Laborup

Manufacturing Controls Engineer

Laborup  •  Knoxville, TN (Onsite)  •  3 hours ago
Apply
AI can make mistakes so check important info. Chat history is never stored.

Job Description

We’re hiring an experienced Manufacturing Controls Engineer to join a well-established industrial manufacturing operation in Mascot, TN.

This is a highly technical, hands-on engineering role focused on improving equipment reliability, automation, manufacturing efficiency, and overall plant performance. You'll serve as a key technical resource for the facility, working directly with production, maintenance, and engineering teams to troubleshoot complex equipment issues, optimize existing automation systems, and implement new manufacturing technologies.

The facility operates a variety of automated manufacturing, machining, assembly, and inspection equipment. We're looking for an engineer who is comfortable working directly on the plant floor, understands industrial electrical systems, and can independently troubleshoot, program, and improve PLC-controlled equipment.

Beyond day-to-day troubleshooting, you'll have the opportunity to own automation and capital improvement projects from initial concept through installation, commissioning, and implementation.

Key Responsibilities:

Controls & Automation Engineering

  • Program, troubleshoot, modify, and optimize PLC-controlled manufacturing equipment.
  • Develop and support HMI systems, industrial controls, and automated production processes.
  • Troubleshoot electrical and controls issues involving PLCs, VFDs, servo drives, motors, sensors, and industrial networks.
  • Integrate and improve automated equipment, robotics, machine vision, and motion control systems.
  • Support CNC equipment, automated inspection systems, and other complex manufacturing technologies.
  • Maintain and update electrical schematics, controls documentation, and equipment standards.

Manufacturing & Equipment Improvement

  • Identify opportunities to improve equipment uptime, throughput, quality, and manufacturing efficiency.
  • Partner with maintenance and production teams to resolve recurring equipment issues.
  • Perform root cause analysis and implement long-term corrective actions.
  • Analyze manufacturing and equipment performance data to identify improvement opportunities.
  • Support continuous improvement, equipment reliability, and preventive maintenance initiatives.

Capital Projects & Technical Leadership

  • Lead equipment upgrades, automation projects, and new equipment installations.
  • Develop project scopes, technical specifications, budgets, and implementation plans.
  • Coordinate with equipment manufacturers, contractors, suppliers, and internal teams.
  • Oversee equipment commissioning, startup, troubleshooting, and production handoff.
  • Provide technical guidance and training to maintenance technicians and production personnel.
  • Support electrical safety, machine safeguarding, and compliance with applicable industrial standards.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Mechatronics, Automation Engineering, or a related technical field.
  • Experience working with industrial controls and automated equipment in a manufacturing environment.
  • Strong hands-on experience with PLC programming, troubleshooting, and HMI systems.
  • Ability to troubleshoot industrial electrical systems, VFDs, servo drives, sensors, and motor controls.
  • Experience reading, interpreting, and modifying electrical schematics.
  • Strong understanding of manufacturing equipment, industrial automation, and electrical troubleshooting.
  • Ability to independently diagnose complex equipment issues and implement practical solutions.
  • Strong communication skills and ability to work closely with production, maintenance, and engineering teams.

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation based on experience
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k) retirement plan with company match
  • Paid time off (PTO) and paid holidays
Laborup

About Laborup

Laborup is the #1 AI powered talent platform for America’s industrial workforce. We use AI to create jobs, not take them away. We help HR and plant leaders hire and keep the skilled workers who keep plants running: machinists, welders, maintenance techs, operators, industrial electricians, and engineers. USA Today called us the “LinkedIn for blue collar workers,” and Forbes profiled our work in “How AI Is Solving America’s 1 Trillion Dollar Manufacturing Labor Crisis.”

Today we work with manufacturers from 50 person shops to large public companies with tens of thousands of employees, and the story is the same everywhere. It is hard to find talent, hard to keep good people, and staffing costs keep rising. In a market where filling critical industrial roles can take months and turnover is constant, Laborup helps teams move qualified workers from first contact to on site interview in days instead of weeks and keep them on the floor longer.

Most of the workers our customers need are not on LinkedIn or the usual job boards. Laborup uses AI to find this hidden workforce, call and text them, screen and qualify them, build real profiles, and match them directly to the plants and roles where they can succeed. For workers, that means real, permanent roles at serious manufacturers, not one off gigs. For companies, it is durable infrastructure for hiring and retention at scale in a labor market that will stay tight for years.

We work across nuclear, defense, and advanced manufacturing, as well as sectors like aerospace, automotive, and food production. Teams that use Laborup hire 5 to 10 times faster, see around 3 times better retention, and cut cost per hire by up to 50 to 70 percent. That turns into fewer empty shifts, fewer missed orders, more stable teams, and more capacity without more headache.

We are building the modern talent system for America’s industrial base with a simple long term goal: put a billion industrial workers to work in good jobs that matter.

Industry
Retail & Ecommerce
Company Size
11-50 employees
Headquarters
Knoxville
Year Founded
Unknown
Social Media