Director Process Engineering, Automation, & Instrumentation
Freeport-McMoRan · Phoenix, AZ
- Level
- Director+
- Team
- Controls
- Degree
- Required
- Industry
- Metals
- Posted
- 17 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A director-level controls role at Freeport-McMoRan (metals) in Phoenix, AZ. It is the perfect place if you enjoy the outdoors, love sports, concerts and other big city amenities or technology.
- They ask for
- degree required
- Tools it names
- PLC, Automation
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Controls Engineer roles in Arizona: typical posted base $98k–$138k.
Median of the low and high ends of 6 live postings that list pay, out of 13 controls engineer openings in Arizona, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Arizona plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 12 other live controls postings in Arizona.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
Typical $98k–$138k, from 6 postings that list pay.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Automation 69%
- ✓ PLC 54%
- Team leadership 38%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 23%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Controls team at Freeport-McMoRan
We found 3 people at this company and state: 3 in this kind of role. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to David → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Freeport-McMoRan in Phoenix
8 other open roles at this site · 3 people we found in controls roles at Freeport-McMoRan.
- Reliability Engineer II · Reliability
- Senior Process Automation Engineer · Controls · Senior
- Director Maintenance Strategy & Planning · Reliability · Director+
- Director Engineering Execution Projects · Manufacturing · Director+
- Senior Maintenance Planning Engineering Specialist · Reliability · Senior
- Senior Instrument and Controls Engineer · Controls · Senior
Full description from Freeport-McMoRanAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
What You Will Do
Lead project engineering outcomes across a portfolio of capital projects, providing technical leadership in Process Engineering, Process Automation, and Instrumentation disciplines. Oversee the delivery lifecycle from concept and design through commissioning and operational ramp-up, ensuring projects achieve performance targets and reach nameplate capacity. Coordinate and align cross-functional teams, strategically deploy technical talent to maximize project execution success, and foster collaboration across operations, project delivery teams, and external engineering partners. Drive engineering consistency, innovation, and continuous improvement while ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient project delivery.
- ◆Develop and execute enterprise-wide Process Engineering, Automation, and Instrumentation strategies that support business objectives and operational excellence.
- ◆Prioritize project portfolio investments and strategically allocate engineering resources based on project risk, complexity, and stage of development.
- ◆Lead, coach, and develop multidisciplinary engineering teams, fostering a culture of safety, accountability, collaboration, and timely decision-making.
- ◆Provide oversight of process design activities, including flowsheets, mass and energy balances, while driving improvements in plant performance, recovery, throughput, and efficiency.
- ◆Lead Process Safety Management (PSM) programs and hazard assessment activities throughout engineering, construction, commissioning, start-up, and operational phases.
- ◆Establish continuous improvement processes that leverage operational feedback to optimize designs, enhance reliability, and prevent recurring issues.
- ◆Develop and standardize instrumentation strategies, ensuring effective specification, implementation, commissioning, start-up, and operational readiness across projects.
- ◆Define process control philosophies, oversee integration of DCS, PLC, and SCADA systems, and champion advanced digital technologies, including APC and predictive analytics, through strong IT/OT partnerships.
- ◆Provide technical leadership across the full project lifecycle, ensuring compliance with engineering standards and regulatory
requirements
while achieving safety, cost, schedule, and performance objectives.
- ✓Perform other duties as required.
Preferred Qualifications
- ✓Master’s degree in Engineering or related field
- ✓Deep expertise in process control systems (DCS, PLC, SCADA) and instrumentation design
- ✓Experience with advanced process control, optimization, and digital transformation initiatives
- ✓Strong knowledge of process safety and risk management practices
- ✓Experience working with EPC/EPCM contractors on large-scale projects
- ✓Experience scaling engineering teams across multiple concurrent mega-projects
What We Offer You
- ✓Affordable medical, dental and vision benefits
- ✓Company-paid life and disability insurance
- ✓401(k) plan with emplo
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Why You Should Apply for This Job
At Freeport-McMoRan, we are committed to providing an employment package that recognizes excellence, encourages safe production and a culture supported by our core values. Here, you’ll find a collaborative environment where safety is a top priority, all opinions are valued, and people are empowered to grow in their career. Apply Today!
Where You Will Work
Our global headquarters is in Phoenix, Arizona. Several hundred employees support global operations in finance, human resources, information technology, planning and more from the main office, satellite offices or online. As a Hybrid employee, you’ll engage in virtual collaboration as well as attend in-person meetings at our Collaboration Hub in Phoenix or at one of our site locations. The Collaboration Hub provides an open, flexible workspace for individuals and teams to come together for various business needs. Amenities at the Hub include a working café, phone booths and meeting rooms with technology tools for virtual and in-person collaboration. In-person attendance may vary based on the position and department requirements.
Phoenix is the capital of the Grand Canyon State and enjoys mostly bright skies throughout the year. It is the perfect place if you enjoy the outdoors, love sports, concerts and other big city amenities or technology. There are great neighborhoods around Phoenix, with easy access to a major city, nature, the arts and many more amenities.
What You Bring To Freeport
- •Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related discipline and fifteen (15) years experience in process engineering, controls, or automation within industrial environments (mining, metals, oil & gas, or chemical processing); including
- •Five (5) years of leadership experience managing engineering teams
- •Demonstrated experience supporting capital project delivery in the technical functions
- •Strong leadership and organizational skills with the ability to influence across functions
- •Excellent communication and stakeholder management capabilities
- •Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving abilities
- •Ability to build and lead cross-functional teams where engineers report by process area, not discipline
- •Experience scaling engineering teams across multiple concurrent mega-projects
- •Ability to operate effectively in a complex, matrixed organization
- •Commitment to safety, continuous improvement, and operational excellence