Head of Controls
Company: Regional Recruitment Services
Location: East Midlands
Posted: May 9th, 2026
Head of Controls Wanted!
Location: Leicester | Full Time | Salary: £60K+ (DOE) | On Site
Roles & Responsibilities
Leadership & Strategy
- Lead, mentor, and develop the controls engineering team
- Define and implement controls engineering strategy and best practices
- Drive continuous improvement across systems, processes, and delivery
Project Delivery
- Oversee multiple automation and controls projects from concept through to commissioning
- Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to specification
- Support project managers and engineering teams with technical guidance
Technical Oversight
- Maintain high standards across PLC programming, HMI/SCADA systems, and controls architecture
- Approve designs, specifications, and technical documentation
- Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations
Customer & Stakeholder Management
- Act as a senior technical point of contact for customers
- Support with project bids, proposals, and technical solutions
- Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
Resource & Performance Management
- Manage team workload and resource allocation
- Support recruitment and team growth
- Monitor performance, quality, and delivery metrics
Requirements
- Proven experience in a Controls / Automation leadership role
- Strong background in PLC programming (e.g. Siemens, Allen Bradley, etc.)
- Experience with HMI / SCADA systems and full controls architecture
- Previous experience leading or managing engineering teams
- Strong understanding of automation systems, special purpose machinery, or manufacturing environments
- Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills
- Strong communication and stakeholder management ability
- Commercial awareness with the ability to balance technical and business needs
What’s on Offer
- Salary of £60,000+ depending on experience
- Senior leadership role with real influence on business direction
- Opportunity to build and shape a high-performing controls team
- Work on complex, high-value engineering and automation projects
- Stable, growing business with strong future pipeline
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