Being an effective process control and automation engineer requires a balanced combination of technical expertise, interpersonal skills and commitment to continuous learning

“Going forward, control and automation engineers won’t simply be programmers or system integrators. They’ll be multidisciplinary professionals, who combine expertise in controls, networking, cybersecurity, data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to effectively meet client needs,” says Keith Mandachit, control systems integration team leader at HDR Inc., an engineering, architecture and environmental consultant in Omaha, Neb.

More specifically, Mandachit reports that:

• Technical expertise is foundational, including familiarity with industry terms and a strong understanding of PLCs, SCADA/HMI, Instrumentation and core process control principles. Engineers must possess effective networking and troubleshooting skills, while maintaining cybersecurity awareness.
• Strong interpersonal skills are equally important. It’s essential to develop the ability to build relationships and collaborate across diverse groups, including operators, maintenance, IT, management and vendors. Due to diverse roles in the process industries, clear communications, business awareness, and adapting to varying priorities and perspectives affect success.
• Curiosity and willingness to learn are common to all high-performing engineers. As technologies changes, so do clients’ needs. Staying current and continuously developing new skills is critical to delivering effective solutions.

“At the forefront of everything is having a client-focused and solutions driven mindset,” says Mandachit. “Much like a coach putting a team together and considering each player’s strengths, the work of a control and automation engineer is like a puzzle. We work to make all the pieces fit together. Our goal involves integrating equipment, software and people to meet clients’ needs and deliver reliable, efficient outcomes.”

Responsibilities and required skills evolve

At the start of his process control career, Mandachit reports there was a strong emphasis on proficiency in PLC programming, HMI development, understanding instrumentation, and supporting startup and commissioning. These basic skills were expected of every process control and automation engineer. While these capabilities remain necessary and important, emerging technologies have added new requirements, including understanding operations technology (OT) cybersecurity, industrial networking, data management and analytics, and AI.

“With the growing push to store and access data storage in the cloud, and the level of information needed for tools like AI to work effectively for tasks like predictive maintenance, control and automation engineers needs to understand the value and how to apply these tools,” explains Mandachit. “They’re expected to help guide clients in using these tools, not only to meet operational needs, but also to improve efficiency and save time and effort. As a result, the way data is used today requires broader knowledge and more advanced skills. The control engineer’s role has grown and evolved with these changes, and will likely continue to at a rapid pace.”

Primary skills sources

While there are many different sources and places to gain process control and automation skills, and they can be acquired at different levels and combinations, Mandachit reports the main venues include:

• Colleges and universities provide a strong foundation with engineering fundamentals, control theory, and math and science courses. However, they often lack real-world, hands-on experience, particularly in commissioning, system implementation and industrial networking, and exposing aspiring engineers to onsite conditions and practical challenges.
• Employers play a critical role by building on education, and providing opportunities to work in operations environments. These experiences include exposure to troubleshooting, project delivery, client interactions, field commissioning, and responding to unexpected shutdowns or emergency situations. In addition, they often provide mentorships, where young engineers can learn from veteran colleagues, and share knowledge and lessons learned with peers.

Get your subscription to Control's tri-weekly newsletter.

• Professional associations such as the International Society of Automation, where Mandachit serves as  Omaha section president, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), American Water Works Association (AWWA), Water Environment Federation (WEF), Control Systems Integrators Association (CSIA), and International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) and others provide valuable opportunities for continuing education, networking, access to best practices, certifications and publishing. 
• Suppliers and vendors contribute by offering training on equipment, software and other tools at lunch-and-learns and training labs. Likewise, HDR has developed its own internal training lab to support the developing control engineers, using materials and hardware provided by suppliers to create hands-on learning opportunities.

“Opportunities where individuals can gain field experience and exposure to actual scenarios are valuable for developing control engineers. Community colleges also offer classes in this discipline, and may provide access to hands-on training labs, giving students practical experience,” says Mandachit. “There are also vast online resources available in the process industries, including learning labs and training environments offered by vendors and professional associations. In addition, some vendors offer in-person training centers, where individuals can see what equipment looks like and better understand how it operates. A combination of field experience and online or classroom-based resources is an ideal approach for developing and training today’s process control and automation engineers.”

Freedom to fail—and learn for the future

One way to encourage growth in junior engineering staff is to offer opportunities to solve problems on their own.

“Stepping in too quickly to fix issues for them can take away valuable learning experiences, particularly the ability to think critically, brainstorm solutions and troubleshoot,” says Mandachit. “Instead, it’s important to guide them in the right direction and always show a willingness to answer any questions. Giving your client a head’s up that junior staff are being developed also creates space for growth and gives clients confidence in the team’s long-term depth and capability.”

Mandachit reports that establishing organized processes for junior staff to follow, as well as getting them into the field early in their careers, offers significant benefits.

“Visual exposure to systems they work with can aid their understanding, and allow the learning process to happen at an accelerated pace,” explains Mandachit. “In addition, providing engineering internships to college students before they enter the workforce can help develop both a passion for this industry and a clearer understanding of the career paths ahead.”

Mandachit adds that users and their facilities are no longer using control systems solely to automate processes. Instead, they use operations data to improve efficiency, reduce downtime, optimize performance, support regulatory compliance, and drive business decisions. As a result, engineers will increasingly be expected to understand how plant data flows from sensors and PLCs, through SCADA systems and into historians, analytics platforms, dashboards, and AI-driven applications.

“The ability to transform raw operational data into actionable information will become just as important as developing the control logic that generates that data,” says Mandachit. “Future professionals will need to understand how to effectively use AI-enabled tools, validate AI-generated output, and apply sound engineering judgement to ensure safe, reliable and practical implementation.”