Senior Automation Project Engineer

We are looking for an experienced Project Engineer who brings a foundation of hands-on technical experience in mechanical and/or controls engineering for industrial automation - coupled with the leadership experience to drive complex projects from requirements through delivered, production-ready systems. This is not a conceptual or R&D role: the right candidate has real, demonstrated experience delivering automated manufacturing systems that run in production.

We are looking for engineers who understand the why behind the systems they build - who reason from first principles, challenge requirements that complicate scalable automation, and advocate for designs that enable repeatable, efficient manufacturing. A passion for our mission - and for the discipline of building systems that work - is essential.

- Engage internal customers to define, document, and validate system requirements for automated manufacturing solutions

- Develop conceptual simulations and cycle time models of individual machines and production lines to evaluate and recommend optimal automation strategies and production line architectures

- Develop initial conceptual solutions for automated manufacturing equipment; present solutions and justifications to customer stakeholders and refine approaches based on feedback

- Lead Design for Automated Manufacturing initiatives with product design teams; recommend product modifications to improve automated manufacturability and reduce system complexity

- Prepare cost estimates, labor-hour projections, and project schedules for proposed automation solutions; develop scope of work documents for individual machinery for delivery to internal customers

- Own project execution from requirements definition through commissioning, maintaining schedule, budget, and scope alignment throughout the project lifecycle

- Maintain comprehensive technical knowledge of assigned projects; serve as the primary point of accountability for system requirements, design decisions, and project status

- Identify and evaluate automation component suppliers; support procurement and sourcing decisions

- Collaborate with engineering teams during detailed design; provide technical clarification and maintain alignment with conceptual intent

- Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Controls, Mechatronics, or related engineering field

- Minimum 5 years of hands-on technical experience in the design, build, and commissioning of automated manufacturing systems, including minimum 2 years in a project management, technical lead, or equivalent leadership role on capital equipment or automation projects

- Hands-on technical experience in industrial automation - including mechanical design, controls engineering, or both - sufficient to lead engineering teams, evaluate technical feasibility, and make informed design decisions without relying solely on analysis or simulation

- Experience with automation simulation and cycle time analysis using tools such as Process Simulate, Visual Components, FlexSim, or similar

- Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum

- Familiarity with PLC, CNC, and robot programming concepts and limitations sufficient to evaluate technical feasibility and communicate effectively with controls engineers

- Experience with industrial automation applications including welding, machining, drilling, surface finishing, forming, material handling, NDT, metrology, machine vision, and similar

- Experience developing capital project budgets and cost models for automation systems, including vendor quote analysis and should-cost modeling

- Experience developing scope of work documents, RFQs, or technical specifications for procurement of automation sub-systems, components, devices, and equipment from external suppliers in support of internally developed and integrated automation solutions

- Demonstrated ability to apply engineering first principles - including mechanics, control theory, and systems thinking - to evaluate automation feasibility, identify root causes, and develop technically sound solutions to novel manufacturing challenges