Senior Industrial Controls Engineer

Job DescriptionJob Description
Senior Industrial Controls Engineer – 10+ Years Required

Location: Hendersonville, North Carolina
Industry: Industrial Controls/R&D

About Us

Solid Rock Recruiting is partnering with a leader in industrial automation and advanced kiln systems, serving customers worldwide with innovative engineering solutions. We are seeking a Senior R&D / Industrial Engineer to drive research & development, solve complex technical challenges, and support large-scale equipment installations. This role is critical to our continued growth and requires a highly skilled, hands-on engineer who thrives in dynamic, technical environments.

What You’ll Do

• Lead R&D initiatives and drive innovation across mechanical, electrical, and control systems.

• Serve as the go-to technical problem solver—able to diagnose and resolve issues that others can’t.

• Oversee commissioning, startup, and servicing of industrial kiln equipment in the field.

• Develop, program, and optimize PLCs (primarily Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, but open to others).

• Work with servo systems, VFDs, networking, and advanced controls integration.

• Update and maintain our proprietary software controls package.

• Collaborate with plant operations, maintenance, and project teams to ensure successful installations.

• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to knowledge-sharing across the team.

What We’re Looking For

Must-Have Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or related Engineering field.

• 10–25 years of industrial engineering experience (automation, plant engineering, or similar).

• Strong PLC programming skills (Rockwell , but definitely open to others).

• Broad background across mechanical and electrical systems—not siloed in one discipline.

• Proven track record in industrial automation, troubleshooting, and hands-on problem solving.

• Experience with project, plant, or maintenance management.

• Excellent communication skills—able to work with customers and internal teams

Nice-to-Haves:

• Experience with kilns, furnaces, or large-scale industrial process equipment.

• R&D leadership experience.

• Welding practices, corrosion troubleshooting, and/or pressure vessel certifications.

Additional Details

• Travel expectation is ~50% (startup, commissioning, customer support).

• Candidates should be willing to base themselves in or near Hendersonville, NC, to stay connected with the team and office.

• Compensation is extremely competitive with flexibility for the right candidate.

This is a highly selective search: we’re seeking an “A-player” engineer with deep technical expertise and leadership capability. If you’re a seasoned engineer who thrives on solving the toughest challenges, we want to talk to you.

Apply today by sending your resume to Ryan@solidrockrecruiting.com or giving me a call at 605.291.1328