Lead Field PLC Engineer

Role Overview

• Lead and mentor a team of field PLC engineers, providing technical guidance and professional development
• Assign resources and coordinate field activities across multiple concurrent projects
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide ongoing coaching to team members
• Develop technical capabilities within the team through hands-on training and knowledge sharing
• Establish technical standards, best practices, and quality expectations for PLC field work
• Serve as primary escalation point for complex technical issues requiring expert intervention
• Lead deployment and commissioning of complex PLC systems for mission-critical data center facilities
• Program, troubleshoot, and optimize PLC logic for HVAC, mechanical, and electrical control systems onsite
• Resolve the most challenging technical issues including redundancy failures, communication network problems, and complex control sequence errors
• Conduct advanced point-to-point verification and validation of critical control systems
• Provide expert-level support during system start-up, commissioning, and turnover activities
• Debug and correct complex installation issues during both static and dynamic commissioning
• Coordinate field PLC team activities with project schedules and client requirements
• Review and approve commissioning plans, test procedures, and PLC programming changes
• Ensure all field work meets quality standards, documentation requirements, and client specifications
• Conduct technical reviews of team members' work and provide corrective guidance as needed
• Identify and mitigate technical risks during deployment and commissioning phases
• Track project progress and report status to Field Engineering Manager
• Serve as primary technical point of contact for clients during PLC commissioning activities
• Lead technical discussions with clients, contractors, and vendors to resolve integration issues
• Provide technical training and support to client operations teams during turnover
• Participate in design reviews and technical planning meetings
• Build strong client relationships through technical expertise and responsive support
• Represent field PLC capabilities in client meetings and project planning sessions
• Document technical solutions, lessons learned, and best practices for team reference
• Develop and maintain technical procedures, troubleshooting guides, and training materials
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives based on field experience and emerging technologies
• Stay current with Rockwell Automation updates, PLC programming techniques, and industry standards
• Contribute to internal knowledge base and technical documentation systems

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience as a PLC Programmer/Engineer with extensive field deployment and commissioning experience
• 2+ years of technical leadership or team lead experience, preferably in field operations
• Expert-level proficiency with Studio 5000 / Rockwell Automation software in field and production environments
• Deep hands-on experience commissioning complex chiller, boiler, and central plant systems
• Advanced expertise in redundancy strategies, redundant PLC controller managers, and failover systems
• Proven ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex PLC logic, hardware, and communication network issues
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills with ability to develop technical talent
• Excellent communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences
• Ability to manage multiple field projects and coordinate distributed team resources
• Willingness and ability to travel 40-50%, including extended site assignments during critical phases
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Benefits

• OSHA 10 certification obtained within the past two (2) years is required. If certification is not current or has not been completed, OSHA 10 training will be provided and must be successfully completed within the first week of employment.