Ask any Engineering Director which hire keeps them up at night, and Controls Systems Engineers are near the top of the list. The role sits where electrical, software and process engineering meet, and the people who can do it well are rarely on the market for long.
At TEC Partners, our engineering team places Controls Systems Engineers on both a contract and permanent basis. Here is what we have learned about why this hire is so hard, and what actually gets it over the line.
A shortage hiding inside a cooling jobs market
On paper, the UK jobs market is easing. Unemployment has climbed to 4.9% and overall vacancies are at their lowest since 2021. Yet nearly 50,000 roles in automation and engineering remain unfilled, and three in four engineering employers say they cannot find the people they need.
The reason is simple: there are plenty of jobseekers, but very few with controls experience. Make UK estimates the skills gap costs manufacturers more than £7bn a year in lost productivity. That is downtime, delayed commissioning and contracts that slip because nobody is available to programme the system.
Demand is only heading one way. Factory automation, AI-driven production, net zero and energy projects, water infrastructure and the data centre build-out all need engineers who can design, programme and commission control systems. Meanwhile, close to a third of the manufacturing workforce is over 50, and barely one engineer in seven is under 30.
Why Controls Systems Engineers are so hard to find
- Platform lock-in - A strong Siemens TIA Portal engineer is not automatically a strong Rockwell, Schneider or ABB engineer. Many roles need experience on a specific PLC, SCADA or DCS platform, which shrinks the pool overnight.
- Breadth of skills - The best candidates combine electrical design, PLC/HMI programming, SCADA, networking and, increasingly, OT cyber security and data integration with MES and analytics tools.
- Site and travel demands - Commissioning often means time on site, sometimes abroad. That rules out many otherwise strong candidates, and the ones who say yes know their worth.
- Sector and safety knowledge - Functional safety (IEC 61508/61511), GAMP in pharma, or water and utilities standards add another filter.
- Competition from other fields - Software, data and cyber roles pull the same analytical people away from industrial automation.
- Passive talent - Most good controls engineers are busy on projects. They are not scrolling job boards; they need to be approached by someone who understands their work.
Contract or permanent? Usually both
The right answer depends on the project, and many of our clients use both models at different stages.
|
Contract |
Permanent |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Best for |
Project peaks, commissioning deadlines, specialist platform gaps |
Long-term capability, system ownership, continuous improvement |
|
Speed to start |
Days to a couple of weeks |
Typically one to three months, including notice |
|
Knowledge retention |
Lower unless handover is planned |
High; knowledge stays in the business |
|
Typical risk |
Day-rate inflation in a tight market |
Losing out on candidates to faster-moving competitors |
A common pattern we see: a contractor gets a project commissioned on time, while a permanent hire is brought in to own the system afterwards.
What we have delivered
Our engineering team works this market every day, which means we already know many of the engineers our clients need.
Rolls Royce is a good example. We have supplied both contract and permanent Controls Systems Engineers for the kinds of assignments described above, from project peaks that needed engineers on site quickly to permanent roles building long-term capability. A Director at Rolls-Royce told us:
"The team have played a crucial role in helping us find exceptional candidates and their ability to understand our needs, source high-quality candidates, and facilitate a smooth hiring process has been outstanding. What sets TEC Partners apart is their commitment to excellence and personalised service. They take the time to truly understand our company culture and requirements, which ensures that the candidates they present are a great fit. I highly recommend TEC Partners to any organisation seeking recruitment services. Their expertise and dedication make them a reliable partner in talent acquisition."
Director, Rolls-Royce
Five things that help you hire faster
- Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves. Name the one platform that truly matters. A strong engineer can pick up a second platform; they cannot pick up ten years of experience.
- Be clear about site time. State the travel and on-site split up front. Vague answers lose good candidates at final stage.
- Move quickly. The best controls engineers often have several options. Two interview stages, with feedback within 48 hours, wins more hires than a perfect process.
- Benchmark pay honestly. Day rates and salaries have moved. An offer pitched at last year's market will be turned down.
- Sell the project, not just the job. Engineers want to know what they will build, which kit they will work on and who they will learn from.
Talk to our engineering team
Whether you need a contractor on site next week or a permanent engineer to own your control systems for years, TEC Partners can help. We will give you an honest view of the market, realistic rates and a shortlist of engineers who have done the job before.
Brad Haylock - Principal Engineering Consultant - bhaylock@tecpartners.co.uk - 01603 629499