Controls Engineer

Prysmian is the world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, manufacturing underground and submarine cables for power transmission, distribution, and telecommunication sectors across 50+ countries with 30,000 employees.

About the role

The Controls Engineer is responsible for the reliability, performance, and continuous improvement of all plant automation, control systems, and SCADA infrastructure. This role provides expert support for PLCs, HMIs, industrial networks, data systems, and machine troubleshooting while driving process improvements and supporting new equipment integration. This is a high-impact position shaping plant-wide SCADA and controls strategy, directly influencing uptime, automation capability, and overall manufacturing performance.

Responsibilities

• Automation & Controls
  • Develop, troubleshoot, and maintain PLC programs (Allen-Bradley Studio 5000) and HMI applications (ISA 101 preferred).
  • Support VFD setup, tuning, communication, and diagnostics.
  • Ensure structured, compliant controls logic (UDTs, AOIs, modular code).
  • Maintain documentation (backups, schematics, network drawings, change logs) and support root cause analysis with long-term improvements.
• SCADA, Data & Networking
  • Lead SCADA development and deployment (architecture, dashboards, historian, data acquisition).
  • Standardize data models, tag structures, and controls across systems; build and maintain data flows, dashboards, trends, and reports.
  • Configure communication interfaces (PLC, OPC UA, networks, historians) and support industrial network design (Ethernet/IP, switches, segmentation).
  • Improve system reliability, data clarity, and information delivery; act as SCADA/data SME ensuring controlled, well-documented changes.
• Project Engineering
  • Lead automation upgrades, retrofits, and new equipment installations; define controls specifications and ensure vendor compliance.
  • Manage project timelines, budgets, and system integration.
  • Support capital project justification and cost-benefit analysis.
• Operations & Maintenance Support
  • Act as escalation point for controls downtime; partner with Maintenance to improve troubleshooting and reliability.
  • Develop standard work, training materials, and troubleshooting guides.
  • Support continuous improvement across safety, quality, uptime, and throughput.
• Safety, Compliance & Standards
  • Ensure control systems comply with electrical safety standards and practices.
  • Support arc-flash documentation, safe work policies, and energy isolation.
  • Contribute to controls standards, cybersecurity, and change management processes.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Controls, Automation Engineering, or related field.
• Minimum 3+ years of hands-on controls engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong expertise in Allen-Bradley PLCs (ControlLogix/CompactLogix), Studio 5000, HMI systems, and industrial networks (Ethernet/IP, VLANs).
• Experience with VFDs, electrical schematics, P&IDs, and machine documentation.
• Knowledge of historian systems, SQL, basic scripting, and manufacturing data tools (MES, OEE).
• Proven problem-solving skills, ability to support plant operations, and work safely with electrical systems.
• Experience with ISA standards, SCADA/automation projects in fast-paced environments (asset).

Schedule

Weekday, day shift

Work Location: Rocky Mount, NC