Controls Engineer – Industrial Automation

Job description

About Armstrong Fluid Technology Imagine working at the forefront of innovation in fluid-flow technology, with over 1400 colleagues across the globe, and contributing to a legacy of excellence that spans eight manufacturing facilities on four continents. Armstrong Fluid Technology is more than just a leader in our industry; we are a community of the brightest and most creative minds, driven by a shared mission to engineer the future and safeguard our planet. As a member of our team, you’ll dive into an environment that encourages learning and boundary-pushing every day. You’ll be part of an agile and dynamic workplace where today’s solutions are built for tomorrow’s challenges. Role Overview The Controls Engineer – Industrial Automation is a technically deep, globally-scoped role based in China or UK, serving Armstrong Industrial’s industrial business across all heavy and process industry sectors – including Metals, Mining, Cement, Food & Beverage, Oil & Gas, Chemicals, and Power Generation. Armstrong’s existing controls and optimization products have been designed and validated within the building services environment. The primary mandate of this role is to bridge that gap: to systematically evaluate, adapt, modify, and drive the development of Armstrong’s controls and optimization portfolio into solutions that are technically suitable for industrial plant environments, automation architectures, and process control standards – specifically across the application domains of Heating, Cooling, Water Transfer, and High Pressure systems. This role does not operate independently in the field. The engagement model is Sales → Industrial Applications Engineer → Controls Engineer. The Industrial Applications Engineer is the primary customer interface and commercial driver; the Controls Engineer provides the technical controls depth behind that engagement – validating solutions, building industrial-grade control logic, integrating with plant automation systems, and ensuring that what Armstrong Industrial proposes and deploys performs as committed in the industrial environment. A defining principle of this role is the Performance Demonstration Matrix. Armstrong Industrial’s controls and optimization systems for industrial applications must be developed and configured to establish a verified pre-installation baseline across three dimensions – Energy Consumption per Ton of Output, Water Consumption per Ton of Output, and Carbon Emissions per Ton of Output – and must be capable of reporting, in real time and over time, demonstrable improvement against that baseline post-installation. This is not a reporting add-on; it is a core design requirement that the Controls Engineer owns and enforces across all Armstrong Industrial controls and optimization development. Key Accountabilities 1. Industrial Adaptation of Armstrong Industrial Controls & Optimization Products This is the primary technical mandate of the role. Armstrong Industrial’s controls and optimization products must be systematically evaluated, adapted, and developed to meet the requirements of industrial environments, specifically in the application domains of Heating, Cooling, Water Transfer, and High-Pressure systems. Conduct a structured technical assessment of Armstrong Industrial’s controls and optimization product portfolio against the functional, environmental, and integration requirements of industrial plant applications across Heating, Cooling, Water Transfer, and High-Pressure domains Identify gaps between current building-logic product design and industrial suitability – covering control logic architecture, communication protocols, environmental protection ratings, safety integrity requirements, and compatibility with industrial automation systems Define and develop two product variants for Armstrong Industrial’s industrial controls and optimization offering: a General Industry variant applicable across Metals, Mining, Cement, Food & Beverage, and other process industries; and a Standardized variant engineered to the more rigorous PLC/SCADA integration, protocol compliance, and safety requirements of Oil & Gas, Chemicals, and Power Generation Own the product specification for both variants – translating field intelligence, application requirements, and industrial standards into structured technical specifications that drive Armstrong Industrial’s development teams Work within Armstrong Industrial’s new product development process – participating in stage gates, contributing to technical reviews, and ensuring controls and automation requirements are accurately represented and validated throughout the development lifecycle 2. Performance Demonstration Matrix – Baseline, Measurement & Reporting Every Armstrong Industrial control and optimization solution deployed in an industrial environment must be capable of demonstrating its impact. This person owns the technical design of that demonstration capability across all Armstrong Industrial’s industrial controls development. Define and enforce the Performance Demonstration Matrix as a core design requirement across all Armstrong Industrial controls and optimization products: the system must measure, record, and report against three dimensions – Energy Consumption per Ton of Output, Water Consumption per Ton of Output, and Carbon Emissions per Ton of Output Establish the pre-installation baseline methodology – defining how Energy, Water, and Carbon consumption per Ton of Output are accurately measured and recorded before an Armstrong Industrial optimization solution is installed, creating the reference point against which all post-installation performance is