Senior Project Controls Engineer
COMPA Industries, Inc. · Los Alamos, NM
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Controls
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 12+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
A senior controls role at COMPA Industries, Inc. (industrial) in Los Alamos, NM. In this role, you will provide advanced project controls expertise across cost and scheduling disciplines, ensuring project performance, financial accuracy, and compliance with EVMS standards.
- They ask for
- 12+ years · degree required (or equivalent experience)
- Tools it names
- DOE
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Controls Engineer roles in the US: typical posted base $97k–$143k.
Median of the low and high ends of 252 live postings that list pay, out of 735 controls engineer openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
New Mexico plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 734 other live controls postings in the US.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (12+ vs 5+)
Typical $97k–$141k, from 248 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Automation 74%
- PLC 68%
- Robotics 42%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 27%
- Root cause 27%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for DOE, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with 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 COMPA Industries, Inc.
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find 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.
- 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 does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- 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.
Full description from COMPA Industries, Inc.As posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Mandatory Experience Requirement - Read Before Applying
- ✓Candidates must have hands-on experience with Primavera P6 and Deltek Cobra (including Cobra administration and backend troubleshooting) .
- ✓Candidates must be eligible to obtain a Q Clearance and capable of working in secure environments with A-level access .
- ✓Previous LANL employees who were released for performance or conduct-related issues will not be considered.
Impact
Join a critical national security mission supporting weapons production at LANL. In this role, you will provide advanced project controls expertise across cost and scheduling disciplines, ensuring project performance, financial accuracy, and compliance with EVMS standards. Your work will directly influence the success of complex, high-visibility programs.
and Duties
- ◆Support and enhance the Earned Value Management System (EVMS) and Project Controls System
- ◆Lead and/or supervise cost estimating, cost control, and cost analysis activities
- ◆Oversee schedule development, maintenance, and performance monitoring
- ◆Prepare, review, and present cost engineering and planning reports
- ◆Identify cost and schedule trends and communicate risks to management
- ◆Provide technical direction for cost engineering and planning/scheduling teams
- ◆Support project organizational and administrative functions
- ◆Develop innovative solutions to complex project control challenges
- ◆Ensure project execution aligns with schedule and budget objectives
- ◆Perform financial reporting, earned value analysis, and variance analysis
- ◆Support Control Account Management (CAM) activities where applicable
- ◆Implement corrective actions and track performance improvements
- ◆Work within secure environments, including classified networks (Red Network)
- ◆Coordinate cross-functional project teams and activities
Extensive experience in
- ✓Project planning and scheduling (development, control, analysis)
- ✓Cost engineering (estimating, control, financial reporting, analysis)
- ✓Strong working knowledge of EVMS tools and processes (expert level for PC4)
- ✓Hands-on experience with Primavera P6 and Deltek Cobra (including administration)
- ✓Experience with financial reporting systems and project cost tracking
- ✓Ability to analyze complex data and provide actionable insights
- ✓Strong communication and leadership skills
- ✓Experience supervising or leading project controls functions
- ✓Ability to work independently with minimal direction in complex environments
- ✓Must be able to obtain and maintain a Q Clearance and work with classified systems
Requirements
- ✓Bachelor's degree and minimum of 12+ years of related experience (or equivalent)
- ✓Postgraduate coursework may be expected at higher levels
- ✓Number of Positions: 3
- ✓Assignment Duration: Minimum 1 year (with potential extension)
- ✓Start Date: ASAP
- ✓Work Type: Full-time (40 hours/week)
- ✓Per Diem: Available for qualified candidates
- ✓Travel: Limited to onsite
requirements
only
- ✓Overtime/On-Call: Not required
Why Work at COMPA Industries?
We strive to provide careers, not just jobs, for our employees. We invest in and serve the communities where we work and live. We provide best-in-class administrative, professional, and technical services to solve complex problems to meet customer mission-critical objectives.
For over 30 years, Compa has been a trusted partner in progress. We combine decades of technical expertise with a forward-thinking spirit, tackling intricate challenges in nuclear facilities alongside the brightest minds in science and engineering. Join us, and don't just build your career-build the future.
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Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Compa Industries is searching for qualified candidates for Project Controls 4 positions at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in Los Alamos, NM.
Work Schedule: 4/10 or 9/80 schedules typical
Clearance: Ability to obtain Q Clearance required; active Q preferred
Desired Skills
- +Experience in DOE, nuclear, or national laboratory environments
- +Experience with Cobra on classified (Red) networks
- +Advanced knowledge of engineering and/or construction management practices
- +Experience troubleshooting and administering backend project controls systems
- +Leadership experience managing technical and non-technical teams
