Job Title: Electrical Project Manager
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Job Description
We are seeking an experienced Electrical Project Manager to lead automation and controls projects from design through startup and commissioning in industrial manufacturing environments. In this role, you oversee project execution, coordinate closely with customers, vendors, engineers, and field personnel, and provide technical support for electrical and automation systems, including PLCs, HMIs, and drive systems. You manage multiple concurrent projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and to a high technical standard, while contributing hands-on expertise during installation, commissioning, and customer training.
Responsibilities
Manage multiple electrical and automation projects from kickoff through startup, commissioning, and handover.
Coordinate project activities with customers, vendors, mechanical project managers, engineers, and field personnel to ensure successful completion.
Lead the design and commissioning of industrial control systems for steel mills and other heavy industrial environments.
Support PLC, HMI, and VFD systems during startup, troubleshooting, and optimization activities.
Troubleshoot and refine PLC and HMI programs during commissioning to improve performance and reliability.
Review, design, and modify electrical drawings and schematics, including single-line diagrams and layouts, using AutoCAD Electrical for redline updates and final documentation.
Oversee panel design and related electrical design tasks for industrial control systems.
Monitor and manage project schedules, budgets, milestones, and deliverables to meet scope and quality expectations.
Provide technical support during installation and commissioning, ensuring systems operate as intended in production environments.
Deliver customer training on automation and control systems, ensuring end users understand system operation and basic troubleshooting.
Coordinate closely with mechanical project management and other disciplines to align electrical and mechanical scopes of work.
Utilize MS Office tools such as PowerPoint and Excel to prepare project documentation, reports, and presentations.
Apply project management principles to plan work, allocate resources, and track progress across multiple active projects.
Engage with process line and drive system commissioning, including AC and DC drive systems.
Collaborate on projects that may involve robotic systems and advanced automation technologies.
Maintain strong communication with stakeholders, providing regular updates and addressing technical and schedule-related concerns.
Ensure all engineering work adheres to applicable standards, best practices, and safety requirements in industrial environments.
Essential Skills
7+ years of electrical, automation, or controls experience in an industrial environment.
Previous project management experience overseeing engineering or automation projects.
5+ years of total industrial automation experience.
Hands-on experience supporting and commissioning PLC, HMI, and VFD systems in manufacturing settings.
Experience with Allen-Bradley and/or Siemens PLCs, HMIs, and VFDs.
Ability to read, troubleshoot, and modify Allen-Bradley or Siemens (or similar) PLC code.
Ability to troubleshoot and optimize PLC and HMI programs during startup and commissioning.
Experience modifying electrical drawings and schematics using AutoCAD Electrical.
Ability to design and read single-line diagrams and layouts using AutoCAD Electrical.
Experience with panel design for industrial control systems.
Strong project management skills, including scheduling, budgeting, and resource coordination.
Strong communication and customer-facing skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail.
Proficiency with MS Office tools, including PowerPoint and Excel, for project documentation and reporting.
Interest and ability to work in industrial manufacturing environments with product manufacturing processes.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
Electrical Engineering or engineering technology background with strong technical aptitude and hands-on experience.
Experience designing and commissioning industrial control systems for steel mills or other heavy industries.
Exposure to or experience in programming, designing, and commissioning PLCs, drives, and automation systems.
Programming background in HMI development on Siemens, Allen-Bradley, and Wonderware platforms.
PLC software engineering experience on Siemens and Allen-Bradley platforms.
Interest in mechanical systems and ability to collaborate effectively with mechanical project managers.
Experience with AC and DC drive systems commissioning.
Process line experience in industrial environments is a plus.
Robotic systems experience is a plus.
Experience in steel or automotive industries is highly relevant; background in paper, plastics, or food manufacturing also translates well.
Engineering degree is a strong plus but not strictly required.
Work Environment
This position is primarily onsite in industrial manufacturing facilities, where you work closely with engineering teams, field personnel, and customer operations staff. You spend significant time in production and plant areas overseeing installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting of automation and control systems. The role may require up to approximately 25% travel per year, depending on project demand, to visit customer sites and support project execution. You work with technologies including Siemens and Allen-Bradley PLC and HMI platforms, Wonderware HMI systems, AC and DC drive systems, robotic equipment, and AutoCAD Electrical for design and documentation, as well as MS Office tools for reporting and presentations. The environment offers the opportunity to run, manage, and execute challenging and exciting engineering projects in heavy industry and manufacturing settings, with a culture that values hands-on involvement, technical excellence, and close collaboration across disciplines.
Job Type & Location
This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Detroit, MI.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $45.00 - $49.00/hr.
Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.
Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: - Medical, dental & vision - Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital - 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available - Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) - Short and long-term disability - Health Spending Account (HSA) - Transportation benefits - Employee Assistance Program - Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)
Workplace Type
This is a fully onsite position in Detroit,MI.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Sep 30, 2026.
About Actalent
Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.
The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.
San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.
