This is a Hybrid position (3 days on site in Houston, TX).
About the Opportunity
A growing engineering consulting firm is seeking an experienced Automation Engineer to join their Houston team. This organization has built a strong reputation over the past 30 years delivering high-impact automation and software solutions across industries including manufacturing, life sciences, consumer products, aerospace, and industrial processing.
With a collaborative, growth-oriented culture and a steady pipeline of complex projects, this is an opportunity to work on diverse automation systems while gaining exposure to multiple industries, customers, and technologies. Engineers are given significant ownership of projects and are encouraged to grow into technical leadership, project management, and client-facing roles over time.
What You'll Do
- Design, program, and commission industrial automation systems from concept through startup and client handoff
- Develop PLC, HMI, and SCADA applications (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Ignition, FactoryTalk, etc.)
- Work directly with customers to gather requirements, develop solutions, and support project execution
- Lead and manage multiple projects simultaneously while coordinating with clients and internal teams
- Support system architecture, controls design, and integration across hardware and software platforms
- Travel to client sites for commissioning, troubleshooting, startup support, and customer meetings
- Mentor junior engineers and contribute to team development over time
- Take ownership of projects while helping drive technical and project execution success
Travel & Work Structure
- Hybrid schedule (typically 3 days per week in the Houston office)
- Travel generally ranges from 20-35% depending on project workload
- Most travel is project-based and tied to commissioning, startup, troubleshooting, and customer support activities
- Travel expenses are fully covered
- Additional flexibility and time off are often provided when travel demands become heavier
What They're Looking For
- 5-7+ years of experience in industrial automation / controls engineering
- Strong PLC/HMI programming experience (Allen-Bradley and/or Siemens required)
- Experience in a systems integrator, OEM, engineering consulting, or project-based environment
- Exposure to SCADA platforms such as Ignition, FactoryTalk, WinCC, or similar
- Experience with commissioning, startup, troubleshooting, and client-facing project work
- Ability to manage projects, communicate effectively with customers, and work independently
- Interest in growing into project leadership, mentorship, and customer-facing responsibilities
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering (or related field) required
- Strong academic background (GPA considerations apply)
Nice to Have
- Multi-platform experience (Rockwell + Siemens + Ignition)
- Experience leading projects or mentoring engineers
- Exposure to robotics, vision systems, motion control, or advanced automation technologies
- Experience working across multiple industries or customer environments
Why This Role
- Hybrid work model (3 days in office)
- Strong technical culture with long employee tenure
- Opportunity to work across multiple industries, technologies, and customer environments
- Clear path toward technical leadership, project management, mentorship, and client-facing growth
- Consistent project pipeline with a stable, growing engineering organization
- Exposure to challenging automation projects from concept through commissioning