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Configuration Control Engineer – Asset & Engineering Systems

Argonne National Laboratory · Lemont, IL · $116,250–$181,350 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 3, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you found a mismatch between the field and the drawings. What did you do?

What they are checking: Whether they chase discrepancies to resolution, since untracked changes can create safety and reliability risks.

Describe a system implementation you were part of. What made adoption succeed or struggle?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the people side of rolling out a new digital system.

What would you do

How would you establish an engineering baseline for an accelerator system that was built and modified over decades?

What they are checking: Whether they can reconcile as-built conditions with old drawings, which is common at a long-running facility.

A technician makes an urgent repair during operations and skips the change process. How do you handle it afterward?

What they are checking: Whether they can bring emergency changes back under control without punishing people for keeping the machine running.

How do you persuade engineers who see configuration management as bureaucracy to follow it?

What they are checking: Whether they can show the value of discipline and make the process easy to follow.

About the work

Explain the four configuration management functions: identification, control, status accounting and audit. Which is hardest to sustain?

What they are checking: Whether they understand configuration management as a systems engineering discipline, not just document control.

Walk me through a good engineering change control process. What makes a change control board effective?

What they are checking: Whether they can run a change process that is rigorous without slowing urgent work to a halt.

How would you integrate a CMMS with the PLM and requirements tools so that assets stay linked to their current engineering documents?

What they are checking: Whether they understand how digital tools must connect for traceability from asset to baseline.

How do you manage interfaces between accelerator, beamline and utility systems owned by different groups?

What they are checking: Whether they understand interface management across organizations, which the posting highlights.

How would you plan a configuration audit, and what would you report?

What they are checking: Whether they can verify configuration integrity and turn findings into action.

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The full job description

As published by Argonne National Laboratory.

The Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Laboratory is seeking a Configuration Control Engineer – Asset & Engineering Systems to establish and sustain rigorous configuration control across accelerator systems, beamlines, utilities, and scientific infrastructure. This role applies systems engineering discipline — configuration identification, configuration control, status accounting, and configuration audit — to the full engineering design lifecycle, from requirements and baseline definition through engineering change control and as-built reconciliation. The Configuration Management Engineer will join a multidisciplinary engineering and operations team implementing a digital Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) integrated with Windshield PLM, requirements, and asset lifecycle management tools. This position anchors configuration management in systems engineering practice. Following initial implementation, this position will sustain configuration integrity across the facility by supporting engineering design reviews, change control boards, and interface management, ensuring that every physical asset, control system, and piece of infrastructure remains traceable to an approved, current engineering baseline. Key Responsibilities Systems Engineering & Configuration Control Framework • Apply core systems engineering configuration management functions — configuration identification, configuration control, configuration status accounting, and configuration audit — across accelerator systems, beamlines, utilities, and experimental infrastructure. • Ensure the successful development of a configuration data lake. • Define and maintain configuration baselines (functional, allocated, and product baselines) that trace system requirements through engineering design to physical implementation. • Implement engineering change control processes, including change request intake, technical impact analysis, engineering change board (ECB) coordination, and disposition and closure tracking. • Ensure end-to-end configuration traceability among requirements, engineering design documentation, physical assets, and as-built/as-maintained records. Engineering Design & Change Control • Support engineering design reviews and change control boards, evaluating proposed design modifications for technical, safety, and operational impact before approval. • Maintain technical data packages, drawing control, and design documentation so that released documents accurately reflect the approved configuration baseline. • Coordinate with engineering design leads and system owners to manage interface control and requirements traceability during upgrades, modifications, and system integration efforts. • Lead or support impact assessments for proposed engineering changes, ensuring configuration integrity and design intent are preserved throughout the change lifecycle. • Reconcile as-built and as-maintained conditions against the approved design baseline, driving resolution of discrepancies through the change control process. Configuration Management Tooling • Support deployment and integration of the CMMS so that engineering baselines, approved changes, and design documentation are accurately reflected in maintenance and asset records. • Define and maintain asset hierarchies and system relationships within the CMMS ecosystem in direct alignment with engineering configuration baselines. • Work with engineering, IT, and operations teams to integrate CMMS with engineering document management systems, controls and operational data historians, and component/asset databases. • Support data governance and master data management practices to ensure data quality and configuration consistency across systems. Compliance, Lifecycle & Reliability Support • Provide configuration management support during system upgrades, modifications, and operational changes, ensuring design and change control processes are followed. • Collaborate with reliability engineering and operations teams to connect configuration and design data to predictive maintenance and reliability metrics (MTBF/MTTR). • Support development of dashboards and reporting frameworks that provide visibility into configuration status, open changes, and baseline health. Long-Term Sustainment • Provide ongoing stewardship of configuration control processes and the CMMS ecosystem after initial deployment. • Maintain configuration management procedures, engineering change control documentation, and training materials. • Identify opportunities for continuous improvement in systems engineering practice, engineering change control, and configuration management across the facility. Position Requirements • Minimum Education/Experience Requirement: Bachelors and 8+ years’ experience, Masters and 5+ years’ experience, PhD and 4+ years’ experience, or equivalent • Bachelor's degree in systems engineering, mechanical/electrical/engineering physics, computer science, or a related technical engineering field. • 7+ years of experience in systems engineering, requirements management, configuration management, engineering change control, or technical data/design management. • Experience working with PLM/CMMS/requirements management platforms, engineering databases, and configuration databases. • Experience with PTC Windchill PLM system and technical data management. • Demonstrated experience applying configuration management principles (configuration identification, control, status accounting, audit) within an engineering design environment. • Knowledge of reliability engineering concepts, including MTBF/MTTR and predictive maintenance. • Experience supporting engineering change control boards, design reviews, or formal change management processes for complex technical systems. • Strong analytical, technical writing, and documentation skills, with the ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and design documentation. • Ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary engineering, IT, and operations teams. Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Experience • Experience with CMMS platforms (e.g., Maximo, SAP PM, Infor EAM, MaintainX, or similar). • Familiarity with systems engineering and configuration management standards (e.g., EIA-649/ANSI-EIA-649, ISO 10007, DOE O 413.3B configuration management expectations). • Experience with model-based systems engineering (MBSE) tools or requirements management tools (e.g., DOORS, Cameo Systems Modeler). • Experience integrating engineering design and change control processes with operational data sources or historians. • Experience with digital engineering and AI within the engineering process. • Familiarity with data governance, APIs, or system integration architectures. Job Family Research Development (RD) Job Profile Mechanical/Civil Engineering 3 Worker Type Regular Time Type Full time The expected hiring range for this position is $116,250.00 - $181,350.00. Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as, but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, business considerations, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable jobs. Additionally, comprehensive benefits are part of the total rewards package. Click here to view Argonne employee benefits! As an equal employment opportunity employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a safe and welcoming workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. Argonne encourages everyone to apply for employment. Argonne is committed to nondiscrimination and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law. Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne's Legal Department. All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case-by-case basis. Please be advised that Argonne positions require upon hire (or may require in the future) for the individual be to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment.

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