Controls Engineer - High Volume Manufacturing - Charleston, SC

Controls Engineer

My client is a leading manufacturer operating a highly automated, 24/7 production environment where reliability and uptime are critical to business success. The engineering team plays a central role in maintaining and improving automated manufacturing systems that support high-volume operations. This position joins a small, highly skilled controls team and offers the opportunity to work closely with engineering leadership, technicians, and operations personnel on a daily basis. The organization is seeking a hands-on Controls Engineer who can thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing setting, quickly diagnose complex automation issues, and contribute to the continuous improvement of critical production processes. This is a high-priority hire with significant visibility and impact, offering the opportunity to take ownership of automation initiatives while helping develop less experienced technical team members. The environment is best suited for an engineer who enjoys solving challenging problems, supporting production uptime, and working directly with automated equipment in a manufacturing setting.

Design, program, test, and commission PLC and HMI control systems for manufacturing equipment.

Develop, modify, and troubleshoot industrial automation systems and electrical controls.

Support VFDs, servo systems, instrumentation, industrial sensors, and machine safety systems.

Configure and maintain industrial communication networks and control architectures.

Create and revise electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, control panel layouts, and bills of material.

Serve as the primary technical resource for diagnosing and resolving complex automation and electrical issues.

Lead root cause investigations and implement permanent corrective actions to enhance reliability.

Partner with operations and maintenance teams to reduce downtime and improve equipment performance.

Support capital projects from design and specification through installation, startup, and validation.

Coordinate with OEMs, contractors, and system integrators on equipment upgrades and new installations.

Maintain controls documentation, PLC backups, and technical records.

Identify opportunities to improve productivity, quality, safety, and manufacturing efficiency.

MPI does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, or based on an individual's status in any group or class protected by applicable federal, state or local law. MPI encourages applications from minorities, women, the disabled, protected veterans and all other qualified applicants.

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, or a related discipline.

4+ years of experience in industrial automation, controls engineering, or electrical engineering within a manufacturing environment.

Strong PLC and HMI programming and troubleshooting experience, ideally with Allen-Bradley ControlLogix/CompactLogix and Studio 5000.

Hands-on experience with VFDs, motor controls, instrumentation, and industrial networking.

Ability to read, create, and modify electrical schematics and controls documentation.

Proven experience troubleshooting automated production equipment in a manufacturing setting.

Strong analytical, problem-solving, communication, and project management skills.

Experience with Siemens PLCs, robotics, machine vision, servos, SCADA systems, or safety PLCs is a plus.

Exposure to Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, reliability engineering, or continuous improvement initiatives preferred.

Experience supporting capital projects and equipment commissioning is advantageous.

Competitive compensation package.

Comprehensive benefits program.

Opportunity to lead impactful automation and controls projects.

Exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies and capital investments.

Strong visibility across engineering, maintenance, and operations teams.

Career growth opportunities within a successful manufacturing organization.

Stable, full-time onsite position with limited travel requirements.

The chance to make a measurable impact on plant performance, reliability, and productivity.