Lead PLC Engineer

As a 100% Employee-Owned company, Robert E. Mason & Associates, Inc. believes our Associates are the foundation of both our customers’ and our success. Our strong company culture, and belief in continued investment in our Associates, has helped us realize long Associate tenures, as well as long lasting relationships with our customers.

R.E. Mason provides industry-leading process equipment and service for process control, automation, safety, and reliability. The industries served include Chemical, Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences, Power & Utilities, Food & Beverage, and Pulp & Paper.

What R.E. Mason Offers Associates:

R.E. Mason is a 100% employee-owned company that offers a comprehensive, industry leading benefits package to all eligible Associates:

• Participation in the Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP)
• Retirement plan, including a Safe Harbor contribution
• Medical / Dental / Vision Insurance
• Employer paid Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Generous paid leave options that include vacation time, sick leave, personal leave time, R.E. Mason Way Half Day, paid Jury Duty, and paid Bereavement Leave
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid company holidays
• Career Development Program
• Retirement and Financial Wellness program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Alternative/Hybrid Work Schedules

General Description

The successful candidate will be a significant contributor on our Project Execution Team. The PLC Engineer will work in the development, delivery, and commissioning of PLC-based control systems and solutions for R.E. Mason’s industrial customers.

This role works closely with Technical Leads, SCADA Engineers, and cross-functional project teams to deliver high-quality automation solutions that meet strict performance, reliability, and uptime requirements. The PLC Engineer will support both capital project execution and lifecycle services, including system upgrades, expansions, and optimization efforts.

The Automation Engineer will also provide aftermarket (“Lifecycle”) and staff augmentation support to customers. Typically, this includes maintaining and updating existing control strategies, implementing small scale expansion projects and assisting with process optimization projects.

Specific Responsibilities

• Design, configure, and troubleshoot PLC systems supporting critical infrastructure and process automation
• Develop, test, and deploy PLC logic for integrated control systems, including power, cooling, and building management subsystems
• Integrate PLC systems with SCADA platforms, historians, and third-party systems (e.g., Ignition, DeltaV, OSI PI)
• Develop system documentation including Functional Requirements Specifications (FRS) and Detailed Design Specifications (DDS)
• Support Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) and Site Acceptance Tests (SAT)
• Perform on-site commissioning, startup, and troubleshooting activities in live operational environments
• Troubleshoot control system, communication, and integration issues across PLC, HMI, and network layers
• Support lifecycle services including system modifications, upgrades, and optimization of existing control strategies
• Collaborate with SCADA, networking, hardware, and commissioning teams to ensure seamless system integration
• Travel to customer sites around the Atlanta region to support project execution and commissioning activities (~80-90%)

Required Competencies

• US Citizenship required
• Strong PLC programming and troubleshooting capability
• Experience with Allen-Bradley / Rockwell Automation PLC platforms (Studio 5000, ControlLogix, CompactLogix)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment and across cross-functional project teams
• Self-directed, self-motivated, and detail oriented
• Customer focused
• Organized and reliable; demonstrates strong time management and accountability
• Ability to troubleshoot complex systems in high-pressure, operational environments

Required Education and Experience

• BS. in CHE, EE, ME, Comp. Eng, Comp. Sci., other related disciplines
• 8-12 years of relevant experience
• MS Office Experience

Preferred Experience/Competencies

• Experience with PLC platforms from Emerson, Siemens, or other major vendors
• Experience integrating PLC systems with SCADA applications such as Ignition, FactoryTalk, Wonderware, or Iconics
• Ability to configure third-party system integrations using OPC and related interfaces
• Knowledge of industrial communication protocols (EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP and RTU, BACnet/IP)
• Understanding of data center or mission-critical infrastructure systems (EPMS, BMS, cooling systems, power distribution)
• Experience working with historian systems such as OSI PI or FactoryTalk Historian
• Familiarity with industrial networking and basic network troubleshooting
• Prior experience working in highly regulated or uptime-sensitive environments

Physical Requirements

• Standing
• Walking
• Sitting
• Kneeling
• Reaching Overhead
• Climbing
• Pushing and Pulling
• Lifting - 30 pounds
• Using a Computer
• Using a Telephone
• Driving