Senior Manager, Controls Engineering

Baxter International Inc.; Marion (NC); On-site; USD 152,000 - 209,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision coverage

PTO 160 hours + paid holidays

401K match

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Paid Parental Leave

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

Baxter International Inc. is seeking a senior Controls Engineering leader to drive strategic planning for the North Cove Controls Engineering organization.

You will coach teams, upgrade equipment performance, and manage budgets while delivering projects with quality, on time, and within scope. Responsibilities include implementing Industry 4.0 technologies, standardizing control systems, and advancing automation across multiple plants.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Controls, Automation, Mechanical, Chemical or related engineering field.
• Minimum 8 years of controls, automation, manufacturing, or engineering experience.
• Minimum 4 years of technical management and leadership experience, including cross-functional team leadership, resource management, and budgeting.

Responsibilities

• Set and complete multi-site engineering, automation, and optimization strategies aligned with business objectives and digital manufacturing initiatives.
• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop engineering teams to build a high-performing, self-directed organization.
• Drive improvements in OEE, throughput, process reliability, equipment performance, and manufacturing efficiency across facilities.
• Develop and implement engineering and automation strategies to enhance operational performance and technical expertise.
• Champion collaboration across Operations, Reliability, Maintenance, Manufacturing, Quality, and Engineering.

Skills

Controls engineering

Industrial automation

Project management

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

Tools

PLCs

HMIs

SCADA

Industrial networks

Motion control

Robotics

Machine vision

Data analytics

Control architectures

Job description

This is whereyour work makes a difference.

At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results.

Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride.

Your role at Baxter

This is where your expertise helps people

Responsible for leading and strategic planning of the North Cove Controls Engineering organization. Provides coaching and mentorship to the North Cove Controls Engineering function and is accountable for the site’s performance and key initiatives related to upgrading and improving equipment performance as it pertains to controls. Responsible for the area budget and headcount resources. Directs the team to complete projects and programs within boundaries of quality, time, and budget.

Based on significant technical and managerial expertise, creates and implements strategies that improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), equipment performance, process capability, automation reliability, and manufacturing productivity across the site’s various manufacturing cells. Provides technical direction to staff and fosters an environment of creativity, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement in achieving departmental and site objectives. Leads efforts to improve and standardize control systems, automation platforms, engineering practices, and project execution methodologies across the team.

What we offer from Day One

• Medical, Dental and Vision coverage
• 160 hours of Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays
• 401K match
• Employee Stock Purchase Program
• Paid Parental Leave
• Tuition Reimbursement

What you'll be doing

• Set and complete multi-site engineering, automation, and optimization strategies aligned with business objectives, industry trends, emerging technologies, and digital manufacturing initiatives.
• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop engineering teams through goal setting, succession planning, and technical cross-training to build a high-performing, self-directed organization.
• Drive improvements in OEE, throughput, process reliability, equipment performance, and manufacturing efficiency across multiple facilities.
• Develop and implement engineering and automation strategies that enhance operational performance, process capability, reliability, and technical expertise.
• Foster collaboration across Operations, Reliability, Maintenance, Manufacturing, Quality, and Engineering functions to improve resource effectiveness and achieve business goals.
• Lead the deployment of advanced automation, robotics, controls, industrial networking, analytics, and Industry 4.0 technologies to improve safety, reliability, and asset utilization.
• Direct capital projects, automation upgrades, equipment modernization, and process optimization initiatives to deliver targeted operational and financial results.
• Establish and standardize engineering practices, controls architectures, programming standards, cybersecurity, documentation, and project management processes across multiple plants.
• Champion root cause analysis, continuous improvement, and controls optimization initiatives to eliminate losses, improve process stability, increase capacity, and enhance manufacturing efficiency.
• Manage engineering resources, operating and capital budgets, and technology roadmaps while ensuring compliance with safety, quality, cGMP, SOP, and change management requirements.

What you'll bring

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related engineering discipline required.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant controls, automation, manufacturing, or engineering experience.
• Minimum of 4 years of technical management and leadership experience, including cross-functional team leadership, resource management, budget management, and project execution.
• Demonstrated experience leading capital projects, automation implementations, controls system upgrades, and OEE improvement initiatives in a manufacturing environment.
• Must possess strong knowledge of controls engineering, industrial automation systems, manufacturing technologies, project management practices, engineering performance metrics, and process optimization methodologies.
• Strong understanding of PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, industrial networks, motion control systems, robotics, machine vision systems, data analytics platforms, and manufacturing control architectures.
• Proven track record of management and leadership effectiveness in manufacturing and engineering environments.
• Strong project management and capital planning capabilities with demonstrated success executing complex, multi-site engineering initiatives.

The above description outlines the primary responsibilities of the role but does not preclude the assignment of additional tasks as needed. Previous iterations of this job description are incorporated and may be assigned based on operational requirements. Any such inclusions will align with the established factor of degrees for this position.

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. At Baxter, we are committed to equitable pay for all employees, and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices. The estimated base salary for this position is $152,000 - $209,000 annually. The estimated range is meant to reflect an anticipated salary range for the position. We may pay more or less than of the anticipated range based upon market data and other factors, all of which are subject to change. Individual pay is based upon location, skills and expertise, experience, and other relevant factors. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

US Benefits at Baxter (except for Puerto Rico)

This is where your well-being matters. Baxter offers comprehensive compensation and benefits packages for eligible roles. Our health and well-being benefits include medical and dental coverage that start on day one, as well as insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance. Financial and retirement benefits include the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount, and the 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching. We also offer Flexible Spending Accounts, educational assistance programs, and time-off benefits such as paid holidays, paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service, family and medical leaves of absence, and paid parental leave. Additional benefits include commuting benefits, the Employee Discount Program, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and childcare benefits. Join us and enjoy the competitive compensation and benefits we offer to our employees.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Baxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.

Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal

Reasonable Accommodations

Baxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information.

Recruitment Fraud Notice

Baxter has discovered incidents of employment scams, where fraudulent parties pose as Baxter employees, recruiters, or other agents, and engage with online job seekers in an attempt to steal personal and/or financial information. To learn how you can protect yourself, review our Recruitment Fraud Notice.