The Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Controls Engineer is responsible for designing, improving, and supporting control systems for RNG production facilities, with a practical focus on reliable plant operation. This role combines home-office engineering, field troubleshooting, commissioning support, and ongoing optimization of instrumentation, PLC, HMI, and SCADA systems. The Controls Engineer works closely with operations, maintenance, engineering, OEM suppliers, and environmental teams to improve gas quality, plant uptime, process safety, and regulatory compliance across operating anaerobic digestion facilities.
Responsibilities
Controls & Automation
Design, program, and maintain PLC, HMI, and SCADA systems for RNG plant operations.
Develop and optimize control strategies for feedstock receiving systems, gas upgrading systems, compression systems, flare systems, digesters, and utility systems.
Configure and troubleshoot industrial communication protocols including Modbus, Ethernet/IP, Profibus, and OPC.
Develop and maintain controls standards, preferred hardware configurations, programming practices, network architecture, and documentation templates that can be applied consistently across multiple RNG facilities while still allowing site-specific adaptation.
Support design, procurement, installation, commissioning and startup of new equipment and plant expansions.
Implement alarm management and process interlocks to improve plant safety and reliability.
Review control system deliverables from OEMs, system integrators, and engineering contractors, including control narratives, cause-and-effect logic, loop diagrams, I/O lists, network drawings, panel drawings, factory acceptance test procedures, and commissioning documentation.
Instrumentation & Electrical Systems
Specify, install, calibrate, and maintain process instrumentation including pressure, flow, temperature, methane analyzers, H2S analyzers, and moisture analyzers.
Troubleshoot control valves, VFDs, motors, analyzers, and field devices.
Review and maintain P&IDs, control narratives, electrical one-lines, and instrument loop drawings.
Support electrical systems up to medium voltage where applicable.
Process Optimization
Analyze plant performance data to improve methane recovery, gas quality, and system efficiency.
Develop and monitor KPIs and performance dashboards for operational improvement.
Optimize digester gas handling, upgrading systems, and pipeline injection controls.
Support root cause analysis for process upsets and downtime events.
Compliance & Safety
Ensure plant control systems are designed, configured, documented, and maintained in accordance with applicable OSHA, NEC, NFPA 70, NFPA 70E, ISA, EPA, and local regulatory requirements.
Support environmental reporting and emissions compliance through data collection systems.
Participate in Process Hazard Analysis (PHA), Management of Change (MOC), and HAZOP reviews.
Prepare or review controls-related Management of Change documentation for software revisions, setpoint changes, interlock modifications, alarm changes, instrument replacements, and control strategy updates that affect plant operation or safety.
Maintain appropriate industrial control system cybersecurity practices, including user access control, network segmentation, backup and recovery practices, vendor remote access controls, and coordination with corporate information technology standards.
Maintenance & Reliability
Develop preventative maintenance plans for controls and instrumentation systems.
Lead troubleshooting efforts during unplanned outages.
Provide remote and on-site troubleshooting support for operating facilities, including review of trend data, alarm history, equipment status, analyzer readings, and operator feedback to diagnose controls-related causes of downtime or unstable operation.
Support spare parts inventory management for critical controls components.
Coordinate with OEM
$145,000 - $160,000 annually (dependent on experience)
Why join the Suburban Propane team? Because we care about the physical, mental, and financial wellbeing of our employees and provide them with competitive pay plus incentive potential and an outstanding benefits package including:
Medical, dental, and vision (eligibility after just 30 days of employment)
Paid time off that increases with tenure
A 401(k) with company match and immediate vesting
A new employee training program and many opportunities for continued learning and career development
Disability and life insurance
Employee recognition program
Generous tuition assistance program
Propane discounts, and more!
For eligibility and a full list of our benefit offerings please visit: https://jobs.suburbanpropane.com/benefits/.
Qualifications
Required
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
10+ years of industrial controls engineering experience in process plant, manufacturing, energy, utility, or infrastructure environments, including direct involvement with operating facilities, commissioning, troubleshooting, or field support.
