Engineering Technician - Controls (Temp to Hire)

About the role

Thorne is hiring a temporary Engineering Technician - Controls in Summerville, South Carolina, with the possibility of transitioning to full-time employment after six months, depending on business needs and performance. The schedule rotates: first three months 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM, then 11:00 PM to 7:30 AM, and candidates must be comfortable with both. The technician ensures that components, tasks and resources meet quality standards and goals, supports compliance with cGMP and OSHA regulations and SOPs, and helps meet production targets.

Key responsibilities

• Provide technical support for the manufacturing floor, including electrical controls, mechanical systems and process improvement.
• Support control components such as photoelectric and proximity sensors, scanning devices, relays, pressure/vacuum switches, transducers, valves and solenoids, pneumatic/hydraulic/electric cylinders, clutches and brakes, and control circuits.
• Assist in commissioning new manufacturing suites and troubleshoot electrical and controls issues.
• Build and install electrical control cabinets to drawing specifications.
• Write one-page "How to" documents on downtime resolutions.
• Work with Production and Engineering to find root causes of recurring issues and identify gaps in equipment capabilities.
• Maintain knowledge of SOPs and current good manufacturing practices, complete assigned tasks on time, and work on multiple projects.
• Support workload and priority fluctuations, which may require overtime.

Required profile

• High school diploma (or GED) and relevant college coursework; associate degree preferred.
• One to three years of experience in a regulated environment (FDA, ISO and/or cGMP); an AA/AS or BS in an applicable field can substitute for experience.
• Experience in skilled trades, manufacturing maintenance or manufacturing engineering preferred.
• Working knowledge of high-voltage panels, including safety protocols and troubleshooting.
• Ability to learn new software packages and work independently on complex tasks.

Required skills

• Interface with PLC, HMI and VFD of various manufacturers.
• Relay logic control systems, ladder logic, statement list and function block/AIO PLC programming.
• Commissioning of new control systems and manufacturing suites, and editing HMI screens, PLC programs and VFD configurations.
• PNP vs. NPN sensor knowledge, wiring configurations and troubleshooting.
• Process instrumentation and controls.