Controls Operations Manager

PPS is seeking an experienced Controls Operations Manager to lead its Controls & Automation function.

This is a hands-on leadership opportunity for an experienced controls and automation professional who can manage both shop-based and field teams while also providing strong technical leadership in PLCs, HMI/SCADA, industrial networks, instrumentation, and automated piping/process systems.

The Controls Operations Manager will be responsible for the overall performance of the operation, including People, P&L, Process, and Systems.

The ideal candidate is a strong manager who understands the technical side of controls and automation and knows how to build teams, improve processes, manage projects, and drive financial and operational results.

The role will oversee a Panel & Field Operations Manager, who manages the day-to-day panel shop and field operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, schedule, and develop controls engineers, automation technicians, programmers, and field personnel.
• Directly manage and develop the Panel & Field Operations Manager.
• Build a strong, accountable, and collaborative team.
• Establish clear roles, expectations, and performance standards.
• Recruit, develop, and retain key technical and operational talent.
• Develop future leaders and create opportunities for employee growth.
• Coordinate engineers, technicians, contractors, vendors, and project teams.

P&L & Business Performance

• Provide operational oversight of the Controls & Automation P&L.
• Monitor revenue, gross margin, labor, overhead, and project profitability.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, estimating, and resource planning.
• Track labor utilization, productivity, overtime, rework, and project performance.
• Identify financial and operational issues early and take corrective action.
• Make sound business decisions based on operational and financial data.

Operations & Process

• Oversee the design, programming, integration, commissioning, and maintenance of control systems.
• Manage controls-related projects from scope development through completion.
• Coordinate scheduling, procurement, staffing, production, field installation, and commissioning.
• Improve processes between engineering, project management, panel fabrication, programming, and field operations.
• Develop consistent project execution and commissioning processes.
• Reduce rework, downtime, and operational inefficiencies.
• Support both local projects and national project execution.
• Establish processes that allow the business to grow while maintaining quality and profitability.

Systems, Tracking & Production

• Develop and maintain systems for tracking projects, production, labor, resources, schedules, and financial performance.
• Establish meaningful KPIs and reporting for the operation.
• Improve ERP, project management, scheduling, and production systems.
• Create visibility into backlog, capacity, project status, labor, and profitability.
• Ensure managers and teams use accurate information to make decisions.
• Establish systems that identify problems early rather than after they impact a project or customer.

Technical Leadership

• Provide technical leadership for PLC, HMI, SCADA, instrumentation, industrial networking, and automation systems.
• Support automated piping, fluid-handling, and process systems.
• Lead technical efforts for new installations, upgrades, retrofits, and modernization of legacy control systems.
• Troubleshoot complex controls, electrical, instrumentation, and industrial-network issues.
• Provide technical direction during system failures and production-impacting events.
• Develop and maintain controls standards, programming practices, documentation, electrical schematics, and system architectures.
• Identify opportunities to improve automation, reliability, efficiency, maintainability, and system performance.

Project & Field Operations

• Coordinate contractors, integrators, equipment suppliers, and other external vendors.
• Ensure field teams have the resources, documentation, materials, and technical support needed to succeed.
• Balance engineering, programming, panel shop, and field resources.
• Monitor project schedules, budgets, quality, and customer expectations.
• Support commissioning, startup, troubleshooting, and project closeout.
• Ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, and profitably.

Safety & Compliance

• Ensure control-system designs and installations comply with applicable UL, NFPA, OSHA, electrical, and industrial safety requirements.
• Promote a strong safety culture across shop and field operations.
• Maintain high standards for quality, documentation, and system reliability.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Industrial Automation, or a related technical discipline preferred.
• 5–8+ years of controls/automation experience, with significant supervisory or management experience.
• Strong hands-on experience with PLC programming and industrial automation systems.
• Experience with platforms such as Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens, or DeltaV.
• Experience developing or supporting HMI and SCADA systems.
• Working knowledge of industrial communication networks, including Ethernet/EtherNet/IP, Modbus, or similar protocols.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, control drawings, instrumentation diagrams, and technical documentation.
• Experience troubleshooting both legacy and modern control systems.
• Strong understanding of industrial electrical safety and applicable NFPA, UL, and OSHA standards.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical teams and coordinating contractors and vendors.
• Experience with project budgeting, scheduling, estimating, procurement, and commissioning.
• Strong analytical, communication, project-management, and problem-solving skills.