Manufacturing Automation and Controls Engineer

About Prysmian Prysmian is the world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry. Each year, the company manufactures thousands of miles of underground and submarine cables and systems for power transmission and distribution, as well as medium-low voltage cables for the construction and infrastructure sectors. We also produce a comprehensive range of optical fibers, copper cables and connectivity for voice, video, and data transmission for the telecommunication sector.

We are 30,000 employees, across 50+ countries. Everyone at Prysmian has the potential to make their mark; because whatever you do, wherever you are based, you will be part of a company that is helping transform the world around us.

Work Location:

Rocky Mount, NC

Work Schedule:

weekday, day shift

Prysmian is seeking a Manufacturing Automation & Controls Engineer to provide technical leadership for the modernization, standardization, and long-term sustainability of manufacturing control systems supporting cable manufacturing operations in Rocky Mount. This role serves as the subject matter expert for machine controls, helping define what good looks like, establish standards, and execute a long-term roadmap that reduces obsolescence, improves reliability, and increases project execution capability.

The successful candidate will combine strong electrical and controls fundamentals with the practical judgment needed to evaluate equipment, guide upgrades, mentor others, and partner with internal teams and external integrators.

This role is central to ensuring the long-term viability of our manufacturing assets. The engineer will help establish standards, reduce technical debt, improve execution speed, and create a sustainable path for modernizing equipment one project at a time. This is an opportunity to leave a lasting mark on a manufacturing operation by helping define standards, modernize aging equipment, and build a sustainable automation strategy for the future.

• Lead controls modernization projects involving PLCs, drives, HMIs, instrumentation, and machine control systems.
• Develop and maintain a roadmap for upgrading obsolete control systems and reducing technical risk.
• Establish standards for controls hardware, software, documentation, backups, naming conventions, and change management.
• Serve as the technical owner and final escalation point for complex controls-related issues.
• Define automation requirements, review designs, and develop scopes of work for contractors and system integrators.
• Ensure projects are architected for safety, maintainability, scalability, and long-term support.
• Establish standards for controls documentation, program backups, file structure, and revision management, while guiding the organization toward long-term adoption.
• Partner with maintenance personnel during projects and troubleshooting activities to transfer knowledge and strengthen internal capability.
• Support machine connectivity, industrial communications, and Ignition integration efforts as needed.
• Identify electrical safety risks and recommend improvements to equipment, policies, and work practices.
• Support equipment evaluations, acquisitions, and controls upgrade strategies for used or existing equipment.

Controls systems are increasingly standardized across facilities. Fewer production assets rely on obsolete hardware or unsupported platforms. Equipment documentation, program backups, and revision control are organized and accessible. Projects move faster because technical direction, architecture, and scope are defined up front. The organization is less dependent on external resources for routine controls work. There is a clear and actionable modernization roadmap with visible progress year over year.

Manufacturing processes operate with improved stability, reduced variation, and greater capability due to well-designed and maintained control systems.

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Automation Engineering, Controls Engineering, or related discipline.
• Experience supporting and upgrading industrial control systems in a manufacturing…