Electrical Controls Project Manager

Title: Electrical Controls Project Manager

Location: Gary, IN

Hire Type: Direct Hire

Salary: Competitive salary based on experience

Benefits: Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits, with opportunities to lead high-impact automation and electrical projects while advancing your career in a collaborative steel manufacturing environment.

Sterling Engineering is looking for an Electrical & Controls Project Manager in Gary, IN. This opportunity is with a leading steel manufacturer focused on innovation, safety, and operational excellence. This role will lead electrical, automation, and process control capital projects from initial planning through commissioning and closeout. The ideal candidate will bring strong technical expertise in industrial controls, project management, and contractor coordination within a heavy industrial manufacturing environment.

Job Duties:

• Lead electrical, automation, and process control capital projects from feasibility through completion, ensuring alignment with project scope, budgets, schedules, and engineering standards.
• Develop project scopes, cost-benefit analyses, and capital appropriation requests for review by plant and corporate management.
• Lead cross-functional teams, including process control, IT, networking, engineering contractors, OEMs, and system integrators.
• Provide technical oversight for PLC, DCS, SCADA, HMI, motor control centers (MCCs), variable frequency drives (VFDs), and industrial instrumentation systems.
• Review and approve electrical designs, control system architectures, specifications, and drawings to ensure compliance with applicable codes and engineering standards.
• Lead automation initiatives involving AI capabilities, machine learning, predictive analytics, and process optimization.
• Manage vendor and contractor deliverables, including functional design specifications, software development, factory acceptance testing (FAT), and site acceptance testing (SAT).
• Coordinate IT/OT integration, industrial network segmentation, and cybersecurity requirements for control systems.
• Manage project risks, equipment delivery schedules, contractor performance, and stakeholder communication throughout project execution.
• Oversee commissioning, startup, acceptance testing, and operator and maintenance personnel training.
• Develop and maintain project schedules, track expenditures, manage budgets, and control scope changes.
• Establish and implement project safety plans, emphasizing electrical safety, arc flash mitigation, and lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures.
  
  

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• 7-10 years of project management experience involving industrial electrical systems, automation, and process control.
• Strong experience with PLC/DCS/SCADA systems, HMI platforms, MCCs, VFDs, and industrial instrumentation.
• Knowledge of NEC, NFPA 70E, and IEC 61511/62443 standards.
• Strong preference for candidates with heavy industrial manufacturing experience.
• Experience with AI/ML applications, predictive maintenance, or industrial process optimization is a plus.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN, Microsoft Project, or Primavera is preferred.
• NFPA 70E Arc Flash, OSHA 10/30-Hour, or PMP certifications are preferred.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma methodologies is a plus.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and project management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and coordinate cross-functional teams in a fast-paced industrial environment.
  
  

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.