Automation Design Engineer

Piper Companies; Charlotte (NC); On-site; USD 95,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with match

Tuition reimbursement

Paid training opportunities

PTO

Job summary

Piper Companies is seeking an Automation Design Engineer to join our expanding engineering and systems integration organization in Charlotte, NC.

This on-site role designs and implements control system solutions, supports projects from concept through commissioning, collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, and travels up to 30% for site commissioning and validation activities.

Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits available.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical field.
• Experience with Allen-Bradley PLCs and Rockwell components.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD Electrical/ECAD or similar design software.
• Experience creating electrical control drawings and wiring diagrams.
• Exposure to GMP/GDP environments or pharmaceutical/life sciences facilities preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop control system designs, electrical drawings, and panel layouts using AutoCAD Electrical and ECAD.
• Program, configure, and troubleshoot Allen-Bradley PLCs and related Rockwell hardware.
• Support projects through design reviews, testing, documentation, and startup activities.
• Travel to customer sites ~30% for commissioning, site support, and validation.
• Identify opportunities to improve engineering workflows and automate tasks.

Skills

Allen-Bradley PLC programming

Industrial automation

Rockwell Automation hardware

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD Electrical

ECAD

Siemens Desigo

Job description

Piper Companies is seeking an Automation Design Engineer to join a rapidly growing engineering and systems integration organization supporting mission-critical facilities and regulated industries for a permanent, onsite position based out of Charlotte, NC. The Automation Design Engineer will be responsible for designing and implementing control system solutions, supporting automation projects from concept through commissioning, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities of the Automation Design Engineer include:

• Develop control system designs, electrical drawings, and panel layouts using AutoCAD Electrical and ECAD platforms.
• Program, configure, and troubleshoot Allen-Bradley PLC systems and related Rockwell Automation hardware.
• Support automation projects throughout the project lifecycle, including design reviews, documentation, testing, and startup activities.
• Travel to customer locations approximately 30% of the time to assist with commissioning, site support, and system validation efforts.
• Identify opportunities to improve engineering workflows, automate repetitive design tasks, and support continuous process improvement initiatives.

Qualifications for the Automation Design Engineer include:

• 2+ years of experience in industrial automation, controls engineering, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience programming Allen-Bradley PLCs and strong familiarity with Rockwell Automation components and hardware integration.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD Electrical, ECAD, or similar electrical design software.
• Experience creating electrical control drawings, wiring diagrams, and automation documentation.
• Previous exposure to GMP-regulated environments, GDP requirements, pharmaceutical manufacturing, life sciences facilities, BAS/HVAC systems, or Siemens Desigo platforms is highly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Automation, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

Compensation for the Automation Design Engineer:

Salary Range: $95,000 - $115,000/year (USD) + annual bonus opportunity of approximately 14% - 26% (ESOP + year-end bonus)

Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) with 3% match, tuition reimbursement, paid training opportunities, and PTO

This job opens for applications on 8/21/26. Applications for this job will be accepted for at least 30 days from the posting date.

Keywords: automation engineer, controls engineer, PLC programming, Allen-Bradley, Rockwell Automation, AutoCAD Electrical, ECAD, industrial automation, process controls, control systems, electrical design, panel design, commissioning, startup support, GMP, GDP, pharmaceutical manufacturing, life sciences, BAS, HVAC controls, Desigo, industrial engineering, SCADA, HMI, electrical schematics, instrumentation, validation, manufacturing automation, data centers, systems integration, engineering design, technical troubleshooting, project engineering, controls design, startup and commissioning, automation systems, industrial controls.

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