Manager Controls Engineering

The posting, as MetOx International, Inc. wrote it

Empower Your Future: At MetOx International, we’re pioneering the next era of energy security and abundance through breakthrough superconducting technology. As a Manager of Controls Engineering, you’ll join a dynamic team committed to strengthening the world’s energy systems to make them more resilient, efficient, and reliable.

Based at our global headquarters in Houston, TX, the Manager of Controls Engineering leads the team responsible for the architecture, development, implementation, and continuous improvement of industrial automation and control systems across MetOx's HTS wire manufacturing operations, including MOCVD deposition, buffer-layer coating, lamination, and related vacuum process equipment. This position owns controls engineering strategy for new capital equipment integration, including imported tools such as MGO buffer coating systems, while directing the team's day-to-day sustaining engineering, troubleshooting, and reliability improvement work. The Manager of Controls Engineering owns and enforces MetOx's Instrumentation, Electrical, and Control Systems engineering standard, represents Controls Engineering in capital planning and vendor negotiations, and builds team capability through coaching, hiring, and development planning, ensuring MetOx's automation infrastructure scales reliably alongside production ramp. This is a hands-on technical leadership role that combines active involvement in designing, programming, commissioning, and troubleshooting control systems with leading and developing the team.

Key Responsibilities

Controls Engineering & Automation Strategy

• Owns the controls engineering architecture strategy across MetOx's manufacturing equipment fleet, including PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, industrial networks, and associated automation technologies.
• Personally designs, programs, and reviews PLC and HMI/SCADA code for the most technically complex systems, setting the technical bar through hands-on contribution rather than oversight alone.
• Owns, maintains, and enforces MetOx's Instrumentation, Electrical, and Control Systems engineering standard (ITC-EQS-001), ensuring internal teams, OEM vendors, and system integrators design and commission equipment in compliance with MetOx's approved architecture, components, and documentation requirements.
• Enforces MetOx's standardized control system architecture, including Allen-Bradley ControlLogix/CompactLogix PLCs programmed in Studio 5000 Logix Designer, Inductive Automation Ignition for HMI/SCADA, and EtherNet/IP as the primary communication protocol across new equipment, while maintaining support for existing Siemens and Beckhoff platforms already deployed in the fleet.
• Ensures all equipment incorporates independent, hard-wired safety systems separate from the process control PLC, including properly designed Emergency Shutdown (ESD) circuits, in compliance with MetOx's safety architecture standards.
• Serves as the final escalation and decision-making aut

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alarm management standards (ISA-101, ISA-18.2) to ensure operator interfaces meet MetOx's human-factors and situational-awareness requirements.

• Understanding of industrial control panel standards (UL-508A) sufficient to review and approve vendor panel designs.
• Demonstrated ability to set technical direction and engineering standards across a team, balancing hands-on technical leadership with people management responsibilities.
• Strong leadership and coaching skills, with the ability to assess team strengths and development needs, improve individual performance, and build high-performing teams.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to represent Controls Engineering credibly to cross-functional stakeholders, vendors, and executive leadership.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and project leadership skills, with the ability to manage multiple complex technical initiatives and capital projects simultaneously.
• High degree of ownership, sound judgment under ambiguity, and resilience under production pressure.

Physical Demands : This position requires sitting at a desk and viewing a computer screen for extended periods, as well as time on the manufacturing floor around industrial and electrical equipment. Some lifting up to 20 lbs. and the ability to move around a clean, climate-controlled manufacturing environment are required. May be required to respond to critical equipment issues outside standard business hours.

MetOx is proud to offer competitive benefits including

• Health, dental, and vision available on the first day of the month following your start date
• 401(k) match
• Paid parental leave & adoption assistance
• Educational reimbursement
• And more!

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.