How data center and grid demand is changing wire and cable recruiting

U.S. cable manufacturers are in an expansion cycle. Electrification and data center construction are pushing producers to add plants and lines for high-voltage, building, and utility cable.

The equipment can be ordered on a schedule. But finding the right, qualified talent in wire and cable doesn't work that way. Process engineers, quality leaders, maintenance managers, and plant leaders with real cable experience were already scarce, and every new line is now competing for the same small group. For many manufacturers, the open seat that stalls a start-up is an engineering or plant leadership role nobody has filled yet.

This guide covers what's changing in wire and cable recruiting, which roles feel it first, and how to build the leadership team before a new line starts up.

In a nutshell: Electrification and data center demand are adding cable capacity across the U.S. The engineers and leaders who can run cable lines are scarce, so wire and cable recruiting needs to start before the equipment arrives, beginning with plant, engineering, and quality leadership.

What's driving new U.S. cable capacity

Demand for wire and cable in the U.S. is growing, and much of it is coming from two places: utilities that need more high-voltage and power cable for electrification and grid upgrades, and data centers that need both the power cable that feeds them and the fiber that connects their servers. That demand has held up even as housing construction slows. CRU reports that data center and energy projects kept wire and cable demand firm through the first half of 2026, and U.S. demand for aluminum overhead conductor, the cable strung on power lines, has grown from about 107,000 to 166,000 metric tons since 2020.

Producers are responding with new plants. Since August, Okonite, Southwire, and Prysmian have committed more than $1.8 billion combined to U.S. cable capacity, and CRU expects more to follow.

Okonite is building a $400 million plant in South Carolina for high-voltage cable, and Southwire is putting $256 million into its Starkville, Mississippi campus for building wire and utility cable, citing electrification and data center growth. Prysmian has committed more than $1.2 billion to U.S. fiber and cable capacity, backed by a 10-year agreement to supply fiber for data centers. Okonite and Southwire both expect their new capacity online around 2028 or later, which sets the window for building the teams to run it.

Which wire and cable roles are hardest to fill?

The hardest roles to fill in a new cable plant are the ones that need hands-on process knowledge. Most of that experience comes from years inside cable plants, so the pool is small to begin with.

Cable manufacturing runs on process knowledge. Copper and aluminum rod has to be drawn and stranded to spec. Insulation and jackets go on through extrusion, where small changes in temperature or line speed show up as defects. High-voltage cable adds another layer. Its insulation has to be extruded with very few flaws, and finished reels go through electrical testing before they ship.

The roles that feel this first:

• Process engineers who understand drawing, stranding, and extrusion and can tune a line without weeks of trial and error
• Quality leaders who can build test and inspection programs for utility and high-voltage customers
• Maintenance managers who keep extruders, drawing machines, and cabling lines running across shifts
• Plant and operations leaders who've started up a new line or building before
• Supply chain leaders who manage copper, aluminum, and compound supply when prices and lead times move
• Commercial leaders who can sell new capacity to utilities, contractors, and data center builders

The broader market adds pressure. A Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte study projects U.S. manufacturers could need as many as 3.8 million new employees between 2024 and 2033, with about 1.9 million of those jobs at risk of going unfilled. Engineers and maintenance leaders with extrusion experience are useful in plastics and other process industries too, so cable plants are often competing with other process plants for the same people.

Why the hiring timeline has to start first

The biggest mistake I see is planning for the equipment before planning for the people. Finding people who can run that line and keep quality where it needs to be takes longer than ordering the machinery, so that hiring has to start well before start-up.

Plant, engineering, and quality leaders write procedures, plan training, set up quality systems, and hire the people who'll run each shift. Bringing them in after the equipment arrives means they're learning the operation during its most expensive phase.

Picture this: the lines are installed and the first customer orders are booked. The process engineering manager seat is still open, and the plant manager is learning extrusion on the job. Each week of that gap tends to show up as scrap and late shipments.

"I'd rather see a plant manager start the conversation six months early than call when a vacancy is already affecting output."

Connor Rodman, Sr. Client Partner, Index Search

Three start-up readiness questions worth asking now:

• "Who on our team has started up a new line, and can they do it again?"
• "Which open roles would stall the start-up if they were still open on day one?"
• "Are we screening for cable process experience or for a title that looks right on paper?"

What I'm seeing in wire and cable hiring

The question I hear on almost every call is "How quickly can you find someone with the right experience?" It's a fair question when a new line or production target depends on getting the right person in place. The challenge is that experience matters. Someone who knows general manufacturing may not have the process knowledge to step into a wire and cable plant and make an immediate impact. The conversation has to start with what the person actually needs to know, what success looks like, and how much time the business has to get them up to speed.

Across the cable leaders in our network, the hardest searches tend to be the ones that need real cable process experience and leadership experience in the same person. Those people exist. Many of them are running lines somewhere else and aren't looking.

Promoting a strong process engineer into a manager role is often part of the answer. Before that move, it's worth understanding how the person leads, since technical skill and leadership style don't always come together.

The bottom line on wire and cable recruiting

New cable capacity is coming online across the U.S., and the leaders who can run it are scarce. Many of them aren't looking, and they need to be in place before start-up to write procedures and build the crews who'll run each shift.

This is the work we do at Index Search, an executive and professional search firm specializing in manufacturing, distribution, and industrial technology. I focus on wire and cable, connectivity, photonics, and electronics manufacturing. We define each leadership role around the operation it will run, whether that's extrusion, high-voltage testing, or a greenfield start-up. Then we go directly to the people already running cable lines and assess how they lead before they take the seat.

Clients typically see first candidates in 7 to 10 business days, which gives a new leader time to prepare the team before the first reel ships.

Every new line has its own leadership gaps. Tell us the leadership role you'll need first, and we'll share a few candidates from our network who've done similar work and could fit your operation. Send us the role you're hiring for.

Frequently asked questions

What roles are hardest to fill in wire and cable manufacturing?

Process engineers, quality leaders, maintenance managers, and plant leaders with direct cable experience are usually the hardest to fill. These roles need hands-on knowledge of drawing, stranding, extrusion, and testing. Few people outside the cable industry have it.

Why are U.S. companies adding wire and cable manufacturing capacity?

Demand for power and building cable is rising with electrification, grid upgrades, and data center construction. Southwire cited electrification and data center growth for its Starkville expansion. Okonite pointed to growing demand for high-voltage cable.

When should a cable manufacturer start hiring for a new plant or line?

Leadership hiring should start well before start-up. Plant and engineering leaders write the procedures and hire the people who run each shift. Waiting until the equipment is installed usually means learning on the job during the most expensive phase.

Can engineers from other industries move into cable manufacturing?

Often, yes. Engineers with extrusion experience from plastics or other process industries tend to adapt well. Cable-specific knowledge, such as high-voltage testing and utility specs, takes longer to learn, so it helps to pair them with an experienced cable leader.

How is executive search different from posting a job for these roles?

Many experienced cable engineers and plant leaders aren't actively job hunting. A job posting reaches people who are already looking. A proactive search reaches the people running cable lines today and makes the case for a move.

How quickly can you find someone with wire and cable experience?

It depends on what the role actually requires. A leader with general manufacturing experience is easier to find than one who has run extrusion lines or high-voltage testing, and that specialized profile takes longer to reach because those people usually aren't looking. Index Search clients typically see first candidates in 7 to 10 business days. Defining what the person needs to know and how much ramp-up time the business can afford keeps the search focused.

Written by Connor Rodman, Sr. Client Partner at Index Search, who specializes in helping wire and cable, connectivity, photonics, and electronics manufacturers hire engineering, operations, and commercial leaders.