Lead Engineer - MES

5200 CA Huntington Beach
Irvine, CA 92618, USA

Wunderlich-Malec Engineering (WM) is a 100% employee-owned ESOP and one of the largest and most well-established engineering companies in the United States. When you join WM you become part of a company that is:

• 100% employee-owned with 40+ years of industry history
• A Top 5 Systems Integrator Giant
• ENR (Engineering News Record) top 500 firm

We have a Lead Engineer position available in our Irvine, CA office. This candidate will be responsible for project execution, design, prioritization and scheduling, programming, risk management, early problem identification, conflict resolution, supporting engineers, communications, and meeting leadership, account/client management.

Provide project engineering support to customers and to WM colleagues across all aspects of project delivery. The Lead Engineer – MES is responsible for technical leadership, design, and execution of advanced Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and industrial automation solutions. This role specializes in Ignition, Sepasoft, and AVEVA Platforms, delivering integrated, scalable solutions across plant-floor and enterprise systems.

The position combines deep MES expertise, PLC-based control systems, batch implementation, and database architecture, enabling digital transformation across manufacturing operations, including production, quality, inventory, and enterprise integration systems.

Responsible for project execution, design, prioritization and scheduling, programming, risk management, including early problem identification and conflict resolution, supporting engineers, communications, and meeting leadership, account/client management. Work will include project(s) ranging in size up to $5M. This position is responsible for ensuring the project's overall profitability.

• Technical Leadership & Architecture
  • Lead design and implementation of MES and SCADA platforms, including Ignition (Perspective, Vision, Gateway, Edge), Sepasoft MES Suite, AVEVA System Platform, and AVEVA MES
  • Define system architecture, such as Multi-site MES deployments, SCADA-to-MES-to-ERP integration layers, and Redundant and high-availability systems
  • Establish standards, reusable templates, and best practices for MES and SCADA development
  • Provide hands‑on technical leadership in system configuration, scripting, and debugging
• MES & Manufacturing Systems Expertise
  • Design and deploy MES solutions leveraging Sepasoft MES modules, AVEVA MES capabilities
  • Develop applications for Inventory management, Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), LIMS integration, and electronic work instructions
  • Ensure alignment with ISA-95 and ISA-88 standards
• Batch & Process Automation
  • Lead implementation of batch control systems, including ISA-88 compliant batch architectures, Recipe management, and phase logic development
  • Integrate batch execution with MES for genealogy, traceability, and reporting
• PLC & Controls Integration
  • Design and develop control strategies using Rockwell Automation PLCs, perform PLC programming, and HMI/SCADA integration, Tag structure and naming standards definition, and I/O and control narrative development
  • Integrate PLC systems with MES and SCADA platforms for real‑time data acquisition and control

A BS degree in engineering or a related discipline. Inductive Automation Gold certification preferred.

• 10+ years of experience in project management-related experience in process-related controls industries, implementing successful automation solutions involving PLC, DCS, HMI, and SCADA platforms
• Strong leadership and client relationship skills required
• Experience in one or more of the following industries:
  Life Sciences, Specialty Chemicals, Food and Beverage, Water and Wastewater
• Experience with Factory Talk Batch / Plant
  
  PAx v5.20, Hybrid or cloud architectures (AWS, Azure)
• Experience with Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC), Life Science Computerized System Validation, and cGMP compliance is preferred
• Experience in managing the design of electrical schematics, including power distribution under 480
  
  VAC, control panels; associated NEC experience desired
• Experience leading local and…