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Senior Control System Engineer

Salary

$110,281.60 - $155,251.20 Annually

Location

Tacoma, WA

Job Type

Non-Classified

Remote Employment

Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number

T0410-25A

Department

Water

Opening Date

08/27/2025

Closing Date

9/29/2025 5:00 PM Pacific

+ Description

+ Benefits

+ Questions

Position Description

Tacoma Water (https://www.mytpu.org/about-tpu/services/water/about-tacoma-water/) is looking for an Industrial Automation/Control System Engineer, Senior to join the Electrical and Controls team in our Planning & Engineering Division. This position has the oversight for Tacoma Water's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system and makes decisions on daily system operations and the strategic implementation of new technology. This position must work in office three days per week for the first three months, after which time a different hybrid work schedule may be considered. While the primary work location is Tacoma Public Utilities in Tacoma, WA, this role may be required to travel to the Tacoma Water Filtration Facility located in Ravensdale, WA as needed.

The Control System Engineer, Senior designs, plans, recommends, implements, and commissions water facility’s electrical control system, data networks, telemetry control, and communication systems. This position requires high level of technical expertise to support the critical functions of the Electrical and Controls group for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), Data Historians, Virtual Machines, Database, and IT/OT Cyber Security best practices and monitoring within the control system environment of Control Centers, Production Wells, Pump Stations, Water Treatment, Water Reservoirs, Fish Facilities, Generator Control, and Hydro-Gen Control.

Primary Responsibilities:

Leadership

+ Supports the Principal Operational Technology Engineer in the Electrical Group, working closely with personnel including three Instrumentation Technicians

+ Provide training, mentorship, guidance, and support to junior personnel, and give direction and support to contractors, consultants, internal & external engineers, and technicians by possessing and displaying a high level of technical knowledge

+ This position is the technical lead for the Tacoma Water control system, SCADA Data Historians, converged virtual server infrastructure, and data transport.

Project Engineer

+ Oversee and review design work of other Operational Technology Engineers in both Planning & Engineering and the Utility Technology Services department

+ Inspect projects and related activities to assure compliance with the specifications, contracts, and applicable local, state, and federal codes

+ Perform advanced level of engineering duties in the preparation, implementation,

coordination, evaluation and analysis of engineering projects, studies, systems, and functions

+ Evaluate and coordinate maintenance, repair, installation, and design of SCADA systems

+ Assist in managing and overseeing the SCADA system Cyber Security posture and assist with coordination between Tacoma Water and the Utility Technology Services Cyber Security group.

Planner/Designer

+ Provide guidance and direction to other engineers, technicians, and electricians in installing, commissioning, maintaining, and repairing the instrumentation and control system

+ Review engineering designs, drawings, specifications, calculations, and related engineering documents

+ Develop project scopes, technical specifications, timelines, and budgets and also

research, prepare and submit all necessary federal, state, and local project documents for such projects

+ Coordinate with internal staff to develop strategic plans for the Instrumentation and Control system and with other utilities to effectively manage interagency projects and ensure contract compliance

+ Develop and implement procedures for maintenance and testing control system components to identify current trends and future needs.

Problem Solver

+ Evaluate, respond to, and investigate issues with projects, contracts, and operational control system functions

+ Research, analyze and perform advanced engineering calculations to assess electrical and control system faults, pipelines, well pump efficiencies as well as other analytical data to diagnose electrical and control system malfunctions or to improve electrical and control efficiencies

+ Act as SCADA coordinator between Electrical Instrumentation & Controls and Operations staff to optimize SCADA performance and minimize outages

Qualifications

Minimum Education*

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or directly related field.

Minimum Experience*

4 years of progressively responsible computer network, communications engineering or industrial controls experience

*Equivalency: 1 year of experience = 1 year of education

Desired Qualifications

Experience programming and configuring Siemens TIA and WinCC products

Licensing, Certifications and Other Requirements

Washington State Driver's License

Selection Process & Supplemental Information

This recruitment is being managed by Joanna Hambrick; if you would like to be notified of similar opportunities or stay connected with things going on at Tacoma Public Utilities and the City of Tacoma, connect with me on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hambrickjoanna/) !

