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Controls Engineer

Research Triangle Park, NC

Vulcan Elements is manufacturing American rare-earth permanent magnets for a secure, resilient future. With a focus on national security and economic resiliency, we serve critical industries such as defense, aerospace, and automotive powering a high-technology future. Vulcan Elements is building a team of ambitious professionals committed to Mission Focus, Technical Excellence, and Transparency. 

As the Controls Engineer you will own controls execution for the finishing equipment portfolio  within a massive 1 million square foot manufacturing facility expansion. You will own your equipment packages cradle-to-grave: design review, FAT witness, site commissioning, and sustaining support. This is a high-impact, high-ownership role requiring technical expertise in industrial automation and industrial robotics. The role includes hands-on implementation and travel to OEM factory acceptance tests, domestic and international, up to ~50% during test campaigns, and transitions from Durham, NC to the Benson, NC facility as commissioning begins. 

Responsibilities 

  • Lead hands-on programming, debugging, and commissioning of Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens, and other industrial control hardware. Apply internal standards across grinding, wire saw, EDM, tumbling, coating, magnetization, and in-line inspection equipment. 
  • Own the integration and commissioning of robot cells(Fanuc, ABB, Kuka) - cell layout review, end-of-arm tooling, PLC-to-robot handshaking, machine vision, and coordinated motion with indexing conveyors, rotary tables, and servo feed systems. 
  • Execute task-based risk assessments to ISO 10218-1/-2, ISO/TS 15066, and ANSI/RIA R15.06; specify and validate safety functions — safe soft limits and zone monitoring, enabling devices, guard interlocks, and safety-rated stops — and demonstrate each one at Factory Acceptance Test rather than discovering it on site. 
  • Configure and maintain communications between PLCs, robots, CNC-class machine controls, and the site SCADA/MES layer, including tag mapping, alarming, and data acquisition. 
  • Review vendor electrical schematics, controls architectures, robot programs, and PLC/HMI logic. Lead controls Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) and Site Acceptance Tests (SATs) to ensure full compliance with functional and safety requirements. 
  • Integrate dimensional and defect inspection, profilometry, and analytical test instrumentation into cell control and the plant data layer - measurement-to-reject interlocks, SPC data flow, and the disposition logic. 
  • Serve as the first-line, hands-on responder for diagnosing complex automation issues involving robots, networks, motion systems, instrumentation, and industrial communication protocols - on both the new facility and the running pilot. 

Deliverables You Will Develop, Review, or Support 

  • PLC code architecture, robot programs and safety zone configurations, HMI screens, vision inspection programs, tag databases, network lists, and system backups. 
  • Robot cell and machine risk assessments, safety function specifications with required performance levels, interlock and guarding logic, and safety-rated PFMEA inputs. 
  • Cell layouts, controls and network topology layouts, station cycle times, sequence diagrams, and automation simulations. 
  • Electrical schematics, pneumatic drawings, controls panel layouts, end-of-arm tooling interface drawings, and industrial network architecture. 
  • Calibration procedures, I/O lists, instrumentation documentation, robot mastering and maintenance procedures, and controls hardware maintenance manuals. 

Responsibilities and tasks outlined are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the business  

Qualifications 

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field with 4+ years of direct industrial automation and controls engineering experience. 
  • Strong hands-on experience programming and commissioning Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, SIemens PLCs and HMIs, including safety PLCs such as GuardLogix. 
  • Hands-on experience integrating multi-axis robots – FANUC, ABB, and/or KUKA - including teaching, program review, PLC handshaking, and safety zone configuration. 
  • Grinding, wire saw, EDM, or lapping equipment; mass finishing and deburring lines; conveyorized coating and cure ovens. 
  • Servos, VFDs, indexing conveyors, rotary tables, and automated feed systems; proficiency with Ethernet/IP, OPC UA, and similar industrial communication standards. 
  • Demonstrated FAT and SAT participation — you have tested machines at vendor shops and commissioned them in the field — with structured troubleshooting, disciplined change control, and honest escalation. 

Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export-controlled information or facilities  

Preferred Skills

  • Working knowledge of ISO 10218 / ANSI-RIA R15.06, the collaborative operation modes and their common misuse, and ISO 13849 performance levels, with the judgment to require that a safety function be demonstrated rather than asserted. 
  • Cognex or Keyence class vision platforms, in-line dimensional gauging, or profilometry and SPC-driven inspection systems. 
  • Standalone CNC machines (FANUC FOCAS, MTConnect, etc..) and/or OEM data retrofits on equipment shipped without normal factory integration in mind. 
  • Plant-level conveyor control and AMR/AGV fleet integration (ANSI/RIA R15.08) — a likely growth area for this role as that scope is defined. 
  • Combustible dust (NFPA 484 — NdFeB grinding swarf is pyrophoric), reactive metals, or strong-field environments where standard inductive, reed, Hall-effect, and magnetic-encoder sensing cannot be used. 
  • Experience developing SCADA applications in Ignition, FactoryTalk, Wonderware, or similar platforms. 
  • Familiarity with Python, SQL, or other high-level languages for automation or data analytics. 
  • Experience in heavy industrial, greenfield, or metallurgical manufacturing environments, or in regulated industries such as Defense, Aerospace, or Automotive. 

Physical and Environmental Requirements

The position requires regular presence on the production floor and the ability to navigate all areas of the facility. Candidates must be able to climb stairs, stand and walk for extended periods, and work in environments that may be hot, humid, or noisy. The role also requires the use of personal protective equipment, including respirators, and adherence to all applicable safety policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Employees must be able to complete required fit testing, wear appropriate PPE for the duration of assigned tasks, and respond safely to changing conditions within the production environment.

 

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