Controls Documentation & CAD Engineer
Integration & Controls · Remote (Engineering)
Why This Role Exists
Every relay settings file, every network diagram, and every control circuit needs a drawing that matches what is actually installed. This role exists because protection and controls documentation — one-line diagrams, control schematics, panel layouts, network architecture drawings, wiring diagrams — is a specialized engineering discipline, not a drafting function. You produce the documentation package that operations uses after turnover: as-built drawings that match the installed equipment, training materials that bridge from vendor documentation to site-specific implementation, and cable schedules that the next engineer can trust.
What You Own
- Electrical one-line diagrams and control-circuit wiring schematics in AutoCAD Electrical
- Panel layout drawings, terminal block diagrams, and cable schedules
- Network architecture diagrams: PRP dual-star topology, switch-to-IED connectivity, IRIG-B distribution paths
- As-built documentation packages: red-line incorporation from field, QC against installed equipment
- Control circuit drawings for relay-to-switchgear connections, breaker control circuits, interlock wiring
- Technical training materials: instructor-led slide decks, lab exercises, settings walk-throughs, quick-reference job aids
Systems You'll Touch
Software Tools
Vendor Platforms
What Success Looks Like
First 90 Days
- Produced control schematics or panel layout drawings for an active P&C project scope
- Incorporated field red-lines into as-built drawings with QC verification against installed equipment
- Reviewed existing drawing set against vendor wiring manuals — identified discrepancies or improvement areas
First 180 Days
- Independently producing complete documentation packages for P&C scopes — from design through as-built
- Network architecture diagrams for PRP dual-star topologies delivered and accepted
- Training materials developed for at least one technical domain (relay maintenance, control logic, or control circuits)
Required Background
- 5+ years controls documentation or electrical CAD engineering for industrial/power systems
- AutoCAD Electrical proficiency: one-line diagrams, control schematics, panel layouts, wiring diagrams, cable schedules
- Understanding of protection relay wiring: CT/PT connections, trip/close circuits, control power distribution
- Red-line incorporation and as-built drawing management — maintaining accuracy across design revisions
- Familiarity with protection and controls documentation standards for turnover packages
Preferred Background
- Bluebeam Revu for document review and markup
- Revit for 3D panel/enclosure modeling
- Network diagram production for industrial Ethernet (PRP, VLAN, switch topology)
- Technical training material development for maintenance personnel
- SEL or Woodward equipment documentation standards
What to Expect in the Field
- Travel
- 5–10% for site documentation walks, as-built verification visits
- Site Hours
- Standard remote/office hours for documentation production
- Customer-Facing
- Limited direct client interface — works with project engineers and field crews for red-line incorporation and drawing QC
- Documentation
- Very heavy — this role IS documentation. One-lines, schematics, layouts, wiring diagrams, cable schedules, as-builts, training materials
- Field Safety
- Minimal field exposure; NFPA 70E awareness for occasional site documentation walks
Why Ziggurat
- Your drawings are the long-term reference — operations relies on them for maintenance, troubleshooting, and future modifications
- Multi-vendor documentation: SEL, Woodward, Cisco, ABB — each with different wiring conventions and documentation standards
- Training material development means you understand the systems deeply enough to teach them, not just draw them
- Remote-first for documentation work, with site visits when as-built accuracy matters most
Hiring Process
Screen
Background review against role requirements — vendor platform experience, relevant certifications, project types, and standards familiarity. Quick assessment of baseline alignment before investing either party's time.
Resume review + 15-min intro call
Technical Review
Deeper evaluation of technical depth. We review sample work — relay settings files, protection study reports, commissioning test procedures, or SCADA configuration packages — depending on the role. If samples aren't shareable, we discuss specific project scenarios in detail.
Async work-sample review or 45-min technical call
Interview
Scenario-based conversation with the principal engineer. Real project situations: how you'd approach a coordination study for a complex switchgear lineup, sequence a commissioning plan across multiple vendor platforms, or troubleshoot a protection scheme failure during site acceptance testing.
60-min video call with founder
Exercise / Artifact Review
A practical evaluation matched to the role. Engineering roles receive a take-home exercise — review and mark up a set of relay settings, identify gaps in a protection study, or develop a test procedure for a specific scheme. Field-focused roles walk through a commissioning package or test report they've delivered, explaining their methodology and decisions.
Take-home exercise (2–4 hrs) or artifact walkthrough (60 min)
Final Conversation
Role scope, current project pipeline, working arrangements, and compensation. This is a two-way conversation — we want to confirm the role fits your goals, not just the other way around.
30-min call
This role supports our end to end , lifecycle and training service scopes.
Questions about this role? Email us at careers@zigguratautomation.com
Not ready to apply?
Stay on our radar — we'll reach out when a role matches your background.
Let's Talk Engineering
Send your background.
First step: a 15-minute call with the principal engineer.