Instrumentation and Controls Engineer - Network Communications

Overview

MPR Associates, Inc. (MPR), a thriving multi-discipline, specialty engineering services and consulting firm, is actively seeking a capable and motivated Instrumentation and Controls (I&C) Engineer - Network Communications to join our team. If you are seeking a unique, challenging, and rewarding career opportunity, MPR may be the right company for you.

Founded in 1964, MPR has a wide and growing client base in the fields of power and energy, federal services, and health and life sciences. We work throughout the United States as well as internationally. Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, we also have offices in East Lyme, Connecticut, Burlington, Massachusetts, and Salt Lake City, Utah. MPR makes challenging projects successful, delivering safe and reliable technical solutions across the entire project or product life‑cycle to benefit our clients and society as a whole.

We hire the best and brightest, which results in a high‑performance culture built on trust and respect, making MPR an exceptional place to work.

The Instrumentation and Controls (I&C) Engineer - Network Communications will have technical, project management, regulatory, business, and client interface responsibilities. This position will provide strategic guidance and technical leadership to our U.S. and international clients. In addition, this individual will work closely with the MPR leadership team to develop market and client strategies and align MPR's growth, skills, and tools development with future industry needs.

This is a full‑time, exempt position based out of MPR's Virginia or Connecticut office.

• Provide technical experience and leadership in control system engineering, focusing on the design, implementation, programming/ configuration, commissioning, testing, and troubleshooting of Industrial Control Systems (ICS) with an emphasis on networked communication architectures.
• Design, configure, and maintain robust industrial network systems, including Ethernet/IP, Modbus, Profibus, OPC UA, and other communication protocols. Ensure reliable and secure communication between devices, systems, and networks.
• Lead efforts to meet regulatory and cybersecurity requirements, such as NERC CIP and ISA/IEC 62443, for networked controls systems and associated devices.
• Support the integration of digital devices into I&C systems, including protective relays, sensors, and actuators with network communication capabilities.
• Develop high‑quality engineering deliverables, such as communication network diagrams, system architecture designs, cybersecurity risk assessments, and feasibility studies for networked control upgrades.
• Work with multi‑disciplinary teams to design and implement network‑centric control system solutions for power generation, healthcare, and other industrial applications.
• Provide analysis and modeling capabilities for networked I&C systems, including developing and refining simulator algorithms to test communication integrity.
• Collaborate with clients to understand challenges related to network communication in control systems, develop technical proposals, and present innovative solutions to address their needs effectively.
• Assist in identifying opportunities for advanced network communication services, partnerships, and technologies that align with client needs and company growth strategies.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to team members on best practices for network communication technologies and system implementation.
• Identify, analyze, and resolve system design weaknesses, particularly related to communication system performance and reliability.

• 4‑year technical degree is required.
• Advanced degree is a plus.

• At least 5 years of directly related I&C experience working in a project/systems engineering role, including demonstrated experience with the following:
  Industrial Control Systems such as Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and/or Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) systems and control system devices, computers, communications, and networks.
• Experience designing, configuring, and operating communication systems and instrumentation and…