PLC & Controls Engineer – Industrial Water Treatment Systems

Location: Santa Ana, California
Job Type: Full-Time | On-Site
Travel: Approximately 10–20%

About Pure Aqua

Pure Aqua, Inc. is a global manufacturer and engineering company specializing in advanced water and wastewater treatment systems for industrial, commercial, and municipal applications worldwide.

We design and manufacture reverse osmosis (RO), seawater desalination (SWRO), ultrafiltration (UF), filtration, softening, chemical dosing, high-purity water, and custom/containerized treatment systems.

We are seeking an experienced PLC & Controls Engineer to join our engineering team in Santa Ana, California. This is a hands-on engineering position responsible for electrical controls design, PLC/HMI programming, system integration, factory testing, commissioning, and technical support for custom-engineered water treatment systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Design electrical control systems and control panels for industrial water and wastewater treatment equipment.
• Develop electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, control panel layouts, and related engineering documentation.
• Review P&IDs and translate process requirements into complete I/O lists, control narratives, sequences of operation, interlocks, permissives, alarms, and shutdown logic.
• Develop, program, test, and troubleshoot Allen-Bradley PLC systems.
• Develop and configure FactoryTalk View HMI applications and other industrial HMI platforms as required.
• Program and integrate pumps, motors, VFDs, motor starters, solenoid valves, actuated valves, instrumentation, and other field devices.
• Configure and troubleshoot process instrumentation, including pressure transmitters, flowmeters, level transmitters/switches, conductivity/TDS analyzers, pH/ORP instruments, temperature sensors, and related devices.
• Configure and troubleshoot industrial communication networks and protocols, including EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP/RTU, and PROFINET, as applicable.
• Develop PLC control logic for automatic system operation, including equipment sequencing, start/stop logic, equipment protection, alarms, fault handling, and process interlocks.
• Support control panel component selection, design review, fabrication, wiring, inspection, and testing.
• Perform PLC/HMI simulation and functional testing before equipment shipment.
• Develop and execute Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) procedures.
• Participate in equipment startup, Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), and commissioning at customer facilities when required.
• Troubleshoot electrical, instrumentation, PLC, HMI, VFD, and communication issues remotely and onsite.
• Provide technical support to Engineering, Manufacturing, Production, Service, and customers.
• Maintain accurate PLC/HMI program backups, revision records, I/O documentation, and electrical drawings.
• Assist in developing and continuously improving Pure Aqua's standard electrical designs, PLC programs, HMI templates, control philosophies, and engineering standards.
• Support the standardization of automation platforms across Pure Aqua's product lines.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, or a closely related discipline; equivalent relevant industrial controls experience may also be considered.
• Minimum 3 years of hands-on industrial electrical controls and PLC programming experience.
• Strong hands-on experience programming and troubleshooting Allen-Bradley PLCs.
• Experience developing HMI applications using FactoryTalk View or comparable industrial HMI software.
• Strong understanding of PLC programming, control logic, interlocks, alarms, permissives, and automated equipment sequencing.
• Experience with VFDs, motors, pumps, instrumentation, relays, contactors, motor starters, and industrial control panels.
• Ability to read, interpret, and develop P&IDs, electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, panel layouts, and I/O lists.
• Understanding of analog and digital signals, including 4–20 mA, 0–10 VDC, dry contacts, digital I/O, and communication-based instrumentation.
• Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaborate with mechanical, process, manufacturing, and service teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to commute reliably to Santa Ana, CA 92704.
• Willingness to travel approximately 10–20% for commissioning, startup, troubleshooting, and customer support.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in one or more of the following is highly desirable:

• Reverse osmosis (RO) systems
• Seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO)
• Ultrafiltration (UF)
• Water and wastewater treatment
• Industrial filtration systems
• Chemical dosing systems
• Pump skids and process equipment
• Containerized treatment plants
• Industrial process automation
• Allen-Bradley CompactLogix and ControlLogix
• FactoryTalk View ME/SE
• Siemens PLC/HMI platforms
• SCADA systems such as Ignition, Wonderware/AVEVA, or Siemens WinCC
• Industrial Ethernet networks
• Remote monitoring and data logging
• FAT/SAT documentation
• Equipment startup and commissioning
• UL 508A
• NFPA 79
• Industrial control panel design and manufacturing standards

What We Are Looking For

The ideal candidate is not only a PLC programmer. We are looking for an engineer who understands how electrical controls, instrumentation, PLC programming, and process equipment work together as one complete system.

The successful candidate should be comfortable taking a project from:

P&ID → I/O List → Electrical Design → PLC/HMI Programming → Panel Testing → FAT → Commissioning

Experience with water treatment is preferred, but candidates with strong controls experience in other process industries are encouraged to apply.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation based on experience
• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• Career growth within an established global water treatment company
• Exposure to a wide variety of custom industrial automation projects
• Hands-on involvement from engineering through manufacturing and commissioning
• Opportunity to work on water treatment projects serving customers worldwide

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation, Mechatronics, or a related field.

Language

English – Required

Work Location

Santa Ana, CA 92704
In person