Sr. Controls Engineer (Aero Manufacturing)

Date Posted:

2026-01-20

Country:

United States of America

Location:

US-NC-WILSON-4200 ~ 4200 Airport Dr ~ BLDG 4200

Position Role Type:

Onsite

U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements:

U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract.

Security Clearance Type:

None/Not Required

Security Clearance Status:

Not Required

Collins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. Join our dynamic team in Wilson, NC where we are committed to saving lives as an industry leader in the design and manufacturing of fire protection systems for commercial and military aircraft and ground vehicles. If you’re ready to make a difference in your career while contributing to the greater safety of others, apply now to become part of our team!

What You Will Do

• Lead the design, programming, commissioning, and support of PLC, HMI, and SCADA systems for aerospace manufacturing equipment and automated production lines

• Act as technical lead for controls and automation on production and capital projects, ensuring alignment with manufacturing, quality, and compliance requirements

• Troubleshoot and resolve complex control system issues to minimize production downtime and yield loss

• Develop, maintain, and enforce controls engineering standards, architectures, and documentation practices

• Review and approve electrical schematics, control panel designs, and instrumentation for manufacturability, safety, and compliance

• Ensure control systems comply with aerospace, safety, and regulatory requirements (AS9100, NADCAP, OSHA, NFPA, IEC, cybersecurity policies, etc.)

• Support Manufacturing Engineering and Operations during equipment startups, process changes, and root cause investigations

• Lead change management activities for control system modifications, including risk assessment, validation, and documentation

• Interface with IT/OT teams to ensure secure, reliable industrial network architecture

• Provide technical mentoring and guidance to junior controls engineers, technicians, and maintenance personnel

• Manage and oversee system integrators, OEMs, and automation vendors including Service as the conduit to site resources, ensuring alignment of produced solutions to production needs and standards

• Maintain accurate technical documentation, including software backups, change logs, and validation records

• Exercise sound mechanical and electrical knowledge to understand operational and design challenges in order to offer practical approach in action as well as guidance to the working team and effective technical communication to internal leaders.

• Support the development of strategic production technology roadmaps in alignment with the Wilson Fire Protection Systems’ strategy.

What You Will Learn

• Exposure to every function of the production operations, at all levels of the site organizational structure (from manufacturing operator to Site Leader), in support of every OEM in the aviation industry.  It is an ideal position to dive into the most interesting and impactful production technologies and the learning opportunities are limited solely by time, effort, and curiosity of the individual. 

• Skills required to succeed in a highly matrixed organization – effective communication, accountability through influence and structural expectations, project management, Sales/Inventory/Operations Planning

• Gain or deepen hands-on experience with Six Sigma and Shainin RedX techniques and develop expertise in Lean Manufacturing

Qualifications You Must Have 

• Typically requires a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) and minimum 5 years prior relevant experience or an Advanced Degree in a related field

• Strong proficiency with PLC platforms (Allen-Bradley preferred; Siemens or Schneider a plus)

• Experience with HMI/SCADA platforms such as FactoryTalk, Ignition, WinCC, or Wonderware

• Strong understanding of discrete manufacturing systems and industrial automation architectures

• Ability to create, read, and interpret electrical schematics, P&IDs, and control narratives

• Demonstrated experience troubleshooting production-critical equipment under time-sensitive conditions

Qualifications We Prefer

• Aerospace manufacturing experience or work in regulated/high-reliability