Internet of Things Engineer

Ashley Furniture Industries, LLC; Advance (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Ashley Furniture Industries in Advance, NC is seeking an IoT Engineer to design and build the connected manufacturing ecosystem across multiple plants. You'll work at the intersection of Industrial IoT, automation, robotics, cloud connectivity, and enterprise systems to connect factory-floor equipment with business platforms.

You'll integrate PLCs and robotics, create edge-to-cloud data pipelines, and enable digital twins.

Qualifications

• Experience with Industrial IoT or Industry 4.0 implementations.
• Experience with PLC integration and automation.
• Familiarity with MES/ERP and enterprise manufacturing systems.

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement Industrial IoT integrations across PLCs, robotics, sensors, and equipment.
• Build edge-to-cloud data pipelines using MQTT, OPC-UA, REST, and modern messaging.
• Create scalable data models for production, quality, downtime, and telemetry.
• Connect equipment with MES/ERP and our EOP platform.
• Support FAT/SAT and commissioning activities.
• Enable digital twin initiatives and real-time production visibility.
• Design reusable integration patterns for scalable deployments.

Skills

Industrial IoT

PLC integration

MQTT/OPC-UA/REST

Edge computing

MES/ERP systems

Robotics integration

Digital twins

Data pipelines

Tools

Neo4j

Job description

Build the Connected Factories of the Future

About Ashley

Ashley Furniture Industries is the world's largest manufacturer of furniture, serving customers in more than 123 countries. As we continue investing in automation, AI, robotics, and digital manufacturing, we're transforming our production facilities into next-generation Smart Factories.

We're looking for an IoT Engineer who wants to solve complex engineering challenges at scale and help shape the future of manufacturing.

Summary

This isn't a maintenance role—it's an opportunity to design and build the connected manufacturing ecosystem that powers one of the world's largest manufacturing operations.

You'll work at the intersection of Industrial IoT, automation, robotics, cloud connectivity, and enterprise systems, creating the architecture that connects factory-floor equipment with the business systems that drive production.

From integrating PLCs and robotics to building edge-to-cloud data pipelines and enabling digital twins, your work will directly improve production visibility, operational efficiency, quality, and scalability across multiple manufacturing facilities.

If you're passionate about solving real-world engineering problems, modernizing manufacturing through Industry 4.0 technologies, and seeing your work deployed across multiple plants, we'd love to talk.

What You'll Do

Design and Build Industrial IoT Solutions

• Architect and implement Industrial IoT integrations connecting PLCs, robotics, sensors, machine controllers, and production equipment
• Build secure edge-to-cloud data pipelines using technologies including MQTT, OPC-UA, REST APIs, and modern messaging protocols
• Develop standardized connectivity frameworks that can be deployed across multiple manufacturing facilities
• Create scalable data models for production, quality, downtime, and machine telemetry
• Design reusable integration patterns that accelerate future Smart Factory deployments

Drive Smart Factory Transformation

• Connect manufacturing equipment with enterprise platforms including MES, ERP, and our Execution Operations Platform (EOP)
• Implement material traceability solutions using RFID, barcode, serialization, and machine vision technologies
• Enable real-time production visibility through Control Tower and plant observability platforms
• Support digital twin initiatives that improve operational insight and decision making
• Build event-driven data architectures that power analytics, reporting, and AI initiatives
• Partner with controls engineers, automation vendors, and plant operations teams during equipment installations and production launches
• Participate in Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT)
• Troubleshoot machine communications and integration challenges during commissioning and live production

Improve Reliability and Performance

• Monitor connectivity, system health, and data quality across manufacturing sites
• Diagnose and resolve communication failures impacting production
• Improve resiliency, fault tolerance, and overall platform reliability
• Continuously optimize Industrial IoT architecture to reduce downtime and improve operational efficiency

What We're Looking For

We're interested in engineers who enjoy building systems, solving difficult integration challenges, and working directly with manufacturing technology.

Experience with several of the following is preferred:

• Industrial IoT or Industry 4.0 implementations
• PLC integration and industrial automation
• MQTT, OPC-UA, REST APIs, or industrial communication protocols
• MES, ERP, or enterprise manufacturing systems
• Edge computing and real-time data pipelines
• RFID, barcode, serialization, or computer vision technologies
• Robotics, automated packaging, or manufacturing equipment
• Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT)
• Graph databases or manufacturing genealogy platforms such as Neo4j

You’ll Be Successful If You

• Think like a systems engineer and enjoy solving complex integration problems
• Stay calm under production pressure and thrive in fast-paced environments
• Communicate effectively with software engineers, controls engineers, vendors, and manufacturing teams
• Take ownership from design through deployment
• Enjoy standardizing solutions that can scale across an enterprise
• Have a passion for continuous improvement and operational excellence

Why Ashley?

This is an opportunity to make a measurable impact on one of the largest manufacturing operations in the world.

You'll help modernize factories, deploy Industry 4.0 technologies, influence enterprise architecture, and build solutions that improve manufacturing operations at global scale. You'll work with cutting-edge automation technologies while partnering with talented engineering and operations teams driving Ashley's digital transformation.

If you're excited about Industrial IoT, Smart Manufacturing, automation, and building systems that operate at enterprise scale, we'd love to hear from you.

Ashley Furniture Industries is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and maintains a drug-free workplace. While we appreciate the interest of all applicants, only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted.