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Houston, TX 77042, USA
Job Description:
Principal Controls & Automation Engineer
Location: Houston, TX (Onsite) | Reports To: VP, Manufacturing & Supply Chain | Contract-to-Hire
Position Summary
This is a unique full-lifecycle opportunity to shape the control and automation architecture of new manufacturing facilities and continue to remain closely involved with those systems as they evolve in the operating plant. Unlike a traditional project controls role that ends at commissioning, or an operations automation role that inherits systems designed by others, this position provides the opportunity to design the system, bring it into operation, learn from real plant performance, and continuously improve and reinvent it.
The Principal Controls & Automation Engineer is the company's senior technical authority for process controls, automation, instrumentation, and industrial control systems across its manufacturing and processing operations.
The role is responsible for establishing the company's controls and automation architecture from early process development through FEED, detailed engineering, commissioning, and startup, and for continuously improving, optimizing, and innovating the automation and control systems of operating facilities. This includes identifying opportunities to increase process stability, throughput, product quality, reliability, safety, energy efficiency, and operational intelligence through improved controls, advanced automation, instrumentation, and data-driven technologies.
The role is both strategic and hands-on, with responsibility for control philosophy, instrumentation, DCS/PLC architecture, alarms, interlocks, sequencing, data acquisition, advanced process control, automation optimization, FAT/SAT, commissioning, and long-term automation standards. The role is also expected to identify and implement next-generation controls and automation technologies as the company's manufacturing capabilities evolve.
Core Responsibilities
Qualifications
Pay rate: $85-105/hr. This is a contract-to-hire position (3 months to permanent), onsite in Houston, TX. Candidates must be US Citizens or Green Card holders.
Peterson Technology Partners (PTP) is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating a transparent, inclusive, and human-centered hiring experience.
For more than 28 years, PTP has operated as one of the top IT staffing and recruiting firms in the USA—built on trust, long-term partnerships, and technical excellence.
Based in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, IL, our team of more than 500 employees and consultants is dedicated to:
As part of that commitment, we believe in providing clear information about how our hiring technologies work and how your data is used. The following section outlines our AI-assisted interview process and your rights as a candidate.
To provide a consistent, fair, and flexible experience for all candidates, we use AI-assisted tools to support parts of the interview process. This includes our proprietary AI platform Pete & Gabi, which includes AI recruiter Rebecca.
These AI hiring tools help us:
Please note that:
If you prefer a non-AI interview format, we will gladly provide an alternative.
When applying for certain tech jobs, you may participate in:
We will always explain what to expect in advance so you can prepare with confidence.
Every candidate’s profile—including interviews, conversations, and assessments—is reviewed by experienced recruiters and hiring leaders.
AI insights may assist with organization and evaluation, but final decisions are always human-driven.
At PTP, every candidate has the right to:
Our goal is to ensure you feel respected, informed, and supported throughout your experience.
For more than 28 years, PTP has focused on putting people first—candidates, consultants, employees, and clients.
We’re committed to a hiring process that is:
Welcome to the future of hiring at Peterson Technology Partners.
We’re excited to learn more about you.
Peterson Technology Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
Houston, TX 77042, USA
Job Description:
Principal Controls & Automation Engineer
Location: Houston, TX (Onsite) | Reports To: VP, Manufacturing & Supply Chain | Contract-to-Hire
Position Summary
This is a unique full-lifecycle opportunity to shape the control and automation architecture of new manufacturing facilities and continue to remain closely involved with those systems as they evolve in the operating plant. Unlike a traditional project controls role that ends at commissioning, or an operations automation role that inherits systems designed by others, this position provides the opportunity to design the system, bring it into operation, learn from real plant performance, and continuously improve and reinvent it.
The Principal Controls & Automation Engineer is the company's senior technical authority for process controls, automation, instrumentation, and industrial control systems across its manufacturing and processing operations.
The role is responsible for establishing the company's controls and automation architecture from early process development through FEED, detailed engineering, commissioning, and startup, and for continuously improving, optimizing, and innovating the automation and control systems of operating facilities. This includes identifying opportunities to increase process stability, throughput, product quality, reliability, safety, energy efficiency, and operational intelligence through improved controls, advanced automation, instrumentation, and data-driven technologies.
The role is both strategic and hands-on, with responsibility for control philosophy, instrumentation, DCS/PLC architecture, alarms, interlocks, sequencing, data acquisition, advanced process control, automation optimization, FAT/SAT, commissioning, and long-term automation standards. The role is also expected to identify and implement next-generation controls and automation technologies as the company's manufacturing capabilities evolve.
Core Responsibilities
Qualifications
Pay rate: $85-105/hr. This is a contract-to-hire position (3 months to permanent), onsite in Houston, TX. Candidates must be US Citizens or Green Card holders.
Peterson Technology Partners (PTP) is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating a transparent, inclusive, and human-centered hiring experience.
For more than 28 years, PTP has operated as one of the top IT staffing and recruiting firms in the USA—built on trust, long-term partnerships, and technical excellence.
Based in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, IL, our team of more than 500 employees and consultants is dedicated to:
As part of that commitment, we believe in providing clear information about how our hiring technologies work and how your data is used. The following section outlines our AI-assisted interview process and your rights as a candidate.
To provide a consistent, fair, and flexible experience for all candidates, we use AI-assisted tools to support parts of the interview process. This includes our proprietary AI platform Pete & Gabi, which includes AI recruiter Rebecca.
These AI hiring tools help us:
Please note that:
If you prefer a non-AI interview format, we will gladly provide an alternative.
When applying for certain tech jobs, you may participate in:
We will always explain what to expect in advance so you can prepare with confidence.
Every candidate’s profile—including interviews, conversations, and assessments—is reviewed by experienced recruiters and hiring leaders.
AI insights may assist with organization and evaluation, but final decisions are always human-driven.
At PTP, every candidate has the right to:
Our goal is to ensure you feel respected, informed, and supported throughout your experience.
For more than 28 years, PTP has focused on putting people first—candidates, consultants, employees, and clients.
We’re committed to a hiring process that is:
Welcome to the future of hiring at Peterson Technology Partners.
We’re excited to learn more about you.
Peterson Technology Partners is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