City of Tacoma Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At the City of Tacoma, we're on a mission to make our workforce as diverse and inclusive as the community we serve. We're committed to eliminating racial and other disparities, and we actively seek out candidates from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. Join our team at the City of Tacoma and help us build a more vibrant, inclusive, and equitable community for all.

The City of Tacoma believes that diversity of thought, background, and experience contributes to our success and innovation. If you’re passionate about this role and our mission, we encourage you to apply. If you have a less traditional background, we want to hear about your transferrable skills and experience. We value a variety of perspectives and are excited to see what you bring to the table.

Apply

Interested individuals should apply online by completing the application and attaching a resume and cover letter by the closing date and time listed on the job announcement. Applications received without attaching the required materials may not progress in the selection process.

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Details:

Hourly Rate: $53.02 - $74.64

Annual Salary: $110,281.60 - $155,251.20

Employee Benefits | City of Tacoma (https://tacoma.gov/government/departments/human-resources/employee-benefits/)

Get Assistance

For assistance with the application process or questions regarding this job announcement please contact the Human Resources office at (253) 591-5400 by 4:00 p.m. of the closing date of the job announcement.

For technical difficulties using the Neogov system, call the applicant support line at 1-855-524-5627 between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. This will allow us to assist you before the job announcement closes.

Communication with the City of Tacoma

We primarily communicate via email during the application process. Emails from Tacoma.gov and/or governmentjobs.com should be placed on your safe domain list to ensure that you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk email folders.

The City of Tacoma provides excellent medical, dental and vision plans for the whole family; paid holidays and paid leave; participation in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System (alternate plan for Police/Fire); continuing education and advancement opportunities and a growing variety of City-sponsored health and wellness opportunities and incentives.

Medical Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age 26 or younger.

Dental Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age 26 or younger.

Vision Coverage: For eligible employees and their eligible dependents.

Paid Leave: City employees are entitled to received paid holidays, sick/vacation leave or personal time off (PTO), depending upon union affiliation and appointment type.

Insurance Plans: Employees are covered by a long-term disability plan. Short-term and expanded long-term disability insurance plans are also available to employees. The State Industrial Insurance Act also covers employees.

Deferred Compensation: Income can be set aside on a pretax basis and invested for supplementation of normal retirement income.

Retirement: All employees of the City, except members of the Police and Fire services, Tacoma Rail and certain project employees, are included in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System. Information on the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System can be found at www.cityoftacoma.org or by calling (253) 502-8200.

Other Employment Information

Direct Deposit: Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule by direct deposit.

Salary Increases: Based on satisfactory job performance, the City provides for a regular progression of salary increases for most classifications according to the salary schedule.

Union Affiliation: Many job classifications are covered by union security provisions which require union membership, dues, or payment of equivalent service fees.

Note: The provisions of this job announcement do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.

01

Do you have an equivalent combination to a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or directly related field and 4 years of progressively responsible computer network, communications engineering or industrial controls experience? Please note, education and experience can be substituted on a year for year basis

+ Yes

+ No

02

Please describe your experience with modern network technologies, operating systems and application software.

03

Please describe your experience with SCADA systems and PLC programming using SIEMENS or other PLC software.

04

One of the City's Principles that guides us is Equity. Describe what equity means to you and describe any experience you have working with diverse groups of people.

05

Please tell us how you learned about this job opening.

+ Job Interest Card notification

+ Professional organization

+ Military organization

+ City of Tacoma employee

+ Online job board posting

+ Word of mouth

+ LinkedIn

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+ Careers in Government

+ Government Jobs

+ Outreach Event

+ National Diversity Network

+ African American Job Network

+ Asian Job Network

+ Disability Job Network

+ Latino Job Network

+ Retirement Job Network

+ LGBT Job Network

+ Veteran Job Network

+ Other

06

Please provide specific information regarding how you learned about this job opening. Your feedback will be used to evaluate our success reaching the public and refine our methods for future job postings. Thank you.

Required Question

Employer

City of Tacoma

Address

Human Resources Department 747 Market Street Tacoma, Washington, 98402-3764

Phone

253-591-5400

Website

http://www.tacoma.gov

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