights into control panel capabilities and configurations.
• Supports sales and business development teams in positioning Orenco's control solutions competitively in the market.
• Develops and maintains a customer support knowledge base, ensuring field engineers and end users have access to clear troubleshooting guides and product documentation.
• Conducts technical training sessions for internal teams and key external partners to enhance product knowledge and adoption.
• Collaborates with sales, operations, engineering, product management, and manufacturing to ensure product offerings meet market demands and are feasible with Orenco's operational capabilities.
• Partners with the Orenco Water Sales team to ensure that pump selection remains their responsibility, while Controls focuses on electrical panel standardization and integration.
• Ensures that CPQ, Quoter, EEC, and EPLAN tools remain fully synchronized, supporting Orenco's long-term engineering automation strategy.
• Sets departmental goals in support of corporate objectives.
• Establishes metrics and measurements for department work standards.
• Ensures each employee has a training plan and is fully trained to perform their job.
• Conducts goal setting, quarterly evaluations and annual employee performance appraisals.
• Thoroughly documents employee successes and failures, creates, and implements plans for challenging employees to grow, improve job performance or change behavior.
• Establishes and continually improves standard operating procedures and workflows.
• Maintains staffing levels based on workload forecasting and succession planning.
• Leads employees with compassion, respect, and honesty, upholding Orenco's core values.
• Facilitates and fosters teamwork among employees.
• Provides feedback, coaching and direction via frequent interactions with employees as they perform their work.
• Provides training and development opportunities that assist employees to develop Leadership skills.

Benefits

• Our mission is protecting the world's water. We work every day to support the sustainability of our most precious resource, so our people know what they're doing matters. Join our team and do work that matters.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager