Plant Engineer Jobs in North Carolina
Plant Engineer jobs in North Carolina draw steady demand across the state's manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and food and beverage processing sectors, with openings at every level from entry-level maintenance engineer through senior plant engineering manager. Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, and Greensboro account for the largest share of active listings, anchored by major employers such as Honeywell, Corning, and Smithfield Foods that maintain long-running operations throughout the state. The most sought-after specialties are process improvement, utilities and facilities engineering, and automation systems. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Summary Description: Reporting to the Plant Manager, the Plant Engineer is responsible for achieving the highest level of reliability for plant equipment through committed support for the TOPPAN Global Performance System (GPS), Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and strong ownership of the Maintenance Excellence process within their plant.
What you’ll be doing:
- Champion the Maintenance Excellence (ME) process. Serve as the Maintenance Excellence leader for the plant GPS (TPM) Steering Team. Work closing with the Steering Team to effectively deploy the 8 sub-pillars of the Maintenance Excellence pillar. Support corporate GPS initiatives and partner with divisional GPS practitioners and maintenance leaders to effectively and efficiently progress through the GPS and ME continuums.
- Provide leadership to ensure the highest standards of equipment performance are achieved and sustained. This involves establishing enough highly skilled, trained and qualified individuals; providing the tools, facilities, and environment needed for success; implementing sufficient controls; and providing appropriate oversight.
- Works with Plant GPS (TPM) Steering Committee to achieve zero-losses by creating an environment where personnel are fully engaged, teamwork and cooperation is routinely practiced, and maintenance personnel embrace high standards for housekeeping, craftsmanship and equipment reliability.
- Promote a culture in which production and maintenance work together to identify and resolve abnormal or degraded equipment conditions that could negatively impact safety, quality or productivity.
- Support the “Zero-Loss” initiative; improve overall equipment effectiveness by targeting the major losses, involve operators in the maintenance of their equipment, improve maintenance efficiency and effectiveness, training to improve skills and knowledge and participating in early equipment management and maintenance prevention design.
- Establish a process to identify equipment problems and equipment failures. Ensure personnel are adequately documenting equipment problems and that timely and appropriate permanent countermeasures are taken.
- Implement a maintenance strategy for equipment important to safety, quality and productivity that effectively utilizes proactive (preventive and predictive) maintenance and performance monitoring to detect equipment degradation and employ appropriate maintenance to prevent failure.
- Ensure maintenance personnel performing work within the plant possess the appropriate skills and are qualified and proficient such that they can safely and effectively perform the work they are assigned. Take appropriate actions to close any identified training gaps.
- Create a valuable partnership with local high schools, vocational and technical schools for future development and succession planning of skilled hourly associates.
- Hold maintenance personnel accountable for adherence to established standards and management expectations. Reinforces favorable personnel behaviors and addresses performance shortfalls in a timely and professional manner.
- Personally involved with the technical details of the action plans to correct important equipment problems. Frequently attend critical meetings on equipment performance to establish teamwork and accountability. Verify that corrective actions are timely and effective.
- Overall responsibility for the Work Management process to include: identification, planning, scheduling, execution and closeout of maintenance related activities. Equipment problems are appropriately documented in work orders and work package content is sufficiently detailed such that the task can be successfully completed with the resources available. Apply reliability tools (RCA and FMEA) to determine the root cause of critical equipment failures and downtime. Identify the appropriate countermeasures and solutions to improve equipment reliability and prevent recurrence.
We’d love to hear from you if:
- Strong understanding of OSHA requirements related to equipment in-house. Ability to identify gaps and assist in developing/implementing countermeasures to achieve Zero Safety Incidents.
- Proficient in Root Cause Analysis techniques (FMEA’s, 5Why’s, ATS, etc) and developing/implementing Countermeasures to drive Zero Breakdown culture.
- Process-oriented. Can identify gaps in any process and develop/implement countermeasure to eliminate.
- Basic mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, instrumentation, lubrication and predictive maintenance understanding (or ability to learn quickly)
- Ability to manage costs and reduce/optimize where needed Proficient in Microsoft Office and CMMS
Job Specifications:
- Minimum education required: 2-year Industrial Maintenance, Associate Engineer degree or equivalent (or higher)
- Minimum Experience (Preferred): 1 - 2+ years of manufacturing maintenance experience and/or 1 - 2+ years of supervisory manufacturing experience; Experience in TPM or Reliability field preferred. Experience with CMMS preferred.
See All 22 Plant Engineer Jobs in North Carolina
Find roles in North Carolina that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Plant Engineer JobsPlant Engineer Jobs by City in North Carolina
Where North Carolina roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Plant Engineer Job Market in North Carolina
A snapshot from current North Carolina openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Chemicals & Materials
What North Carolina Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in plant engineer jobs across North Carolina.
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical, industrial, or chemical engineering from an accredited program
- Professional Engineer license issued or recognized by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors preferred for senior roles
- Hands-on experience with manufacturing processes, equipment maintenance, and continuous improvement methodologies
- Proficiency with CAD software and computerized maintenance management systems such as SAP or Maximo
- Demonstrated knowledge of OSHA safety regulations and plant environmental compliance standards
- Strong project management skills with experience leading capital improvement or equipment installation projects
Plant Engineer Jobs in North Carolina: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a plant engineer in North Carolina?
Most plant engineer roles in North Carolina require at least a bachelor's degree in mechanical, industrial, or chemical engineering from an ABET-accredited program. Senior and consulting positions often require licensure through the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors, which administers the Fundamentals of Engineering and Principles and Practice of Engineering exams. Earning your Engineer-in-Training designation early strengthens your candidacy even for roles where full licensure is not yet required.
How much do plant engineers make in North Carolina?
Plant engineers in North Carolina earn a median of about $99,310 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $68,930 for the lowest 10% to over $139,110 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire plant engineers in North Carolina?
Employers hiring plant engineers in North Carolina right now include MasTec, MasTec Communications, and Linde, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. North Carolina's deep concentration of pharmaceutical manufacturers in the Research Triangle and large food processing facilities in the eastern part of the state means plant engineering demand stays consistent year-round across both regions.
Which North Carolina cities have the most plant engineer jobs?
Sylva, Apex, and Cary lead North Carolina for plant engineer openings. Charlotte's large industrial and advanced manufacturing base drives its volume, Raleigh-Durham benefits from pharmaceutical and biotech campuses concentrated in the Research Triangle Park corridor, and Greensboro's long-established textile and distribution operations keep a steady flow of plant engineering openings in the Piedmont Triad.
Are there remote plant engineer jobs in North Carolina?
Yes, but they're rare. Plant engineering is fundamentally a hands-on, on-site discipline tied to physical equipment and production floors, so fully remote positions represent a small fraction of the market. About 75% of plant engineer openings tied to North Carolina are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, and those roles tend to be in project engineering, capital planning, or process documentation rather than day-to-day plant operations.
How can I get hired as a plant engineer in North Carolina with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is applying directly for manufacturing engineer or facilities engineer associate roles, which large North Carolina employers such as Honeywell and Corning use to bring in new graduates. Pursuing your Engineer-in-Training designation through the North Carolina Board of Examiners immediately after graduation signals readiness and gives you a concrete credential. Co-op and internship experience at a North Carolina production facility, even in a maintenance or process technician capacity, is often enough to clear the experience threshold for a first full-time position.
Where can I find and apply to plant engineer jobs in North Carolina?
You can find and apply to plant engineer jobs in North Carolina on Migrate Mate, which lists current North Carolina openings updated regularly. Search the listings to see what is available right now, find the roles that fit your experience and location, and apply directly to the employers posting them.
See All 22 Plant Engineer Jobs in North Carolina
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