Advanced Manufacturing Automation (AMA) Lead

JOB DESCRIPTION

Responsibilities

• Define, maintain, and enforce plant automation standards, design specifications, controls architecture, documentation requirements, and risk-mitigation protocols.
• Review and approve automation concepts, detailed designs, software architectures, safety solutions, modifications, and production launches.
• Lead automation capital planning and execution, including business cases, ROI analysis, scope development, vendor selection, technical bid evaluation, schedule and budget control, installation, commissioning, and final acceptance.
• Coordinate internal stakeholders, equipment suppliers, system integrators, maintenance, operations, IT/OT, quality, and safety teams to deliver compliant and production-ready systems.
• Establish launch-readiness criteria and verify that equipment meets safety, quality, cycle-time, reliability, maintainability, documentation, training, and spare-parts requirements before release to production.
• Monitor automated-cell performance using OEE, mean time between failures, downtime, throughput, quality, and 30/60/90-day launch-stability metrics; lead corrective actions and escalation for significant performance events.
• Own automation lifecycle governance from concept through sustainment, ensuring systems are not transferred to operations until defined stability criteria are achieved and no unsupported or “orphaned” systems remain.
• Drive root-cause analysis, continuous improvement, standardization, and replication of proven automation solutions across the plant.
• Maintain awareness of emerging automation technologies and recommend practical applications that improve safety, quality, productivity, flexibility, or cost.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical, industrial, manufacturing, mechatronics, controls, or a related engineering discipline.
• Seven or more years of progressive experience in manufacturing automation, controls engineering, systems integration, or advanced manufacturing engineering.
• Demonstrated experience leading automation capital projects valued at $500,000 or more, including technical scope, supplier management, schedule, budget, commissioning, and acceptance.
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing, OEE improvement, structured problem-solving, risk assessment, and equipment-launch processes.
• Ability to interpret electrical schematics, mechanical layouts, control narratives, network drawings, safety documentation, and supplier technical proposals.
• Strong leadership, decision-making, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to establish technical direction and hold stakeholders accountable to standards.

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