Demo

Pilot Plant Controls Engineer

Sibelco Group
Spruce Pine, NC Full Time
POSTED ON 6/7/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 7/14/2026
Location:

SP Red Hill

At Sibelco, we advance life through materials.

For over 150 years, we’ve been a trusted leader in sourcing, transforming, and distributing specialty industrial minerals. Our work powers progress across industries as diverse as glass, ceramics, construction, coatings, polymers, and water purification. Beyond our materials, we’re proud of our commitment to sustainability, innovation, and empowering people from all walks of life to thrive and make a meaningful impact.

Are We the Perfect Match?

At Sibelco, we believe building a successful career is a two-way journey. We’re looking for individuals who share our values and vision, just as much as you’re seeking a company that aligns with your aspirations. Together, we can shape the future.

Job Description:

Pilot Plant Controls Engineer

Location: Bakersville, NC (Red Hill Location)

At Sibelco, we advance life through materials.

For over 150 years, we’ve been a trusted leader in sourcing, transforming, and distributing specialty industrial minerals. Our work powers progress across industries as diverse as glass, ceramics, construction, coatings, polymers, and water purification. Beyond our materials, we’re proud of our commitment to sustainability, innovation, and empowering people from all walks of life to thrive and make a meaningful impact.

Are We the Perfect Match?

At Sibelco, we believe building a successful career is a two-way journey. We’re looking for individuals who share our values and vision, just as much as you’re seeking a company that aligns with your aspirations. Together, we can shape the future.

As a part of the Technology & Innovation Team the Pilot Plant Controls Engineer role will empower you to play a crucial role in the design, development, and optimization of chemical processes, ensuring they are scalable, efficient, and safe for pilot plant and full-scale production. This position requires a strong background in chemical engineering and process development, coupled with excellent project management and leadership skills.

Your Impact in This Role

As a Controls Engineer, your responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

  • Lead the development and optimization of chemical processes from laboratory scale to pilot plant scale.
  • Collaborate with R&D scientists to understand experimental data and translate laboratory-scale processes into scalable operations
  • Ability to make Engineering decisions on existing or conceptualized processes and associated equipment
  • Ability to interact with existing suppliers and requests quotations/timing/ specifications
  • Ability to research (literature of all type), chemical and mechanical engineering/scientific principles and report back findings
  • Act upon those findings once agreement is reached with management
  • Ability to research new suppliers and have same interactions as existing ones
  • Person with energy and drive to be at the forefront of processing technologies and ability to schedule themselves accordingly
  • Work closely with the Pilot Plant Manager to ensure smooth scale-up and transfer of processes from the lab to the pilot plant.
  • Collaborate with Quality Control, Production, and Procurement teams to ensure seamless integration of new processes into manufacturing operations.

What You Bring To The Table

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, or a related field.
  • Hands-on experience operating and controlling mineral/chemical processing plant systems, including monitoring process parameters, adjusting controls, and ensuring safe, efficient production operations.
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in process development, preferably in the Chemical, Metallurgical, Mineral/mining industry.
  • Proven track record of successfully scaling up processes from lab to pilot plant.
  • Strong project management skills, with experience leading cross-functional teams.
  • Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and organizational skills.
  • Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Proficiency in process simulation software and data analysis tools.
  • Fluency in the local language and written and spoken English.

Benefits

  • Medical Insurance
  • Prescription Drug Benefits
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Life Insurance
  • Disability Insurance
  • Critical Illness Insurance
  • 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan

Salary

Salary is to be determined by education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.

Employee Type:

Permanent

Why Join Us?

Sibelco is more than a workplace—it’s a community that encourages growth, innovation, and collaboration. Here’s what you can look forward to when you join our team:

  • Meet Our People: Careers
  • Learn About Our Recruitment Process: Learn More
  • Discover Our Sustainability Goals: Sibelco priorities

We also welcome applications from all backgrounds and are committed to providing reasonable adjustments to support you through the selection process.

How To Apply

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter/X and Facebook to learn more about life at Sibelco. Submit your application in the Apply option.

Please note: We do not require agency services as we have a dedicated Global Talent Acquisition Team.

Salary.com Estimation for Pilot Plant Controls Engineer in Spruce Pine, NC
$94,698 to $110,031
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Pilot Plant Controls Engineer?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Pilot Plant Controls Engineer career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$77,209 - $106,382
Income Estimation: 
$67,182 - $95,497
Income Estimation: 
$85,464 - $107,127
Income Estimation: 
$125,305 - $173,168
Income Estimation: 
$106,100 - $124,886
Income Estimation: 
$130,074 - $155,489
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Sibelco Group

  • Sibelco Group Delavan, WI
  • Location: Delavan At Sibelco, we advance life through materials. For over 150 years, we’ve been a trusted leader in sourcing, transforming, and distributin... more
  • 1 Day Ago

  • Sibelco Group Charlotte, NC
  • Location: Charlotte Office At Sibelco, we advance life through materials. For over 150 years, we’ve been a trusted leader in sourcing, transforming, and di... more
  • 2 Days Ago

  • Sibelco Group Spruce Pine, NC
  • Location: SP Schoolhouse At Sibelco, we advance life through materials. For over 150 years, we’ve been a trusted leader in sourcing, transforming, and dist... more
  • 2 Days Ago

  • Sibelco Group Delavan, WI
  • Location: Delavan At Sibelco, we advance life through materials. For over 150 years, we’ve been a trusted leader in sourcing, transforming, and distributin... more
  • 3 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Pilot Plant Controls Engineer jobs in the Spruce Pine, NC area that may be a better fit.

  • Linamar Corporation Arden, NC
  • Job Description Job Title: Controls Engineer Job Summary The Controls Engineer has expertise to solve problems, develop and execute objectives for themselv... more
  • 5 Days Ago

  • Management Alliance Programs, Inc Asheville, NC
  • Global leader in aerospace advancement and technologies including high-tech turbine airfoils (precision blades and vanes) for advanced commercial and milit... more
  • 5 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!