ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Automation Engineering Manager Jobs in California

Walmart

Manager, Automation Engineering

Porterville, CA

$90K - $180K/yr

The Automation Engineering Manager will lead the end-to-end integration and launch of the automation system in Porterville, CA , driving execution from design alignment through installation, testing ...

Bechtel

He/she will work with the Project Engineering Management team, Project BIM Manager, Engineering Group Supervisors (EGS), Application Support Group, and I&D to develop Project Automation strategy, get ...

Amazon

Regional Automation Engineer

Patterson, CA · On-site

The Reliability & Maintenance Engineering (RME) team are the business partners that work tirelessly ... change management, project management, training, security, infrastructure and systems ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsAutomation Engineering JobsAutomation Engineering Manager JobsAutomation Engineering Manager Jobs in California

Automation Engineering Manager information

See California salary details

$88.8K

$136.2K

$171.2K

How much do automation engineering manager jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for automation engineering manager in California is $136,245.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $116,000.00 and $157,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an Automation Engineering Manager do?

An Automation Engineering Manager oversees the design, implementation, and optimization of automated systems in manufacturing or software development. They lead a team of engineers to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance productivity through automation technologies. Responsibilities include project management, system integration, troubleshooting, and ensuring compliance with industry standards. They collaborate with other departments to align automation strategies with company goals. Strong technical expertise, leadership skills, and problem-solving abilities are essential for this role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Automation Engineering Manager position, and why are they important?

An Automation Engineering Manager should have a strong background in automation technologies, process improvement, project management, and a relevant engineering degree. Familiarity with PLC/SCADA systems, robotics, industrial control systems, and certifications such as PMP or Six Sigma is often required. Excellent leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills help drive team performance and foster cross-functional collaboration. These capabilities are essential for delivering efficient automation solutions, ensuring project success, and guiding multidisciplinary teams in fast-paced environments.

What are some typical challenges faced by Automation Engineering Managers in their day-to-day work?

Automation Engineering Managers often balance multiple projects and deadlines while ensuring high quality and compliance with industry standards. A common challenge is integrating new automation technologies with existing systems, which requires careful planning and troubleshooting. Collaboration with cross-functional teams—including operations, IT, and maintenance—is crucial for aligning technical solutions with business goals. Additionally, staying current with emerging automation trends and training team members on new tools is a key part of the role, helping drive continuous improvement and operational efficiency.

What are popular job titles related to Automation Engineering Manager jobs in California? For Automation Engineering Manager jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Automation Engineering Manager jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Automation Engineering Manager jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Automation Engineering Manager jobs? Cities in California with the most Automation Engineering Manager job openings:
Automation Engineering Manager jobs near you
Infographic showing various Automation Engineering Manager job openings in California as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 43% Full Time, and 57% Part Time. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $136,245 per year, or $65.5 per hour.

Factory Automation Engineering Manager

Heron Power Electronics Company

Scotts Valley, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 14 days ago

Job description

Job Overview
At Heron Power, we are building the future of scalable power electronics. Our mission is to enable high-volume, capital-efficient manufacturing of advanced energy systems. We are rapidly scaling our production footprint, and this role is instrumental in designing and ramping the state-of-the-art manufacturing processes that will power our continued growth and deliver our innovative products to market.
As the Factory Automation Engineering Manager, you will be the architect of Heron Power's factory automation strategy. You will build and lead the team responsible for the nervous system of our manufacturing lines, from the logic running on the floor to the data streaming into the cloud.
In this high-impact role, you will establish our strategy for automation and define our standards for controls, selecting the platforms, protocols, and architectures that will scale with us from pilot lines to mass production. You will manage a team of automation and controls engineers, mentor them in best practices, and collaborate with the broader manufacturing organization to ensure that our equipment is not just functional, but efficient, intelligent, and safe.
How You Will Contribute
  • Team Leadership: Hire, mentor, and lead a high-performing team of controls and automation engineers. Foster a culture of technical innovation, safety excellence, and continuous improvement.
  • Strategic Vision: Define the company's controls and automation roadmap. Select standard hardware platforms, software environments, communication protocols, and data systems to ensure scalability across future factories.
  • Design Standardization: Develop and maintain a code library and design standards to reduce deployment time and increase control systems reliability.
  • Project Execution: Oversee the controls engineering deliverables for capital equipment deployment, managing project timelines, internal resources, and external vendors from conceptual design through FAT/SAT and factory ramp.
  • Vendor Management: Serve (with your team) as the primary controls point of contact for external machine builders and system integrators. Review and approve their electrical schematics and software architectures before fabrication and programming begins and lead debugging and commissioning activities through final production ramp.
  • Safety Stewardship: Own the functional safety strategy for the factory. Ensure all equipment meets applicable safety standards and lead internal and external machine safety design reviews.
  • Data Integration: Collaborate with software teams to bridge the gap between OT and IT, ensuring seamless integration of machine data with MES, SCADA, and ERP systems. Oversee the selection and development of MES software for the factory.
  • Problem Solving: While this is a lead role, you will still "get your hands dirty." You will lead high-level troubleshooting efforts when critical issues arise and help code and commission complex systems when the team needs support.

What You Will Bring
We are looking for a seasoned engineering professional with a strong track record leading complex factory builds on time, under budget, and with overall technical and safety rigor. You are a well-rounded subject matter expert in manufacturing control systems with a strong grip on first principles, proven capability leading high-performing technical teams, and an eagerness to navigate the exciting ambiguity of a startup environment.
Must-Have Requirements
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Controls Engineering, or a related field.
  • 10+ years of experience in industrial automation, with at least 3+ years in a technical leadership or management role.
  • Proven experience architecting full factory solutions, not just programming individual cells.
  • Expert-level mastery of machine programming (structured text, ladder logic, FBD) and motion control, and MES / HMI integration.
  • Deep proficiency across multiple PLC platforms (Rockwell / Siemens / Beckhoff / Ignition.
  • Experience leading design reviews and validating electrical schematics (NFPA 79 / UL 508A).
  • Strong background in robotics integration, machine vision, and other inspection systems.
  • Experience bridging industrial control systems with high-level plant software / MES.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage external vendors, integrators, and panel shops.
  • Excellent mentorship skills and a demonstrated ability to elevate the technical level of those around you.
Nice-to-Haves
  • Experience in power electronics, electric vehicle, battery storage, or similar manufacturing sectors.
  • Have built a new controls department from the ground up or significantly expanded an existing controls team.
  • Expertise validating designs using Digital Twin or emulation software prior to hardware build (virtual commissioning).
  • Proficiency in EPLAN or AutoCAD Electrical for vendor design reviews.

If you are passionate about technology and enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, we would love to hear from you. Join us in accelerating the electrification of everything at Heron Power.
Heron Power provides competitive compensation (salary and equity) and benefits. The salary for this role ranges from $170,000 to $220,000 per year.

Apply