Instrumentation and Controls Engineer I
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Job Type: Full-Time, Permanent
About CenTrio
CenTrio is a growing sustainable energy company providing reliable, efficient district energy solutions to communities across the United States. Our systems provide essential heating and cooling services to universities, healthcare facilities, cities, and other large-scale customers.
Our Baton Rouge team operates complex energy systems that produce and distribute steam, hot water, and chilled water. We're looking for an Instrumentation and Controls Engineer I who is excited to work hands-on with industrial automation, process controls, instrumentation, and plant systems while building their engineering experience in a highly technical environment.
About the Role
The Instrumentation and Controls Engineer I will support the reliability, maintenance, troubleshooting, and improvement of instrumentation and control systems supporting our Baton Rouge operations.
This is a hands-on engineering role with exposure to PLCs, DCS, HMIs, SCADA, instrumentation, industrial networks, process control, and automation systems. You'll work closely with operations, maintenance, engineering, contractors, and vendors to troubleshoot issues, improve system performance, and support control system projects from design through commissioning and ongoing operation.
This is a great opportunity for an engineer who enjoys solving problems, getting into the details of how systems work, and seeing the direct impact of their work in an operating industrial environment.
What You'll Do
- Provide instrumentation and controls support to plant operations and maintenance teams.
- Troubleshoot and diagnose issues involving instrumentation, PLCs, DCS, HMIs, SCADA systems, communications networks, and process equipment.
- Develop, modify, test, and document PLC and DCS control logic in accordance with established change management procedures.
- Support the design, implementation, commissioning, startup, and optimization of process control systems.
- Assist with control loop tuning, PID optimization, and process performance improvements.
- Specify and evaluate instrumentation, control devices, and related equipment for process measurement and control applications.
- Read and interpret P&IDs, PFDs, loop diagrams, electrical schematics, control narratives, panel drawings, and network architecture drawings.
- Support the integration of instrumentation, electrical systems, PLCs, DCS platforms, SCADA systems, historians, and industrial communication networks.
- Perform inspection, calibration, testing, adjustment, and troubleshooting of electronic, pneumatic, hydraulic, and electromechanical instrumentation.
- Troubleshoot and verify measurement devices including flow, pressure, temperature, level, analytical instruments, control valves, and VFDs.
- Use test equipment such as multimeters, process calibrators, signal generators, power analyzers, and communication diagnostic tools.
- Support industrial communications and networking systems, including Ethernet and fiber optic networks.
- Assist with preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance activities for instrumentation and control equipment.
- Work with operations and maintenance personnel to troubleshoot process issues and improve system reliability.
- Develop and maintain technical documentation, procedures, standards, and maintenance information.
- Use plant historians, trending tools, and other data systems to analyze process performance and support operational decisions.
- Participate in system startups, shutdowns, commissioning, and troubleshooting activities.
- Provide technical support and guidance to operators and maintenance personnel.
- Collaborate with engineering teams, contractors, consultants, and vendors on instrumentation and controls projects.
- Maintain current knowledge of instrumentation, automation, process control technologies, and applicable industry standards.
- Follow company safety policies, Management of Change (MOC) procedures, cybersecurity requirements, and other applicable standards.
What We're Looking For
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline from an accredited institution.
- Working knowledge of industrial automation and control systems, including PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, and/or DCS.
- Understanding of process control fundamentals, including PID control and control loop tuning.
- Familiarity with instrumentation used to measure and control flow, pressure, temperature, level, and other process variables.
- Ability to troubleshoot instrumentation, control systems, electrical systems, and industrial communication networks.
- Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, electrical schematics, loop diagrams, control narratives, and related technical documentation.
- Familiarity with PLC or DCS programming, troubleshooting, testing, or control logic development.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively with operations, maintenance, engineering, contractors, and plant leadership.
- Self-motivated and able to manage multiple priorities with minimal supervision.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
- Commitment to safety, teamwork, operational excellence, and continuous improvement.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience supporting industrial automation, process control, instrumentation, or manufacturing systems.
- Experience with Allen-Bradley PLCs, Emerson DeltaV, Johnson Controls Metasys, or similar platforms.
- Experience with PLC programming languages such as ladder logic, function block diagrams, sequential function charts, or structured text.
- Familiarity with industrial communication protocols such as EtherNet/IP (CIP), Modbus RTU, Modbus TCP/IP, OPC UA, or serial communications.
- Experience with fiber optic communications, Ethernet networking, or industrial network infrastructure.
- Experience with process historians, trending tools, reporting systems, or operational data analytics.
- Experience supporting commissioning, startup, or field troubleshooting of industrial control systems.
- Familiarity with preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance practices.
- Experience working in an industrial plant, utility, energy, manufacturing, or similar environment.
Safety & Work Environment
Safety is a core part of how we operate. Every employee is responsible for helping maintain a safe workplace and identifying and reporting potential hazards.
This position works in an operating industrial environment and may involve:
- Working indoors and outdoors in varying weather conditions.
- Climbing ladders and working at heights.
- Working in areas that may be noisy, dusty, or otherwise industrial in nature.
- Entering confined spaces when required and properly authorized.
- Working around operating mechanical, electrical, and process equipment.
- Supporting plant operations during occasional weekends, holidays, severe weather events, emergencies, or system outages when business needs require.
Why Join CenTrio?
At CenTrio, you'll have the opportunity to work on real-world industrial systems that keep critical facilities operating while developing your expertise in instrumentation, automation, and process control.
You'll work alongside experienced operations, maintenance, and engineering professionals and gain exposure to a wide range of technologies and projectsfrom PLC and DCS programming to instrumentation, process optimization, commissioning, and industrial communications.
If you're a curious, hands-on engineer who enjoys troubleshooting complex systems and wants the opportunity to grow your controls and automation expertise, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today to join the CenTrio team in Baton Rouge!
