Electrical & Automation Specialist
Shell · Houston - Shell Technology Center, TX
- Level
- Specialist
- Team
- Controls
- Base pay
- $124k–$186k
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Chemicals
- Posted
- 7 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A specialist controls role at Shell (chemicals) in Houston - Shell Technology Center, TX. Projects, QA/QC & Engineering Support.
- They ask for
- 10+ years
- Tools it names
- Root cause, PLC, Automation
- Base pay
- $124k–$186k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Controls Engineer roles in Texas: typical posted base $98k–$158k. This one lists $124k–$186k.
Median of the low and high ends of 14 live postings that list pay, out of 90 controls engineer openings in Texas, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Texas plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 89 other live controls postings in Texas.
- Base pay
- About 24% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 4+)
Typical $97k–$154k, from 12 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ PLC 79%
- ✓ Automation 78%
- Robotics 41%
- Python 27%
- EHS / safety 27%
- ✓ Root cause 26%
✓ = 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 Shell
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 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 ShellAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
What’s the role
Shell is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies with a mission to power progress by providing more and cleaner energy solutions. At Shell Technology Center Houston (STCH), we focus on innovation, research, and technology development to deliver differentiated technology solutions that create competitive advantage for Shell today and for the future.
The Electrical & Automation Specialist will serve as the subject matter expert for electrical power systems, instrumentation, and control systems at Shell Technology Center Houston. This role provides technical support, troubleshooting leadership, reliability improvements, and field quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) for new and existing facilities while ensuring compliance with industry standards, Shell DEP's, and regulatory requirements.
The Electrical & Automation Specialist will work closely with maintenance, operations, I&E technicians, project engineering, contractors, and external vendors to maintain safe, reliable, and compliant operation of electrical and control system assets. The role will also provide technical oversight of engineering design packages, commissioning activities, SIS maintenance programs, and gas detection system lifecycle management.
What you’ll be doing
requirements
and applicable standards.
- ✓Provide electrical and instrumentation engineering input for capital and expense projects from design through commissioning and startup.
- ✓Participate in factory acceptance tests (FAT), site acceptance tests (SAT), commissioning activities, and system turnover processes.
- ✓Lead or support project commissioning, functional testing, acceptance testing, and energization procedures.
- ✓Verify installed equipment and systems conform to approved designs, specifications, and quality requirements.
- ✓Evaluate and approve electrical, instrumentation, and control system upgrades, modifications, and equipment replacements.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Texas, United States of America
Job Family Group
Discipline Engineering
Worker Type
Regular
Posting Start Date
October 28, 2026
Business Unit
Downstream and Renewables
Technical Expertise & Troubleshooting
- •Lead advanced troubleshooting of LV and MV electrical systems including motors, switchgear, MCCs, VFDs, UPS systems, power transformers, and protective relays.
- •Provide technical support for instrumentation and control systems including process instruments, analyzers, PLC-based systems, networked control devices, and associated field equipment.
- •Support troubleshooting and performance improvement of Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) and fixed gas detection systems.
- •Perform root cause analysis (RCA) for electrical, instrumentation, and control system failures; develop corrective and preventive actions.
- •Provide SME support for electrical safety issues, arc-flash studies, protection coordination, and control system reliability concerns.
- •Mentor technicians and contractors in troubleshooting methods, maintenance best practices, and safe work practices.
Reliability & Maintenance
- •Develop and optimize preventive and predictive maintenance strategies for electrical, instrumentation, SIS, and gas detection assets.
- •Manage and track SIS proof testing, inspection schedules, corrective actions, and documentation to ensure lifecycle compliance.
- •Manage and track maintenance, calibration, testing, and reliability activities for fixed gas detection systems.
- •Support condition monitoring programs including infrared thermography, motor testing, insulation resistance testing, instrument diagnostics, and system health monitoring.
- •Review maintenance, testing, proof-test, and inspection reports to identify reliability risks and improvement opportunities.
- •Support development of reliability improvement plans and maintenance strategies for critical electrical and control system assets.
Projects, QA/QC & Engineering Support
- •Serve as the field QA/QC representative for electrical, instrumentation, and control system scope during project execution.
- •Review engineering design packages, electrical drawings, control narratives, loop diagrams, SIS documentation, P&IDs, vendor documentation, and technical specifications for compliance with facility
Compliance & Standards
- •Ensure facility electrical systems comply with NFPA 70/70E, IEEE, API, and NEC requirements.
- •Support compliance with ISA, IEC, API, and corporate standards governing instrumentation, SIS, and gas detection systems.
- •Participate in audits, safety reviews, PHA, HAZOP, LOPA, SAFOP studies, and Management of Change (MOC) processes.
- •Support Functional Safety Management (FSM) activities and ensure SIS documentation, testing, and maintenance records remain current and compliant.
- •Provide technical guidance for hazardous area electrical and instrumentation installations.
What you bring
- •Must have legal authorization to work in the US on a full-time basis for anyone other than current employer
- •Minimum 10 years of experience in electrical engineering, instrumentation and controls, maintenance, reliability, or project support within the petrochemical, refinery, laboratory, or other industrial sector.
- •Skill Level knowledge of LV and MV power systems (480V to 15kV), protective relays, motor control equipment, and industrial power distribution networks.
- •Demonstrated experience with instrumentation and control systems including field instrumentation, PLCs, process controls, SIS, and gas detection systems.
- •Proven experience leading RCAs, equipment failure analyses, reliability improvement efforts, and maintenance program development.
- •Knowledge of SIS lifecycle requirements, proof testing practices, and functional safety concepts.
- •Ability to read and interpret electrical drawings, single-line diagrams, schematics, loop drawings, control narratives, cause-and-effect matrices, P&IDs, and vendor specifications.
- •Experienc