Electrical Controls & Project Engineer

Collins
Collins

Other Engineering

Chester, CA, USA

Posted on Aug 14, 2026

Founded in 1855, Collins is family-owned and produces softwood and hardwood products at their facilities in Chester, California, Lakeview, Oregon and Kane, Pennsylvania. In Chester, Collins also has the Builders Supply retail hardware and building materials store. Collins is highly respected for their sustainable forest management, practiced across their 370,000 acres of FSC®-certified lands in California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.

Position Summary:

This position is responsible for electrical systems and control design, configuration, integration, and implementation for our wood products manufacturing facilities. In addition, this person will assist with capital projects, facility maintenance/troubleshooting and shutdown activities to ensure plant safety with minimal impact to production.

Duties/Responsibilities:

  • Ensure compliance with all standards and programs (safety, environmental, quality, maintenance, and manufacturing policies and procedures) within area of responsibility.
  • Designs, develops, installs, troubleshoots, and oversees electrical or mechanical control systems, equipment, and machinery.
  • Examine plant processes and designs to implement changes that improve and increase efficiency/productivity.
  • Provides technical support of programmable logical controller-based hardware and software while utilizing electronic and mechanical theories and principles to troubleshoot and solve problems.
  • Assist with planning and budgeting for project, maintenance, replacement, and shutdown activities.
  • Provide maintenance and operations support, capital project implementation and other continuous improvement projects to include:
    • Creating an electrical and process control plan
    • Provide electrical budgets.
    • Collaborate with in-house & outside contractor personnel as needed.
    • Create and/or maintain electrical and process related drawings
  • Provide process engineering support to include:
    • develop a broad familiarity of the process and unit operations, including all process control systems configuration.
    • Process troubleshooting, optimization, and yield improvement for various projects.
    • Provide backup support to other process control and electrical personnel.
    • Configure and support process control system interfaces to other computer systems.
  • Provide ongoing informal and formal training for electrical crew to ensure development of operating and maintenance practices and processes.
  • Work closely with electrical departments to maintain all documentation related to electrical and process control system configuration including SOPs. Embrace and continue to improve electrical/process control standards.
  • Participate in the development of new process designs and existing process controls software and hardware.
  • Seamlessly combine newer technologies and extensions of current architecture. Plan and coordinate technical design and engineering implementation of project work.
  • Ability to do full controls integration, from electrical/instrumentation design, PLC and HMI.
  • Coach the maintenance teams to think strategically about downtime prevention and long-term resolution of issues.
  • Maintain a culture of efficiency and the ability to react quickly to downtime events.
  • Work with operational teams to support and/or lead continuous improvement of assets and asset performance.
  • Coordinate and communicate activities with plant operations departments for capital projects, maintenance and repair work on the plant site.

Required Skills and Abilities:

  • Knowledge of continuous improvement principles preferred.
  • Thorough knowledge of plant equipment and processes and the ability to troubleshoot potential issues.
  • Self-motivated, energetic, and proactive with the ability to multi-task in an organized manner.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to lead or work as part of a team.
  • Travel is required to other Collins’ facilities, work weekends, holidays and respond to call-outs based on business needs.
  • Proficient using personal computers and associated software (Excel, Word, Power Point, Project, SQL, Access, CMMS, AutoCAD, Rockwell Software).
  • Versed in discrete and analog control scheme development and implementation.
  • Full understanding of pressure, flow, level, temperature measurements, and calibration techniques.
  • Hands-on experience with steam, hydraulic, and pneumatics systems.

Education and Experience:

  • Oregon electrical supervisors license or Oregon Electrical P.E. required.
  • A minimum of 3 years’ experience in a manufacturing plant or similar position is required.
  • Experience with 480V systems required, and experience with up to 13.8kV preferred.
  • Previous supervisory or lead experience is preferred.
  • Strong leadership and mentoring skills as well as excellent communication skills.
  • Experience with continuous manufacturing processes.
  • Working experience with Allen-Bradley & Direct Logic PLC’s, Wonderware HMI, FactoryTalk or equivalent required.
  • Experienced in Ethernet network design and implementation, including fiber and 10/100/1000BaseTX required.

Travel required as needed to various locations. This position must be located in Chester, CA, Lakeview, OR or reside within 75 miles.

Salary DOE $120,000-$135,000