Controls Technician — PLC & Pilot Operations Specialist

Vulcan Elements Inc.; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Vulcan Elements Inc. in Durham, NC seeks a Controls Technician to keep the pilot line reliable while simplifying changes. You will troubleshoot PLC-controlled equipment and perform routine logic, HMI, recipe, and parameter updates with the pilot operations team.

You’ll read electrical drawings, document changes, and coordinate with the Controls Engineer. This role requires hands-on wiring, soldering, and a strong eye for quality and traceability.

Qualifications

• Hands‑on experience troubleshooting PLC-controlled industrial equipment and reading ladder logic.
• High school diploma/GED.
• Experience making and testing PLC or HMI changes in a running production environment.
• Ability to trace a fault across program logic, I/O, field devices, and operator displays using electrical schematics and standard troubleshooting tools.
• Diligent change documentation and the judgment to recognize when proposed modification s need engineering review.
• Ability to use a digital multimeter and other electrical troubleshooting tools
• Soldering and wiring

Responsibilities

• Provide first-line controls support: Diagnose PLC, HMI, I/O, drive, instrument, and industrial communication issues with the pilot controls team and equipment vendors.
• Implement and test routine PLC logic, HMI screen, tag, recipe, and parameter improvements/ changes within an agreed scope; escalation larger design changes as needed.
• Document the reason for each change, its approval, the version installed, test results, and the updated as-is code or screen record.
• Read electrical drawings and controls documentation to support troubleshooting, then update affected I/O lists and controls records after changes.
• Coordinate change windows and return-to-service checks with the Controls Engineer and production team.
• Support the two electrical Controls Technicians with code-level diagnosis while drawing on their field wiring and instrumentation expertise .

Skills

PLC troubleshooting

Ladder logic

HMI changes

Electrical schematics

Digital multimeter

Soldering

Education

High school diploma/GED

Tools

Rockwell Studio 5000

Siemens TIA Portal

Ignition SCADA

Job description

Vulcan Elements Inc. in Durham, NC seeks a Controls Technician to keep the pilot line reliable while simplifying changes. You will troubleshoot PLC-controlled equipment and perform routine logic, HMI, recipe, and parameter updates with the pilot operations team.

You’ll read electrical drawings, document changes, and coordinate with the Controls Engineer. This role requires hands-on wiring, soldering, and a strong eye for quality and traceability.