assessed Design the post-installation monitoring and reporting logic so that the controls system continuously tracks actual performance against the pre-installation baseline – making the improvement delivered by Armstrong Industrial’s solution visible, measurable, and auditable at any point in time Ensure the measurement and reporting architecture is robust enough to account for variable process conditions – load changes, production mix, seasonal variation – so that reported improvements reflect genuine optimization outcomes rather than operating condition changes Define the data acquisition strategy – sensors, meters, process inputs, and integration points – required to populate the Performance Demonstration Matrix accurately in each application type across Heating, Cooling, Water Transfer, and High-Pressure systems Produce the Performance Demonstration reporting framework that enables customers, Armstrong Industrial’s service teams, and the Global Product Manager to clearly see and verify the impact of Armstrong Industrial’s optimization solutions against the committed baseline 3. Controls & Automation Technical Authority The Controls Engineer is Armstrong Industrial’s internal authority on industrial automation, control systems, and digital integration for the industrial segment. This expertise underpins the technical credibility of every solution Armstrong Industrial proposes and deploys. Define and maintain Armstrong Industrial’s technical position on PLC integration for industrial applications – covering industrial-grade PLC platforms, program logic structure, and interface requirements for Armstrong Industrial’s controls and optimization solutions Establish Armstrong Industrial’s SCADA integration standards – defining how Armstrong Industrial’s controls products communicate with plant SCADA systems across relevant industrial protocols including Modbus, Profibus, ProfiNet, Ethernet/IP, OPC-UA, and others as applicable by sector Define industrial communication protocol requirements for both the General Industry and Standardized product variants, ensuring compatibility with the automation architectures of each target sector Advise the Industrial Applications Engineer on controls and automation feasibility during the offer creation process – ensuring proposals are technically accurate with respect to integration complexity, protocol compatibility, and protection class requirements Maintain current knowledge of industrial automation standards including functional safety (IEC 61511), industrial cybersecurity (IEC 62443), ATEX/IECEx controls requirements, and sector-specific standards relevant to Armstrong Industrial’s target verticals 4. Control Logic Development & Validation The Controls Engineer owns the design and pre-deployment validation of the control logic that delivers Armstrong Industrial’s optimization outcomes. No Armstrong Industrial industrial optimization solution goes to field deployment without control logic that has been validated in a simulation or dummy environment. Design optimization control logic for Armstrong Industrial’s industrial solutions across Heating, Cooling, Water Transfer, and High Pressure applications – ensuring algorithms are engineered to deliver genuine, measurable improvement in energy, water, and carbon performance against the pre-installation baseline Build simulation models and test environments that allow control logic to be validated prior to field deployment – reducing commissioning risk, accelerating time-to-performance, and ensuring the Performance Demonstration Matrix is functional and accurate from day one of operation Validate that optimization logic performs reliably across the full operating envelope of industrial processes – accounting for variable loads, process upsets, production changes, and environmental conditions Document control logic, validation results, and performance test outcomes to a standard that supports both internal product development and customer-facing performance assurance 5. Technical Support to the Industrial Applications Engineer The Controls Engineer functions as the technical controls resource behind the Industrial Applications Engineer, providing the depth required to make Armstrong Industrial’s industrial offer technically credible and deliverable. Review and validate the controls and automation elements of technical offers prepared by the Industrial Applications Engineer before submission – ensuring integration requirements, protocol specifications, and performance demonstration commitments are technically sound Provide technical input during customer engagement where controls and automation depth is required – supporting the AE in conversations with customer automation engineers, control system integrators, and plant operations teams Develop and maintain technical reference documentation, integration guides, and application notes that enable the AE to accurately represent Armstrong Industrial’s controls and optimization capabilities without requiring the Controls Engineer to be present at every engagement Contribute to the technical training content developed by the AE for regional sales teams – specifically covering the controls, optimization logic, performance demonstration, and digital integration aspects of Armstrong Industrial’s industrial offering 6. Post-Deployment Performance Monitoring Following deployment of Armstrong Industrial’s industrial optimization solutions, the Controls Engineer maintains technical oversight of system performance in collaboration with the Global Service Manager and regional service teams. Monitor deployed Armstrong Industrial optimization solutions against the pre-installation baseline – tracking