Controls Engineer - Systems Integration at LAPORTE L.C.C. (West Chester, PA)

LAPORTE L.C.C.· West Chester, PA·6d ago

Job description

Controls Engineer - Systems Integration Location: West Chester, PA (Hybrid) Employment type: Full-time Join LAPORTE as an Intermediate Controls Engineer focused on industrial systems integration for pharmaceutical and food & beverage manufacturing. Program Allen-Bradley/Rockwell PLCs and industrial HMI/SCADA applications, primarily for batch process systems. Contribute to control-panel and industrial-network design, electrical troubleshooting, commissioning and startup.

What you will deliver

Program PLC, HMI and SCADA applications with a primary focus on batch process systems, including process sequences, recipes, interlocks and exception handling. Support continuous and discrete applications as required by the project.
Read P&IDs and process documentation, and work with process and electrical designers to translate operating requirements into control-system specifications.
Specify, design and troubleshoot industrial networks, including Ethernet, Modbus and IO-Link.
Prepare I/O lists, process narratives, functional design specifications, commissioning forms and other customer-required documentation.
Assist with control-panel design, component selection and equipment specifications, applying NEC, UL 508A and other relevant project requirements.
Troubleshoot control panels and field equipment, including VFDs and transmitters; configure equipment and support industrial control-system testing, commissioning and startup.
Coordinate assigned project tasks, technical questions and deliverables with clients, equipment vendors and the project team. Required qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Computer Science or Chemical Engineering.
At least 2 years in an industrial controls role with an end user or OEM, or in system integration/consulting as a controls engineer.
Experience with Allen-Bradley PLCs, HMIs and their programming software.

Preferred experience

Experience with industrial HMI/SCADA platforms such as Ignition (Inductive Automation), AVEVA Wonderware or GE iFIX.
Experience with Siemens SIMATIC controllers and STEP 7.
Experience configuring historians such as FactoryTalk Historian or OSIsoft PI, OPC servers such as Kepware or Matrikon, and SQL databases.
Control-panel design, industrial-network design and component-selection experience.
Strong project coordination, organization and communication skills; proficiency with Microsoft Office. Hybrid work and project travel This is an office-based hybrid role with remote work and project-site assignments. Office attendance is coordinated with the project team. Project work includes commissioning and startup; travel and site schedules depend on the project and will be discussed with the hiring team.

About LAPORTE

Founded in 1999, LAPORTE is a consulting engineering firm serving pharmaceutical, food & beverage, and industrial manufacturing clients across North America and Europe. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, compensatory paid time off (PTO), a flexible work environment, and opportunities for professional growth and collaboration. Apply with your résumé. Relevant project examples can help us understand your contribution; please omit confidential client information. #LI-Hybrid Send us your application today. We look forward to meeting you!

The LAPORTE team

Why work at LAPORTE L.C.C.

Meaningful Work: Engineers see their projects produce actual food, drugs, and essential goods that benefit society.
Work-Life Balance: Remote work, flexible hours, and personal leave available from the first year.
Generous Benefits: Health coverage, retirement plans, and vacation time adapted to each region.
Career Development: Consulting roles, project leadership, and specialization in high-growth regulated industries. Mentorship culture is emphasized.
Diverse & Inclusive: Strong female presence in engineering ranks; equal opportunity employer with employees from many nationalities.
Global Mobility: Opportunities across 26 offices in North America and Europe; ability to work on international projects.
Stability & Growth: Privately owned, debt-free, and consistently growing for 25+ years — a stable environment compared to VC-backed startups.
Fun & Community: Company sponsors social initiatives, charitable involvement, and team-building events.

About LAPORTE L.C.C.

Company Overview

One-liner: LAPORTE provides high-value consulting engineering services specializing in the design, construction, and maintenance of pharmaceutical, agrifood, industrial biotech, and industrial plants.
Entity Type: Private (100% owned by its directors/shareholders, no external venture capital)
Headquarters: Montreal, Canada (Corporate HQ); Philadelphia, USA (Subsidiary HQ for LAPORTE L.C.C.)
Founded: 1999
Founders: Daniel Laporte (President-Founder)

Core Business

Primary industries: Pharmaceutical, Agrifood (Food & Beverage), Industrial Biotechnology, and Industrial Manufacturing
Target customers: B2B only — major pharmaceutical companies, food and beverage producers, and industrial biotech firms (over 300 loyal clients, some for 20+ years)
Services: Process engineering, mechanical engineering, automation, validation, filling and packaging, electrical engineering, and project management for plant construction and renovation
Mission: To offer high-value engineering services and become a leader in engineering for pharmaceutical, agrifood, and bioindustrial plants.

Products & Services

LAPORTE is a service-based engineering consultancy. Its primary offerings include:

Plant Engineering & Design: Full-service design of new factories and renovations across pharma, food, and industrial biotech sectors.
Process Engineering: Development and optimization of manufacturing processes.
Automation & Validation: Control system design, programming, and regulatory compliance (GxP, etc.).
Filling & Packaging: Engineering for aseptic filling lines and packaging systems.
Project & Construction Management: Oversight from conceptual design through commissioning and start-up.
Machine Safety Engineering: Risk assessments and safety system design.

Market Standing

Valuation: Not publicly disclosed (private company)
Key Metric: 480+ employees (as of 2024-2025), up from ~450 in 2023 — representing strong organic growth
Revenue: Not publicly disclosed (private company). However, with 480+ engineers and consultants working on multi-year plant projects, estimated annual revenue is in the $70M–$120M range (based on industry benchmarks for mid-sized engineering firms).
Notable Clients: Has worked with Molson (first food & beverage project), Lallemand (first European project), and major pharmaceutical and food & beverage companies for over 20 years.
Geographic Reach: 26 offices across North America and Europe (Canada, USA, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Mexico, Tunisia). Subsidiaries: LAPORTE Consultants Corp. (USA), LAPORTE Euro (France), IPSB (France).
Growth Signals: 25th anniversary in 2024; grew from 330 to 480+ employees in recent years; opened offices in Belgium, Switzerland, and Lethbridge (Canada); acquisition of IPSB (40 employees) in France.

Competitive Advantages

Founder-Led & 100% Employee/Director Owned: No external investors means long-term strategic focus and autonomy. Shareholders are active directors and employees, ensuring alignment of incentives.
Deep Niche Specialization: Focused exclusively on pharmaceutical, agrifood, and industrial biotech plant engineering — a high-barrier, high-compliance sector where trust and experience matter enormously.
Long-Term Client Relationships: Some clients for 20+ years and 3,000+ factory projects completed — demonstrating reliability and repeat business.
Independent & Conflict-Free: The company explicitly states it receives no rebates or commissions from contractors, allowing impartial client advocacy.
Multi-Regional Presence: Offices in North America and Europe provide a broad talent pool and the ability to serve global clients on both continents.

Strategic Focus

Continued Geographic Expansion: Recent openings in Belgium, Switzerland, and acquisition in France show a clear European growth strategy.
Talent Development & Succession: A formal plan to integrate younger shareholders (4 junior shareholders added recently) and maintain a 100% director-owned structure ensures long-term sustainability.
Diversity & Inclusion: A stated focus on increasing female representation in engineering (already over one-third female in a traditionally male-dominated field).
Sustainability & CSR: Published a Corporate Social Responsibility report focused on governance, environment, diversity, health & safety, and ethics. Active carbon footprint measurement.

Sources

Job description

What you will deliver

Preferred experience

About LAPORTE

Why work at LAPORTE L.C.C.

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