Senior Controls Design Engineer

Job Title: Senior Controls Design Engineer
Company: Adgo Inc.
Location: Cincinnati, OH- On-site role with project travel as required
Reports to: Engineering Manager

Position Summary

The Senior Controls Design Engineer converts customer specifications, drawings, operating requirements, and incomplete concept-level information into safe, compliant, buildable industrial control-panel designs. This role owns complete drawing and BOM packages, resolves technical holds, communicates directly with customers and internal teams, supports fabrication and FAT, and helps improve the standards and people around the work.

Primary Responsibilities

  • Review customer specifications, P&IDs, I/O requirements, control narratives, motor/load information, and concept-level requirements; identify missing information and design holds before submittal.
  • Develop coordinated electrical design packages including one-lines, schematics, enclosure/subpanel layouts, terminal plans, conductor information, labels, BOMs, and supporting calculations.
  • Select current industrial-control components and verify exact ratings, accessories, compatibility, environmental requirements, and availability before submittal or fabrication release.
  • Apply UL 508A and, when applicable, UL 698A, NEC, SCCR, hazardous-location, grounding, separation, thermal, and environmental requirements.
  • Design for fabrication, wiring, FAT, field installation, serviceability, troubleshooting, and future maintenance.
  • Own reviews, redlines, revisions, customer technical questions, technical holds, and controlled release of engineering documents.
  • Work directly with Purchasing and Operations to resolve component, layout, material, and buildability issues quickly and accurately.
  • Participate in FAT, troubleshooting, startup, and commissioning support as required.
  • Review other designers’ work using risk-based technical judgment; mentor less-experienced designers and help establish practical engineering standards.
  • Manage multiple projects and priorities without allowing urgent work to bypass safety, code, or release controls.

Required Qualifications

  • 5+ years of hands-on industrial electrical/control-panel design experience with evidence of independent design ownership.
  • Ability to take incomplete customer requirements and develop a complete, buildable design while clearly identifying assumptions and release holds.
  • Working knowledge of UL 508A, NEC, SCCR, industrial power distribution, motor/VFD circuits, 24 VDC controls, grounding/shielding, and panel environmental requirements.
  • Experience creating and coordinating schematics, panel layouts, terminal plans, BOMs, and release documentation.
  • Experience selecting PLC/HMI, VFD, power, protection, relay, terminal, instrumentation, and enclosure components.
  • Proficiency with industrial electrical CAD tools & Excel; AutoCAD Electrical experience preferred.
  • Ability to communicate technical issues directly and professionally with customers, vendors, programmers, purchasing, and shop personnel.
  • Demonstrated ownership, documentation discipline, prioritization, and problem-solving.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience in a UL 508A panel shop or systems integrator.
  • UL 508A training/certification or equivalent demonstrated application knowledge.
  • UL 698A / hazardous-location design experience.
  • Water/wastewater, OEM machine controls, batching, or industrial manufacturing experience.
  • Allen-Bradley / Rockwell platform familiarity.
  • FAT, field startup, commissioning, or troubleshooting experience.
  • Prior technical mentoring, design review, or standards-development responsibility.
  • Bachelor’s or associate degree in electrical engineering/engineering technology; equivalent directly relevant experience considered.
  • Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred, particularly in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.

Success Measures – First 12 Months

Contributes at least one adopted improvement to Adgo design standards/checklists and helps develop less-experienced designers.

Independently owns normal Adgo panel-design work with appropriate peer review rather than continuous technical supervision.

Releases coordinated drawing/BOM packages with low avoidable rework from purchasing and fabrication.

Makes sound UL/code/SCCR and design-hold decisions and escalates uncertainty before submittal.

Builds productive working relationships with the shop, programmers, purchasing, sales, and customers.

How to Apply

Submit resumes to h.holman@adgocontrols.com with relevant experience and qualifications.

Quick Links
Why Adgo Controls?

You’ll work alongside experienced engineers, technicians, and automation professionals committed to helping manufacturers improve productivity, reliability, and performance through quality automation and controls solutions.

If you’re passionate about industrial automation, manufacturing, control systems, and building long-term customer relationships, we’d love to talk.

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