Senior Controls Engineer

Wunderlich-Malec Engineering, Inc.•Chesterfield, MO

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Wunderlich-Malec Engineering is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer for its St. Louis, Missouri office. The role leads automation projects from concept through commissioning and involves designing and implementing controls solutions across industries including Life Sciences, Food & Beverage, and Manufacturing. The engineer works directly with clients and internal teams, leads engineering staff, and may occasionally serve as Project Manager. The position combines control-system design and programming, industrial networking, and project leadership. It includes managing project execution plans, budgets, schedules, reporting, and daily operations for projects up to $1 million while ensuring profitability. The work environment is hybrid, with at least three days in the office and up to two discretionary remote days, plus on-site job walks as needed. The role is based in the St. Louis area and may be fully on-site at a local project. Out-of-state travel is 30%–50%, including regular client-site visits.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.
At least 7 years of controls engineering experience.
Experience with RSLogix 500 and Studio 5000 PLC programming.
Experience with Rockwell Automation platforms, including FactoryTalk and PlantPAx.
Experience with Inductive Automation Ignition.
Experience with electrical schematics and control panel design.
Proficiency with AutoCAD.
Ability to lead teams and mentor engineers.
Strong communication and client-facing skills.
Professional references from a manager, peer, and subordinate.
Ability to travel out of state 30%–50% and make regular visits to client sites.

Nice To Haves

Siemens Step 7 and TIA Portal programming experience.
Experience with S88 Batch/Recipes, OEE, MES, and ERP systems.
Ignition and PlantPAx experience is identified as a plus.

Responsibilities

Design and implement control systems using PLC, HMI, SCADA, and DCS platforms.
Develop control-system architectures, select components, and create detailed schematics.
Program controllers using Ladder, SFC, and Structured Text, and develop HMI/SCADA visualization systems.
Build databases for historical data archiving and display.
Use VBA, .NET, SQL, and Python for advanced HMI/SCADA development.
Design and implement fiber, wired, and wireless networks using industrial protocols such as Ethernet/IP, Profinet, and IT/OT.
Lead engineering teams and mentor junior staff.
Manage project execution plans, budgets, schedules, and reporting.
Oversee daily operations of projects up to $1 million and ensure profitability.
Serve as technical lead and occasionally as Project Manager.
Work directly with clients and internal teams and visit client sites.