Automation Robotics Engineer

Responsibilities

• Lead, support, implement, and manage complex automation and advanced manufacturing initiatives across multiple manufacturing sites in North America.
• Design and implement automation cells, ensuring they meet performance, safety, and quality requirements while aligning with established automation standards.
• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve automation standards across multiple facilities to drive consistency and operational excellence.
• Own automation projects from concept through deployment, including requirements definition, system design support (mechanical and electrical), installation, commissioning, and ongoing operational support.
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert in automation and robotics, providing project leadership and technical guidance to internal teams and external system integrators.
• Support plant startups by commissioning new automation systems and ensuring smooth integration into production environments.
• Train operational and plant-level teams on newly deployed automation systems, including safe operation, basic troubleshooting, and maintenance practices.
• Deliver automation and robotics solutions that measurably improve productivity, safety, quality, uptime, and overall system reliability.
• Perform hands-on integration, programming, troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair of FANUC and Universal Robots (UR) systems.
• Develop and modify HMI applications to support operator usability, system monitoring, and efficient troubleshooting.
• Read and interpret electrical schematics to diagnose and resolve equipment and system issues in a timely manner.
• Establish and track performance metrics to improve equipment uptime, reliability, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Apply contingency planning and disaster recovery strategies to automation systems to minimize downtime and production risk.
• Conduct automation risk assessments to identify hazards, evaluate risk levels, and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.
• Mentor and train controls and automation engineers at the plant level to build local technical capability and support knowledge transfer.
• Collaborate effectively with engineering, operations, and support teams to ensure successful project execution and stable production performance.
• Support production operations as needed by troubleshooting automation issues and implementing corrective and preventive actions.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, including improvement events, improvement walks, and error-proofing projects focused on safety, quality, and efficiency.

Essential Skills

• 3–5 years of experience in an automation, robotics, or controls engineering role.
• Hands-on experience with FANUC and UR robots (Integration, programming, troubleshooting, maintenance, and repair).
• Proven ability to manage small to medium automation projects, including retrofits and safety upgrades, from concept through deployment.
• Strong electrical and mechanical troubleshooting capabilities in an automated manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of Allen‑Bradley PLC platforms, including MicroLogix and CompactLogix, using RSLogix 500, RSLogix 5000, and Studio 5000.
• Experience completing automation risk assessments to support safe system design and operation.
• Ability to mentor and train controls and automation engineers and operational staff.

Nice to Have Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) or Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) systems.
• Interest in ongoing technical and leadership development within automation and advanced manufacturing.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $100,000.00 - $150,000.00/yr.

Work Environment

This role operates within advanced manufacturing environments that utilize cutting-edge automation and robotics technologies. The position involves regular interaction with production equipment, robotic cells, PLC-controlled systems, HMIs, and related industrial control hardware. The engineer will collaborate closely with engineering, operations, and support teams, as well as external system integrators, across multiple North American manufacturing sites.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation, and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.