actual Energy, Water, and Carbon per Ton of Output and identifying deviations from committed performance levels early Conduct technical root cause analysis on underperforming installations – distinguishing between control logic issues, integration problems, application mismatches, and process-side factors, and recommending precise corrective action Work alongside the service team in a monitoring and advisory capacity – the service team owns deployment and maintenance; the Controls Engineer owns the technical performance standard and the escalation path when that standard is not met Feed performance data and field learnings systematically back into the product development cycle – ensuring real deployment outcomes continuously inform and improve Armstrong Industrial’s control logic, product specifications, and optimization algorithms 7. Product Development Participation & Intelligence Own the controls and automation feedback loop from field deployments and AE engagements – capturing structured intelligence on integration challenges, protocol gaps, industrial environment failures, and performance shortfalls Translate field intelligence into actionable product specifications and development inputs for the Global Product Manager and Armstrong Industrial’s engineering teams Actively participate in Armstrong Industrial’s new product development process for controls and optimization products – contributing to technical specifications, reviewing designs, and validating that development outputs meet industrial application requirements Contribute to the definition of Armstrong Industrial’s long-term industrial controls and automation product roadmap, informed by ground-level technical experience and awareness of where industrial automation standards and technologies are evolving What We’re Looking For Education & Experience Degree in Electrical Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, Automation Engineering, or equivalent technical discipline 8–10 years of experience in industrial automation, control systems, or process controls within heavy industry or process plant environments Demonstrated experience designing, integrating, or commissioning PLC and SCADA systems in industrial environments Prior exposure to energy management, optimization systems, or performance monitoring in industrial applications is a strong advantage Experience contributing to product development processes – specifications, technical reviews, or validation – is an advantage Technical Skills Strong working knowledge of industrial PLC platforms – Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Schneider, or equivalent – including logic programming and system configuration Proficiency in industrial communication protocols – Modbus TCP/RTU, Profibus, Profinet, Ethernet/IP, OPC-UA, and sector-specific variants SCADA system integration experience across relevant industrial platforms Control logic design and optimization algorithm development for process applications – specifically for energy, water, and carbon performance optimization Performance measurement and baseline methodology – ability to design measurement architectures that accurately capture pre- and post-installation performance data across variable industrial process conditions Knowledge of industrial automation standards – IEC 61511 (functional safety/SIL), IEC 62443 (industrial cybersecurity), and sector-specific requirements for Oil & Gas, Power, and Chemicals Familiarity with industrial protection class requirements for controls equipment – IP ratings, ATEX/IECEx where applicable, and hazardous area classification Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, electrical schematics, and control system architecture drawings Understanding of fluid system dynamics – pumps, chillers, cooling towers, heat exchangers, and high-pressure systems – sufficient to develop meaningful optimization logic for Heating, Cooling, Water Transfer, and High-Pressure applications Simulation and digital twin experience for control logic validation prior to field deployment Soft Skills Technically precise – operates at the level of control logic, protocol configuration, and system integration without losing sight of the operational and commercial outcomes that drive the work Collaborative – functions effectively as the technical depth behind a commercially-driven Industrial Applications Engineer English language proficiency mandatory – must be able to read, write, and speak English to a professional standard; essential for all technical documentation, product specifications, and cross-functional communication within Armstrong Industrial’s global team Structured and methodical – capable of managing complex, multi-variant product development work with disciplined documentation and process rigour Intellectually curious – motivated to understand both the engineering of industrial processes and the commercial context in which Armstrong Industrial’s solutions are deployed Comfortable operating across geographies, time zones, and cultures within a global matrix organisation Why Armstrong? By joining Armstrong, you will take on a challenge that very few controls engineers get the opportunity to tackle: taking a proven portfolio of optimization and controls technology and systematically engineering it for the demands of global heavy industry. You will define what Armstrong Industrial’s industrial controls offering becomes, build the performance demonstration capability that makes Armstrong Industrial’s value proposition provable and auditable, and contribute directly to products deployed across some of the world’s most demanding industrial environments. Together, we’ll build tomorrow’s solutions today.