Automation Engineer

About the role

Build your best future with the Johnson Controls team!

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and bonus
• Paid vacation/holidays/sick time
• Comprehensive benefits package including 401K, medical, dental, and vision care.
• On-the-job/cross-training opportunities
• Encouraging and collaborative team environment
• Dedication to safety through our Zero Harm policy

What you will do

This role combines engineering design, controls programming, project execution, and hands-on support of manufacturing equipment. The Automation Engineer will help define equipment requirements, develop technical specifications, manage automation projects, and support the successful startup and operation of manufacturing systems.

How you will do it

• Work with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and Engineering teams to identify manufacturing challenges and develop automation solutions that improve safety, quality, productivity, and equipment reliability.
• Define equipment requirements and develop technical specifications for new automation equipment, robotic cells, test systems, assembly stations, and manufacturing processes.
• Design, program, and support PLCs, HMIs, industrial robots, machine vision systems, and other controls equipment used throughout the manufacturing process.
• Lead automation projects from concept through production launch, including budgeting, scheduling, supplier coordination, design reviews, installation, commissioning, and production support.
• Develop equipment layouts, process flows, operating sequences, bills of material, controls architecture, electrical requirements, and supporting technical documentation.
• Develop and maintain automation, controls, robotics, and equipment standards to support consistent implementation across manufacturing operations.
• Work directly with equipment manufacturers, system integrators, and contractors to ensure equipment meets safety, quality, and production requirements.
• Support factory acceptance testing (FAT), installation, startup, commissioning, and validation of new equipment and manufacturing systems.
• Troubleshoot automation, controls, and equipment-related issues on the manufacturing floor and implement permanent corrective actions to improve reliability and maintain production uptime.
• Configure and support industrial networks, drives, motion control systems, sensors, vision systems, barcode systems, and other machine-level devices.
• Analyze equipment performance, downtime trends, capacity constraints, and process bottlenecks to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with maintenance and production personnel to establish preventive maintenance requirements, spare parts strategies, and long-term equipment support plans.
• Develop manufacturing test equipment, fixtures, and specialized tooling used for product validation, quality verification, and process control.
• Create and maintain engineering documentation including control narratives, software backups, operating procedures, equipment standards, and project records.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives through equipment upgrades, process improvements, cycle time reduction, labor optimization, quality improvements, and waste reduction.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to technicians, maintenance personnel, and engineers during equipment design, installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting activities.
• Ensure all automation systems and equipment comply with company safety standards, applicable codes, industry best practices, and established engineering principles.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related engineering discipline, with 3+ years of experience designing, implementing, and supporting automation systems in a manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on experience with industrial automation technologies including PLCs, HMIs, robotics, machine vision systems, industrial networks, and integrated manufacturing equipment.
• Strong technical aptitude including automation system design, controls programming, troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and the ability to interpret electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, and technical documentation.
• Experience leading automation or capital projects, including development of equipment specifications, supplier management, project execution, commissioning, and startup activities.
• Effective communication, organization, and problem-solving skills with the ability to collaborate across engineering, operations, maintenance, quality, and external equipment suppliers in both office and manufacturing environments.

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Hiring Salary Range

$88,000-121,000 (Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, location and alignment with market data.) This position includes a competitive benefits package.