Demo

Controls Engineer - Electrical & Instrumentation

Gerdau North America
Petersburg, VA Full Time
POSTED ON 4/18/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 5/25/2026
Controls Engineer - Electrical & Instrumentation - Level I

Are you ready to seize an exhilarating, hands-on opportunity to leave your mark on a variety of automation projects involving software, hardware, and process improvements in a dynamic manufacturing environment? Join Gerdau, the first North American steel company to achieve B Corp Certification, and contribute to producing steel bars with the lowest embodied carbon in the U.S. Elevate your career with Gerdau, where your curiosity, imagination, and expertise will drive our ongoing transformation into the future.

Great earning potential plus an annual bonus.

We Have

  • A strong global presence with mills that transform millions of metric tons of raw material to produce steel beams, flat-rolled steel, merchant bar, rebar, spikes, and wire used by the auto industry, appliance, construction, machinery, and equipment industries.
  • A culture that welcomes diversity, encourages innovation, and creates products that serve humanity.
  • An environment that values teamwork, safety, and sustainability.
  • A commitment to continuous improvement and the belief that we can create a better future for our employees and our global community by investing in people, processes, and technology.
  • A Career Path System and Training.

We Offer

  • Comprehensive Medical, Prescription, Dental, Vision Plans – Eligible upon 1st day of hire
  • Health & Dependent Care (Flexible Spending Account)
  • 100% Matching 401K up to 6%
  • Life/Accidental Life Insurance
  • Short Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Annual Bonus
  • Health Advocate Services
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Tuition Reimbursement Program
  • Career Path System and Training

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Mechatronics or Electrical Engineering with 5 years manufacturing experience programming PLC's.
  • Strong knowledge of AC/DC controls and motors and drives.
  • Ability to oversee electrical projects equipment, systems, etc. including elements of design, implementation, maintenance, and operational and safety standards.
  • Prior experience with programming PLCs and developing ladder logic on Rockwell and Siemens S7-1516.
  • Solid understanding of PLC communication protocols (Profibus and Profinet preferred).
  • Ability to troubleshoot equipment problems resulting from automation, communication, or HMI issues and implement strong corrective measures.
  • Must be comfortable using MS Office, data acquisition software (IBA/PDA preferred).
  • Must be willing to work in both an office setting and hands on in the field.
  • Must be able to translate operator requests into actionable automation items.
  • Detailed oriented, creative thinker,
  • Ability to troubleshoot equipment problems and perform complex system tests.
  • Ability to communicate well with operators, maintenance, and members of the leadership team.

Your Purpose

You will be responsible for rolling mill automation, training, troubleshooting major failures, software back-up, research, development, improvement and testing of electrical/electronic components, equipment, and systems. The position works closely with production and maintenance personnel, as well as management to ensure continuous operation and continuous improvement of equipment, and processes. The position reports to the Maintenance General Foreman.

Your Work

  • Modify PLCs to help support the operations process, with PLC experience on one or more of the following:
    • GE innovation series controllers
    • Toshiba NV controllers
    • RX3i controllers
    • GE Genius Block I/O networks
    • Siemens S7/TIA
    • Allen Bradley PLC
  • Modify HMI to help support the operations process, with HMI programming experience on one or more of the following:
    • GE Cimplicity
    • Ignition
    • WIN CC
    • Rockwell Automation
  • Electrical and network experience on one or more of the following:
    • IBA Analytical tools
    • Computer networking
    • Cisco switching/router configuration
    • ABB LV and MV drives
  • Principal Accountabilities:
    • Lead initiatives to improve HMI based on operational needs
    • Lead initiatives to improve automation stability
    • Lead action plan items to help eliminate delays due to automation and automated processes
    • Be engaged in the process to find and address opportunities for increased throughput, improved instrumentation, improved reliability of existing instrumentation, and improved system response to instrument feedback.
    • Continue to improve the alarm reporting and functionality for the operator and maintenance.
    • Collect, analyze, and report asset performance and work with teams to implement methods to improve performance and sustain existing efficiencies.
    • Develop solutions and provide recommendations for major equipment modifications, renovations, installations, additions, and replacements to facilitate continuous improvement.
    • Support planning and scheduling standard processes to effectively execute all down-days and outages.
    • Participate in Failure Analysis on maintenance and operational issues.
    • Assist with Annual Action Planning process.
Keywords: BSEE, Electrical Engineer, Automation Engineer, Controls Engineer, Process Engineer, automation, programming, control systems, PLC, HMI, SCADA, hydraulics, pneumatics, AC/CD, drives, motors, steel, metals, manufacturing

Gerdau believes in equal employment opportunity related to all employees and applicants for employment. It is the policy of Gerdau that there will be no discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

If you are vision-impaired or have some other disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act / Accessible Canada Act or a similar law, and you wish to discuss potential accommodations related to applying for employment at Gerdau, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team at (866)-788-2798 or recruiting@gerdau.com

Salary.com Estimation for Controls Engineer - Electrical & Instrumentation in Petersburg, VA
$122,502 to $149,428
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Controls Engineer - Electrical & Instrumentation?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Controls Engineer - Electrical & Instrumentation career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$120,579 - $154,482
Income Estimation: 
$143,102 - $186,922
Income Estimation: 
$120,579 - $154,482
Income Estimation: 
$143,102 - $186,922
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Gerdau North America

  • Gerdau North America Duluth, MN
  • At Gerdau, we empower our people to grow, thrive, and make a difference—together. With a culture built on trust and teamwork, we offer meaningful work, con... more
  • 1 Day Ago

  • Gerdau North America Petersburg, VA
  • Full-Time | Day Shift| Relocation Assistance within U.S. We’re hiring a Electrical Maintenance Supervisor to lead maintenance operations in a fast‑paced, h... more
  • 1 Day Ago

  • Gerdau North America Petersburg, VA
  • Be the force that turns good operations into great ones! As a Process Improvement Engineer, you’ll be the catalyst driving safer, smarter, and more efficie... more
  • 2 Days Ago

  • Gerdau North America Cartersville, GA
  • Starting pay $70,000 / year - (includes $24.64 hourly rate plus, weekly production bonus, shift & Sunday premiums, and scheduled annual overtime) We Have A... more
  • 2 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Controls Engineer - Electrical & Instrumentation jobs in the Petersburg, VA area that may be a better fit.

  • Gerdau Petersburg, VA
  • Controls Engineer - Electrical & Instrumentation - Level I Are you ready to seize an exhilarating, hands-on opportunity to leave your mark on a variety of ... more
  • 22 Days Ago

  • Qualdoc Petersburg, VA
  • Job Title: Industrial Automation Engineer (Controls & Electrical Systems) Location: Petersburg, VA Job Type: Contract-to-Hire Salary: $70,000 - $105,000 Po... more
  • 4 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!