NR Consulting
Title: Senior Control System Engineer
Location: Houston, TX
Duration: Fulltime Role
The Senior Control System Engineer is accountable for the performance, integrity, and continuous improvement of EDR's mission-critical control systems. This role ensures alignment with both Company and customer safety, reliability, and operational standards. As a technical leader, the Senior Control System Engineer oversees and supports globally and regionally deployed initiatives involving control system upgrades, modifications, procurement, troubleshooting, assembly, and testing, including both legacy and next-generation systems integrated into offshore operations. This position works closely with the Control System Manager, Control System Engineering Team, and Technical & Reliability Team to drive strategic development and ensure control system compliance and optimization. A key focus of the role is enabling efficient, high-reliability offshore operations while proactively reducing Non-Productive Time (NPT) through innovation, system standardization, and robust engineering practices.
Responsibilities
Lead PLC Software Development: Own the end-to-end development of PLC software for new control system projects, ensuring high performance, scalability, and adherence to industry and company standards. Maintain and Enhance Existing PLC Systems: Diagnose and resolve software issues through structured debugging and patching. Implement performance improvements and version control practices to support long-term system stability. Operational Support & Troubleshooting: Serve as a senior technical resource for real-time operational support, providing remote and onsite troubleshooting for control system faults and performance issues to minimize downtime. HMI Design and Upgrades: Develop and implement new HMI solutions or enhance existing ones to improve system usability, functionality, and operator efficiency. Testing and Commissioning Leadership: Plan, lead, and execute testing and commissioning of new PLC systems, ensuring compliance with functional specifications and readiness for deployment. Offshore Coordination and Deployment: Collaborate closely with offshore crews to schedule and execute software updates and control system installations, providing technical guidance and ensuring minimal disruption to operations. Technical Documentation Management: Develop, maintain, and update control system documentation, including tag lists, I/O lists, functional design specifications, and change logs to support traceability and engineering integrity. Participation in Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Studies: Contribute technical expertise during FEED phases of projects, including evaluating control system requirements and identifying integration opportunities or risks. Simulator Requirements Development: Define and update simulation parameters and requirements to support operator training and system validation initiatives. On-Call Technical Support: Participate in the on-duty support rotation, providing expert guidance during after-hours incidents or operational emergencies to ensure continuous system availability.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Science in Instrumentation, Automation, Electrical Engineering, Cybernetics, or a related engineering discipline Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience working with Siemens PCS 7 control systems, preferably in offshore, marine, or industrial environments Extensive knowledge and practical experience with Siemens SIMATIC S7-400 PLCs, including configuration, programming, and troubleshooting Proficient in the use of Siemens WinCC for SCADA and HMI development and deployment Experience with Siemens TIA Portal, including integration and migration strategies Solid understanding of industrial networks and communication protocols Working knowledge of SQL databases for data logging, retrieval, and integration with control systems Experience scripting in VBS, ANSI-C, or VBA for WinCC is considered a strong advantage General understanding of the drilling process, subsea equipment, and associated control system interfaces is preferred
The Senior Control System Engineer is accountable for the performance, integrity, and continuous improvement of EDR's mission-critical control systems. This role ensures alignment with both Company and customer safety, reliability, and operational standards. As a technical leader, the Senior Control System Engineer oversees and supports globally and regionally deployed initiatives involving control system upgrades, modifications, procurement, troubleshooting, assembly, and testing, including both legacy and next-generation systems integrated into offshore operations. This position works closely with the Control System Manager, Control System Engineering Team, and Technical & Reliability Team to drive strategic development and ensure control system compliance and optimization. A key focus of the role is enabling efficient, high-reliability offshore operations while proactively reducing Non-Productive Time (NPT) through innovation, system standardization, and robust engineering practices.
Responsibilities
Lead PLC Software Development: Own the end-to-end development of PLC software for new control system projects, ensuring high performance, scalability, and adherence to industry and company standards. Maintain and Enhance Existing PLC Systems: Diagnose and resolve software issues through structured debugging and patching. Implement performance improvements and version control practices to support long-term system stability. Operational Support & Troubleshooting: Serve as a senior technical resource for real-time operational support, providing remote and onsite troubleshooting for control system faults and performance issues to minimize downtime. HMI Design and Upgrades: Develop and implement new HMI solutions or enhance existing ones to improve system usability, functionality, and operator efficiency. Testing and Commissioning Leadership: Plan, lead, and execute testing and commissioning of new PLC systems, ensuring compliance with functional specifications and readiness for deployment. Offshore Coordination and Deployment: Collaborate closely with offshore crews to schedule and execute software updates and control system installations, providing technical guidance and ensuring minimal disruption to operations. Technical Documentation Management: Develop, maintain, and update control system documentation, including tag lists, I/O lists, functional design specifications, and change logs to support traceability and engineering integrity. Participation in Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Studies: Contribute technical expertise during FEED phases of projects, including evaluating control system requirements and identifying integration opportunities or risks. Simulator Requirements Development: Define and update simulation parameters and requirements to support operator training and system validation initiatives. On-Call Technical Support: Participate in the on-duty support rotation, providing expert guidance during after-hours incidents or operational emergencies to ensure continuous system availability.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Science in Instrumentation, Automation, Electrical Engineering, Cybernetics, or a related engineering discipline Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience working with Siemens PCS 7 control systems, preferably in offshore, marine, or industrial environments Extensive knowledge and practical experience with Siemens SIMATIC S7-400 PLCs, including configuration, programming, and troubleshooting Proficient in the use of Siemens WinCC for SCADA and HMI development and deployment Experience with Siemens TIA Portal, including integration and migration strategies Solid understanding of industrial networks and communication protocols Working knowledge of SQL databases for data logging, retrieval, and integration with control systems Experience scripting in VBS, ANSI-C, or VBA for WinCC is considered a strong advantage General understanding of the drilling process, subsea equipment, and associated control system interfaces is preferred