Control Engineering Graduate

British Sugar; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading sugar manufacturer is seeking graduates for their Control Engineering Graduate Programme in Bury St Edmunds. You'll design, configure, and maintain automation systems crucial for factory operations. Ideal candidates will have a degree in a relevant engineering discipline and a passion for automation. This role offers substantial technical development across multiple UK sites, with a competitive salary of £42,000 per annum.

Qualifications

• Understanding of automation or control principles.
• Curiosity about real manufacturing environments.
• Attention to detail in technical work.

Responsibilities

• Work with process and operations teams on automation support.
• Assist in design and testing of control systems.
• Learn about server administration and networking.
• Maintain technical documentation and assist in system upgrades.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving skills

Effective communication

Collaboration skills

Education

2:1 degree in Control, Electrical, Electronic, Instrumentation, Automation, or a related Engineering discipline

Job description

British Sugar is a home-grown success story and one of the most efficient and competitive beet processers in the world. Around 3,500 farmers based in East Anglia and the East Midlands supply our four advanced manufacturing sites with eight million tonnes of sugar beet every year. We, in turn, make this in to over 1 million tonnes of sugar, serving customers across the UK, Ireland and increasingly growing commercially in the EU and world sugar markets.

Control Engineering Graduate Programme

Duration: 2 years

Location: Bury St Edmunds

Salary: £42,000 per annum

Take control of your engineering career

Join our Control Engineering Graduate Programme and help design, configure, and maintain the automation systems that keep our factories running 24/7. You’ll work with technologies such as Distributed Control Systems, Programmable Logic Controllers, and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems — the backbone of modern manufacturing.

You’ll develop technical expertise across system design, commissioning, and optimisation, supported by experienced engineers and hands‑on project work.

What You Will Be Doing

• Work with process and operations teams to understand how automation supports production.
• Assist with the design, configuration, and testing of control systems and safety systems.
• Develop and implement HMI graphics, control logic, alarms, and optimisation strategies.
• Support commissioning, start‑up, and troubleshooting activities.
• Learn about server administration, virtualisation, networking, system integration, and cybersecurity in industrial environments.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation and participate in system upgrades.

What You Will Need

• A minimum 2:1 degree (or predicted) in Control, Electrical, Electronic, Instrumentation, Automation, or a related Engineering discipline.
• An understanding of automation or control principles, and curiosity to learn how they apply in real manufacturing environments.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with attention to detail in technical work.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills to work across engineering and operations teams.
• Flexibility to be based at and travel between any of our UK sites — Newark, Bury St Edmunds, Wissington, Cantley, or Peterborough.
• The right to work in the United Kingdom.
• Alignment with our values: staying safe, driving to action, working together, respecting each other, and being open and flexible.