Principal Instrumentation and Controls (I&C) Design Engineer

About the Role

The Instrumentation and Controls (I&C) Principal Design Engineer serves as a lead representative of the engineering discipline, providing essential administrative processes, technical knowledge, and leadership. This position holds oversight of a specific project area, ensuring technical accuracy in project execution across all phases. As a lead role on assigned projects, the engineer performs assignments of advanced complexity under the general supervision of the Discipline Lead Engineer.

In this capacity, you will act as a Supervising Lead, offering guidance and supervision to other engineers and designers. The role requires analyzing and making independent recommendations regarding technical solutions to complex problems in strict accordance with project requirements. You will be responsible for developing and reviewing specifications and design criteria, performing and checking engineering analyses and calculations, and specifying materials, equipment, and systems to solve technical challenges.

Day-to-Day Impact

Your work will involve coordinating technical issues with other disciplines, project management, vendors, and clients to ensure seamless execution. You will execute work in compliance with the Project Quality Plan and procedures, adhering to approved project scope, cost, and schedule baselines. A significant portion of the role involves developing and reviewing estimates, schedules, and progress reports, including effort hour estimating and staff forecasting.

You will also establish, control, and report on material key quantities, providing necessary analysis and forecasts. The position includes providing technical support for equipment and material procurement and subcontracting activities, such as defining scopes of work, conducting technical bid evaluations, and reviewing vendor submittals. Additionally, you will support construction administration activities, including responding to construction requests-for-information and managing field changes.

Team Context

This role is critical for large industrial projects, particularly those within the U.S. Department of Energy, federal government agencies, nuclear facilities, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, or biotechnology sectors. The engineer will utilize advanced engineering analysis, 3D modeling, and 2D Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) automation tools in a multi-discipline environment. Key responsibilities include performing a broad range of I&C design activities, from control systems architecture and development to digital systems, PLC, DCS, and network configuration.

You will create instrument indices and datasheets, generate reports, and monitor design wiring and loop development activities within the Intergraph SmartPlant Instrumentation (SPI) database. The role demands the preparation of complex control systems narrative specifications, design and installation requirements, and logic diagrams. You will represent control systems in model reviews, closely monitoring 3D modeling prepared by the design group using review software, and audit specifications for DCS, PLC, and Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) hardware and software applications.