The Ranger Group, a leading US Engineering Solutions provider to companies across the Aerospace & Defense, Medical Device, Electronics and Industrial Manufacturing industries, is currently seeking a Controls Engineer for a Direct-Hire role with our oil & gas client in Houston, TX. The work will be completed 100% onsite.
Key Responsibilities:
- PLC Programming & Configuration: Develop, test, validate, and troubleshoot automation control systems for power conversion applications using Siemens PLCs (TIA Portal, Step 7, WinCC, etc.).
- Control Narrative Development: Create control narratives outlining operational sequences, IO Lists, functional analysis, FMEA analysis, time-sequence charts, state machines, and system behavior for power conversion and distribution systems.
- Block Diagram Design: Develop block diagrams and functional descriptions to support control system design and implementation.
- HMI Development: Configure WinCC HMI to monitor and control power conversion processes. Respect High Performance HMI design principles and graphic conventions to have a simplified yet valuable display of information for operator comfort and understanding.
- Ability to communicate with end users to receive feedback and carry out system improvements.
- Communication protocols: Experience with interfacing other control systems or equipment through various communication protocols (Profinet, Profibus, Modbus TCP / RTU, J1939, CanOpen, Custom protocols over Serial / UDP communication, OPC UA, etc )
- System Integration: Interface with inverters, rectifiers, transformers, switchgear, and grid-tied systems, ensuring seamless communication with PLCs.
- Testing & Commissioning: Create testing plans/procedures and conduct Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) to validate automation solutions in power electronics and electrical distribution
- environments.
- Collaboration: Work with power engineers, electrical engineers, and project managers to ensure project success and optimal system performance.
- Travel: Intermittent visit to customer site may be required for survey and final commissioning acceptance.
Required Qualifications & Skills:
- BS in Electrical Engineering or Automation Engineering.
- 7+ years of experience in automation and Siemens PLC programming
- Proficiency in Siemens TIA Portal, Step 7, and WinCC.
- Knowledge of power electronics, motor drives, energy storage, and grid integration.
- Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, electrical schematics, and power system documentation.
- Experience with communication protocols (PROFINET, PROFIBUS, MODBUS, OPC UA, etc.).? Process control (Advanced PID, regulators, estimators); signal treatment (1st and 2nd order filtering, numerical computation, Kalman filter) required; system modeling.
- Knowledge of protective relays, load-sharing controllers, and synchronization systems is a plus.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with microgrid automation, renewable energy integration, or energy storage systems.
- Experience with process regulation.
- Knowledge of power management systems (PMS) and distributed control systems (DCS).
- Certification in Siemens automation products is an advantage.
- Knowledge of Python or other computer programming languages; database design and modeling(sqLite).