Controls Engineer

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Airline Hydraulics Corporation (100% Employee Owned | ISO 9001:2015 Certified) is seeking a seasoned Controls Engineer to serve as an embedded technical resource for a strategic account relationship with a leading mission-critical digital infrastructure manufacturer headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. This customer designs, engineers, and builds power distribution and integrated module solutions — including Power Distribution Units (PDUs, 300 kVA–2,000 kVA), Remote Power Panels (RPPs), and advanced integrated infrastructure modules — purpose-built for AI-era data centers and hyperscale environments.

Airline Hydraulics is an established component and panel solutions partner supporting this customer's production programs. The selected candidate will work directly to support the Airline Hydraulics account manager, providing dedicated on-site engineering and acting as a proactive extension of the account manager’s engineering and procurement workflows — including advance procurement of long-lead BOM components prior to formal order release in order to compress delivery timelines.

WORK LOCATION & SCHEDULE

• Primary site: Customer facility, Richmond, VA — minimum 50% on-site; greater presence expected during critical production and project phase
• Secondary: Remote / Airline Hydraulics Bensalem, PA office as required
• Travel to Airline Hydraulics HQ for coordination with engineering, purchasing, and operations team

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Engineering & Design

• Develop and maintain wiring diagrams, panel layouts, and schematics using AutoCAD Electrical for PDU, RPP, and control panel programs
• Perform PLC and HMI programming in support of control panel and integrated module solutions
• Translate customer engineering specifications and design standards into Airline Hydraulics' scope of supply
• Support development of bill of materials (BOM) structures aligned to the customer's product configurations and engineering change cycles

Procurement & Supply Chain Coordination

• Proactively identify and initiate procurement of long-lead BOM components in advance of formal purchase orders to reduce lead time exposure
• Interface with Airline Hydraulics purchasing and supplier teams to maintain component availability aligned with the customer's production schedules
• Evaluate component equivalents, substitutions, and supply chain risks; recommend solutions to maintain continuity

Customer & Account Support

• Support engineering RFQs, estimates, and quotes with timely, accurate technical inputs
• Assist with project management for control panel and power distribution programs from award through delivery

Quality, Compliance & Standards

• Ensure all designs comply with UL 508A, NEC, and applicable OSHA standards
• Maintain adherence to Airline Hydraulics ISO 9001:2015 quality management processes
• Support UL listing compliance for panel assemblies consistent with the customer's UL-certified product lines

Field & Startup Support

• Support installations, factory acceptance tests (FAT), validations, and commissioning activities
• Provide troubleshooting and problem resolution during integration and startup phases

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a closely related field preferred
• Equivalent combination of relevant technical education and hands-on experience will be considered

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in electrical controls and panel engineering in an industrial or integration environment
• Demonstrated experience supporting mission-critical power distribution systems — including PDUs, RPPs, switchgear, or similar high-density electrical distribution equipment — strongly preferred
• Prior experience as an embedded or on-site resource within a customer account is a significant advantage
• Project management experience on multi-disciplined, specification-driven programs

Technical Skills

• Proficient in AutoCAD Electrical for schematic, wiring diagram, and panel layout development
• Strong PLC programming experience (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or equivalent); HMI development a plus
• Solid working knowledge of UL 508A, NEMA and NEC
• Ability to read and interpret complex electrical schematics, P&IDs, and mechanical drawings
• Experience with BOM development and component-level procurement coordination

Professional Attributes

• Commercially oriented — understands how technical decisions impact delivery schedules, cost, and customer satisfaction
• Self-directed with strong time management; comfortable managing multiple concurrent programs in a fast-paced production environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication; capable of representing Airline Hydraulics professionally at all levels of a customer organization
• Collaborative team player who can coordinate effectively across sales, engineering, purchasing, and operations functions
• Driven to achieve 100% customer satisfaction while maintaining profitability targets