Instrumentation & Controls Engineer

Overview

The Instrumentation & Controls Engineer leads the development, design, enhancement, and integration of instrumentation and controls systems (i.e., SCADA). The role will provide engineering expertise as it pertains to capital improvement project planning and management, water and wastewater service development, regulatory agency coordination, and operations support. This position is required to independently prioritize, schedule, and complete work to ensure the efficient operation, treatment, distribution, collection, and discharge process across water and wastewater systems.

Work Location

This role is based at our Charlotte, NC office with remote/hybrid opportunites within the North Carolina region available.

What We Offer

• Competitive Salary: $111,000 - $155,000 per year
• Paid Time Off: Starting at 3 weeks annually along with 11 company-paid holidays.
• Health and Wellness Benefits: The first day of the month after your start, you'll have access to your health, dental, prescription and vision benefits to help you stay well.
• 401(k) Program with Matching Contribution: We offer a 100% match on contributions up to 4% of your salary, plus an additional 3% employer contribution.
• Grow With Us: Professional development opportunities through training, professional certifications, and education allowance.
• Additional Benefits: Other great benefits include company provided life insurance and Employee Assistance Program just to name a few.
• Employee Resource Groups (ERG): ERGs are voluntary employee groups that form based on shared characteristics or backgrounds and are sponsored by the organization.

What You'll Do

Key Accountabilities

• Establish, document, deliver, and enforce adherence of design standard, cybersecurity policies, and operations Standard Operating Procedures for SCADA instrumentation and controls system of water and wastewater systems.
• Manage and maintain the Carolina Water Service business unit SCADA application environment to meet the operational service level requirements of the business and in accordance with industry standards.
• Maximize application adoption using root-cause analysis and continuous improvement methods against incidents, issues, and poor user experience.
• Work closely with Operations teams to develop tools and techniques to improve asset performance, reduce maintenance, and optimize operational resources.
• Work with Operations and Project Management teams to develop and maintain a long-term SCADA implementation and improvement plan for all of Carolina Water Service's operating areas that identifies areas of opportunity, scheduled deployment, estimated cost of implementation, and business case justifications.
• Cross-department collaboration with the IT team by assisting with cybersecurity as it relates to Operational Technology.
• Work closely with capital projects teams to collect data regarding new construction, renovation, and other projects.

General Responsibilities

• Ensure that the SCADA platform service levels are maintained through infrastructure and application outages and maintenance processes.
• Ensure that Operational Technology installations are considered appropriately in corporate infrastructure upgrades and planning.
• Ensure that enterprise-wide Nexus Water Group corporate standards and requirements are met.
• Deploy analysis tools to measure and report against service levels, reacting and reporting when service levels are at risk.
• Conduct on-site reviews and assessments for new and existing sites, liaising with operational staff.
• Liaise with IT and OT departments to ensure seamless delivery of new or changed infrastructure to support project deployments.
• Liaise with external vendors and integrators.
• Respond to service requests and act as a technical resource and engineering SME for Business Development, Project Management, Operations, and the Carolina Water Service business unit.
• Assist in the preparation of an effective master plan and/or timely system improvement and replacement program.
• Other duties as assigned.

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

What You'll Bring

Experience and Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, preferably Electrical Engineering or equivalent
• A minimum of 3 years of work experience in an operational setting, preferably in a water and wastewater utility or engineering services company
• A minimum of 3 years of work experience implementing instrumentation and controls infrastructure
• Valid driver's license

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• A strong commitment to safety and engineering best practices in water and wastewater utility operations, construction, and infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated project management expertise with the ability to manage project scope, budgets, schedules, contracts, and consultant relationships.

• Extensive knowledge of engineering principles, design standards, construction methods, and project delivery, including development of plans, specifications, reports, estimates, and contracts.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to exercise independent professional judgment and develop practical, customer-focused solutions.

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to prepare technical reports and effectively communicate with stakeholders, consultants, contractors, and the public.

• Proficiency with engineering software, surveying and drafting tools, AutoCAD, Microsoft Office Suite, and other technical applications.

• Advanced knowledge of industrial control and automation systems, including ICS, SCADA, and related programming/coding applications.

• Results-oriented, detail-focused, and self-motivated with a proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality outcomes.

Nice to Have

• IT-related project delivery experience.

Work Environment and Conditions

This role is primarily performed in a professional office environment as well as working outdoors in a water/sewer plant environment. This role involves a moderate degree of mental focus solving non-routine problems and may require moderate intervals of mental focus or sensory effort for lengths of time exceeding 4 hours. This role may be required to occasionally lift up to 50 lbs unassisted, walk, or sit for extended periods of time including extended driving periods of up to several hours. This role may occasionally be required to climb, pull, kneel, twist, turn, stoop, reach, or bend. This role may be exposed to loud noise, wastewater, chemicals, and high voltage where electrical shock is a potential hazard. This role may occasionally encounter extreme cold or hot conditions and potential contact with hazarous chemicals.

This role must wear/use all protective equipment where required including hearing protection, safety glasses, chemical suites, and personal protective equipment when handling hazardous materials as required for OSHA compliance.