Controls Engineer III

Corning Incorporated; Hickory (NC); On-site; USD 105,994 - 145,743; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company-wide bonuses

100% company-paid pension benefit

Comprehensive health and well-being benefits

Recognition program for contributions

Job summary

Corning Incorporated in Hickory, North Carolina, is looking for a controls engineer to lead design and development of automation systems in its fiber optic cable manufacturing. This role involves mentoring junior engineers, overseeing project execution, and troubleshooting complex control system issues.

The successful candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and at least 4 years of experience with HMI, SCADA systems, and PLC programming. Strong communication skills and adherence to safety protocols are also essential.

Qualifications

• 4+ years manufacturing experience with PLCs controlling process equipment.
• Strong electrical design and debugging skills for automation.
• Able to interpret electrical drawings and implement safety measures.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement automation systems for fiber optic cable production.
• Mentor junior engineers and manage engineering projects.
• Participate in troubleshooting automation issues and response rotation.

Skills

HMI / SCADA systems programming

PLC programming

Electrical design practices

Communication protocols

Lock‑Out Tag‑Out procedures

Education

Bachelors in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or Electrical/Electronics Engineering Technology

Tools

Allen Bradley ControlLogix

AutoCAD Electrical 2021

OSI PI historian interface

Job description

Corning is one of the world’s leading innovators in glass, ceramic, and materials science. From the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space, our technologies push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Purpose

Responsible for the design, development, programming, implementation, and optimization of control systems supporting Corning’s cable manufacturing processes. This role provides controls and electrical engineering expertise to improve product, process, and equipment performance, support innovation, and enable new product introduction within the plant. It requires advanced technical leadership in troubleshooting complex automation issues, integrating systems, and improving equipment reliability, safety, and efficiency. The position also leads projects that drive root cause understanding, cost reduction, continuous improvement, and cross‑functional collaboration, while mentoring junior team members and maintaining awareness of emerging technologies and intellectual property developed through project work.

Key Responsibilities

• Provides leadership in problem solving, and technical expertise, to ensure timely resolution of short‑term process and equipment issues, and higher level troubleshooting
• Design, create, modify, and implement robust, cost effective automation and process machine control systems (i.e., Allen Bradley PLC programs) for our fiber optic cable production plant.
• Mentor and train junior controls engineers
• Manage the controls engineering scope of process improvement, capital expansion, and obsolescence mitigation projects.
• Interface with external system integrators to successfully deliver fully integrated process equipment systems to Corning’s facility. Participate in all phases of the project including design, fabrication, off‑line integration and testing, installation, production start‑up support, training of plant personnel, and technology transfer. Independently follow construction of equipment in vendors’ facilities.
• Capable of working closely with other engineers, maintenance, operations and other plant and division functions to perform line troubleshooting and execute project assignments to completion in a team based environment with minimal supervision.
• Participate in an on call rotation, providing support during nights, weekends, and holidays as needed to ensure continuous coverage and timely response to critical issues.

Work Hours And Schedule

• Nominal working hours are M – F, 8 AM – 5 PM.
• Informal 24/7 coverage for ad‑hoc call‑in support (approx. every 6 weeks).

Travel

neglible

Qualifications

• Bachelors in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or Electrical/Electronics Engineering Technology
• 4+ years manufacturing experience working with HMI / SCADA systems programming: PLCs / HMIs / VFDs controlling process and automation equipment in a plant environment including higher level communications protocols (e.g., Allen Bradley ControlLogix v20 systems or higher), and the ability to generate, debug and modify PLC code – ladder logic, structured text and function block diagram.
• Possess strong fundamental understanding of electrical design practices, machine/motion control systems, electro‑mechanical systems, VFD and Servo programming, communication protocols, and practical application, and be able to generate and interpret electrical drawings using AutoCAD Electrical 2021 for systems design including control panel layouts, component documentation, and schematics to prepare initial CAD design layouts of both complete electrical controls systems and control sub‑sections, as well as review electrical drawing packages for conformance to Corning standards.
• Ensure proactive safety measures for all equipment and processes. Seeks to identify and correct potential safety or environmental issues using NEC, NFPA, and other pertinent safety codes. Ensure safety procedures, such as Lock‑Out Tag‑Out, are always followed.

Desired Skills

• Allen Bradley ControlLogix v20 systems experience.
• Experience with the OSI PI (historian) interface.
• Strong written/verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Entrepreneurial/Visionary (able to conceive and design a control system never demonstrated and understands the big picture and can project this view).

Compensation

The range for this position is $105,994.00 - $145,743.00 assuming full time status. Starting pay for the successful applicant is dependent on a variety of job‑related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education.

Benefits

• Company‑wide bonuses and long‑term incentives align with key business results and ensure you are rewarded when the company performs well. When Corning wins, we all win.
• As part of our commitment to your financial well‑being, we provide a 100% company‑paid pension benefit with fixed contributions that grow throughout your career. Combined with matching contributions to your 401(k) savings plan, Corning’s total contributions to your retirement accounts can reach between 7% and 12% of your pay, depending on your age and years of service.
• Our health and well‑being benefits include medical, dental, vision, paid parental leave, family building support, fitness, company‑paid life insurance, disability, disease management programs, paid time off, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support you and your family.
• Getting paid for our work is important, but feeling appreciated and recognized for those contributions motivates us much more. That’s why Corning offers a recognition program to celebrate successes and reward colleagues who make exceptional contributions.

We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected status.

Corning is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and considers requests for reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs may request reasonable accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, perform essential job functions, or access other benefits and privileges of employment. To submit a request for reasonable accommodation related to disability or religion, please contact us at [e-mail].