Automation Engineering Leader

About the role

Our state-of-the-art investment casting facility in Whitehall, Michigan is seeking an Automation Leader to join our team. The facility supplies jet turbine blades to some of the most trusted names in the aerospace industry. This position will be instrumental in identifying new manufacturing technology and sustaining current technology used in our operations. The Automation Leader is a recognized expert in robotics and automation, responsible for coordinating the end-to-end build, integration, and commissioning of automation solutions.

Responsibilities

• Serve as customer liaison, understanding and communicating customer specifications with both technical expertise and strong communication skills to ensure alignment internally and externally.
• Act as a creative facilitator, solving problems innovatively and fostering an environment for continuous improvement and technological advancement.
• Span boundaries across disciplines, operations, and the campus, collaborating intentionally to eliminate barriers and silos.
• Mentor and coach associates at all levels, preparing teams for success and stimulating learning and contribution.
• Communicate effectively, simplifying complex concepts, providing necessary detail, and handling difficult conversations diplomatically.
• Influence and engage teams, advocating for the business while maintaining approachability and managing conflict.
• Focus on quantifiable business outcomes, ensuring quality, managing customer demand, and setting necessary boundaries.
• Adapt to change, address distractions quickly, and handle unexpected challenges without losing sight of key objectives.
• Lead automation initiatives to improve product yield, reduce variation, and achieve cost reduction goals in casting manufacturing across all shifts.
• Develop and implement new advanced manufacturing equipment and automation.
• Automate manual processes in collaboration with operators, vendors, and design teams.
• Prioritize, guide, and facilitate the activities of the Automation Engineering function to meet organizational goals.
• Oversee the development of standard policies, procedures, and practices to ensure customer requirements are met in automation systems.
• Identify and redesign or replace failing robotic components to increase Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
• Support the justification of capital funding requisitions.
• Manage projects and performance metrics.
• Provide leadership, support, and development for automation engineers and technicians.
• Support engineering and manufacturing teams to improve existing processes.
• Oversee software control and robot programming.
• Develop technician troubleshooting guides.
• Drive all aspects of automation deployment, including installation, testing, validation, and transition to production, ensuring compliance with safety and cyber standards.
• Track project performance against KPIs, milestones, and budgets, reporting regularly to department or plant managers.
• Drive continuous improvement by conducting post-project reviews and sharing best practices for automation deployment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from an accredited institution.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in Engineering.
• A minimum of 1 year of people leadership experience.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States; verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering from an accredited institution.
• 5+ years of experience working in an engineering or manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of 3 years of robotics experience or 5 years of casting experience.
• Experience with 6-axis articulating arm robotics.
• Experience troubleshooting mechanical systems, including pneumatics, tooling issues, measurement feedback systems, and basic design robustness.
• Basic understanding of controls and servo systems.
• Basic understanding of tooling and fixture design.
• Experience reading mechanical and electrical prints.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to troubleshoot equipment.
• Strong mechanical and/or electrical aptitude.