Senior Manufacturing Engineer-Automation
Direct Hire | On-Site
Minneapolis, MN
Position Summary:
The Senior Manufacturing Engineer is responsible for planning, designing, and maintaining manufacturing processes across Filling, Kitting, Packaging, and Shipping. Ensures systems run to specifications and comply with regulations while supporting cross-functional teams to optimize materials, labor, equipment, and systems.
Key Responsibilities:
- Maintain a strong presence in manufacturing and operational areas, working directly with frontline employees and leaders to observe work, understanding process challenges, and identify waste, bottlenecks, workload imbalance, waiting, unnecessary movement, rework, and ineffective handoffs.
- Investigate & identify operational inefficiencies and productivity improvements within manufacturing and operational areas.
- Use time-studies, standard-labor analysis, line balancing, workload and capacity analysis, process mapping, and material-flow assessments to understand current performance and identify improvement opportunities.
- Define and execute automation strategy and roadmap, aligning with business objectives for cost, quality, throughput, and scalability.
- Manage automation projects through planning, design, architecture, building, and deployment following company procedures.
- Incorporate advanced automation systems; including but not limited to robotics, vision systems, PLCs, and collaborative robots (COBOTs), across manufacturing operations.
- Drive end-to-end process optimization initiatives, leveraging Lean Six Sigma, data analytics, and digital manufacturing tools to deliver sustained KPI improvements (OTD, cycle time, yield, and labor efficiency).
- Own capital automation projects from concept through commissioning, including business case development, equipment specification, vendor selection, FAT/SAT, and full lifecycle validation (IQ/OQ/PQ).
- Lead cross-functional initiatives with Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, and R&D to industrialize new products and scale manufacturing processes.
- Establish and standardize engineering best practices, including automation standards, validation protocols, and documentation systems.
- Champion digital transformation initiatives, including integration of MES, data systems, and smart factory technologies.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
- Requires a master’s degree with 2-5 years of relevant experience Or, a bachelor’s degree with 5-8 years of relevant experience; Or an associate degree with 10 or more years of relevant experience
- 5+ years of automation or manufacturing engineering experience.
- Mechanical and electrical aptitude required.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Knowledge of Lean Six Sigma and CI methodologies.
- Skilled in detailed, accurate, and organized work.
- Skilled in Microsoft Office, Smartsheet, and statistical software (Minitab/JMP).
- Strong communication and organizational skills.
- Ability to collaborate across departments.
- Ability to troubleshoot equipment and systems.
Working Conditions:
- Work performed in a laboratory and production environment with exposure to chemicals, reagents, and standard lab equipment.
- Standard schedule hours with occasional variation depending on production needs.
- Onsite work required during standard business hours.
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