Hands-on experience developing, modifying, troubleshooting, and supporting PLC programs using platforms such as Rockwell Automation Studio 5000, Siemens TIA Portal, or Schneider EcoStruxure.
Hands-on experience configuring, troubleshooting, and supporting industrial SCADA systems such as Ignition SCADA, Wonderware, or similar platforms in operating process-plant environments.
Strong understanding of industrial instrumentation and process controls.
Knowledge of biogas, anaerobic digestion, gas upgrading, landfill gas, wastewater treatment, natural gas processing, or comparable process systems involving gas treatment, compression, analyzers, and utility interfaces.
Familiarity with P&IDs, electrical schematics, and control narratives.
Ability to develop, interpret, and maintain controls documentation, including control narratives, cause-and-effect matrices, alarm rationalization records, instrument indexes, I/O lists, loop diagrams, network architecture drawings, and functional test procedures.
Working knowledge of NEC, NFPA 70, and ISA standards.
Demonstrated ability to diagnose ambiguous operating problems by combining process knowledge, control logic review, field observations, operator input, and historical data trends.
Willingness to travel regularly to operating RNG facilities and project sites, with additional travel during commissioning, startup, outages, troubleshooting events, or major controls upgrades.
Willingness to respond to emergencies remotely on a 24/7 basis.
Preferred
Professional Engineer (PE) license.
Experience in renewable natural gas, anaerobic digestion, landfill gas, wastewater treatment, waste-to-energy, refining, petrochemical processing, chemical manufacturing, midstream gas, or other process industries involving complex rotating equipment, analyzers, utilities, safety systems, and continuous operations.
Knowledge of membrane separation, PSA systems, amine systems, or cryogenic gas upgrading.
Experience with pipeline injection and gas quality compliance.
ISA Certified Automation Professional (CAP) certification.
Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. ("Suburban Propane") is a publicly traded master limited partnership listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Headquartered in Whippany, New Jersey, Suburban Propane has been in the customer service business since 1928 and is a nationwide distributor of propane, renewable propane, renewable natural gas ("RNG"), fuel oil and related products and services, as well as a marketer of natural gas and electricity and producer of and investor in low carbon fuel alternatives, servicing the energy needs of approximately 1 million residential, commercial, governmental, industrial and agricultural customers through approximately 700 locations across 42 states. Suburban Propane is supported by three core pillars: (1) Suburban Commitment - showcasing Suburban Propane's nearly 100-year legacy, and ongoing commitment to the highest standards for dependability, flexibility, and reliability that underscores Suburban Propane's commitment to excellence in customer service; (2) SuburbanCares - highlighting continued dedication to giving back to local communities across Suburban Propane's national footprint; and (3) Go Green with Suburban Propane - promoting the clean burning and versatile nature of propane and renewable propane as a bridge to a green energy future and investing in the next generation of innovative, renewable energy alternatives. For additional information on Suburban Propane, please visit www.suburbanpropane.com .
It's an amazing time to become a part of our team as we expand our national footprint and make strides toward a sustainable, clean energy future!
Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
As part of our pre-employment hiring process, background checks and drug screens are performed.
For more information about our hiring process, please visit: https://jobs.suburbanpropane.com/our-hiring-process/
At Suburban Propane, we know that our strength comes from our diverse and inclusive team of employees who make a difference in the communities we serve across the country every day. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we consider all applicants for employment without regard to an individual's age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, color, creed, religion, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability, handicap, military or veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other category protected under federal, state or local law, regulation, or ordinance.
In line with these values, Suburban Propane considers all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with applicable laws. To that end, the Company welcomes such applicants in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles City Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. Philadelphia applicants can review information pertaining to Philadelphia's Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance here: https://www.phila.gov/documents/fair-chance-hiring-law-poster
SP-AC
Job Identification: 1413
Job Category: Central Support
Job Schedule: Full time
