Automation Engineering Manager Jobs in California

At Niagara, we're looking for Team Members who want to be part of achieving our mission to provide our customers the highest quality most affordable bottled water.

Consider applying here, if you want to:

• Work in an entrepreneurial and dynamic environment with a chance to make an impact.
• Develop lasting relationships with great people.
• Have the opportunity to build a satisfying career.

We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages for our Team Members.

This senior-level role is responsible for strategizing, leading, and executing advanced automation initiatives across manufacturing plants. The Senior Automation Engineer designs, programs, and troubleshoots highly complex automation systems spanning multiple equipment OEMs and technology generations. The role emphasizes technical expertise, strategic project leadership, and the ability to develop junior and mid-level engineers, with the expectation of driving significant advancements in automation and operational efficiency. This role provides technical authority for automation solutions, inclusive of those that incorporate AI, and operates with a high degree of autonomy and is expected to independently assess risk, prioritize initiatives, and make technical and projectlevel decisions aligned with business objectives. The Senior Automation Engineer serves as a technical authority for assigned systems and initiatives, requiring minimal daytoday direction.

Essential Functions

Automation Strategy and Implementation

• Own technical solution selection, architecture decisions, and control philosophy standards for assigned projects
• Develop and lead the implementation of advanced automation strategies and solutions, which may include AI-enabled solutions
• Oversee the programming, testing, and maintenance of PLC, HMI, and control systems
• Manage a portfolio of automation initiatives, balancing capacity, risk, business value, and resource allocation
• Advise leadership on trade-offs, sequencing, and resource alignment across competing priorities
• Lead the commissioning and validation of new equipment and upgrades
• Approve control system designs, code standards, and change strategies within assigned scope

Technical Team Leadership

• Act as the technical lead and day-to-day work coordinator for automation engineers assigned to shared initiatives or programs
• Provide technical direction, expectations, and prioritization guidance to engineers across plants or projects
• Review, challenge, and approve technical approaches produced by other engineers to ensure quality and consistency
• Serve as the primary escalation point for engineering guidance and conflict resolution

Advanced Troubleshooting and Maintenance

• Act as final technical authority during critical automation failures and recovery efforts
• Perform expert-level troubleshooting of automation equipment and control systems
• Collaborate with maintenance and production teams to resolve critical and complex technical issues
• Establish and standardize documentation and updates to control systems
• Authorize temporary process changes, bypasses, or mitigations to restore operations safely

Data Analysis and Process Optimization

• Conduct in-depth analysis of operational data to identify and implement significant automation improvements
• Determine when AIenabled automation performance warrants retuning, redesign, replacement, or a modernization proposal, balancing operational risk and business value
• Independently initiate improvement projects based on data trends and system performance
• Decide when automation performance warrants redesign, replacement, or capital investment proposals
• Develop intuitive dashboards/visualization tools to support data-driven decision making
• Lead and drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance safety, quality, and efficiency

Collaboration and Compliance

• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including engineering, operations, and quality, to ensure alignment of automation activities with production and business goals
• Serve as the final technical decisionmaker when crossfunctional alignment cannot be reached
• Ensure compliance with safety standards, company policies, and regulatory requirements
• Represent automation engineering in audits, reviews, and external technical discussions
• Defines engagement models between automation engineering, plants, OEMs, and system integrators
• Ensures engineering work aligns with department operating principles and long-term roadmap

Decision Authority & Ownership

The Senior Automation Engineer is accountable for independent technical decisionmaking within their assigned systems and projects. This includes:

• Final authority on control system design, architecture, and programming standards
• Approval of automation changes, upgrades, and deployment strategies
• Prioritization of automation work based on safety, operational risk, and business value
• Ownership of system lifecycle decisions, including modernization and obsolescence planning
• Accountability for outcomes, not just recommendations
• Ownership of automation engineering standards, control philosophies, and approved toolsets
• Establishes and enforces engineering review, testing, and deployment practices
• Drives consistency across plants, OEMs, and engineering contributors
• Translate automation performance, risks, and investment needs into executive-ready communication
• Serve as the single-threaded technical owner for major automation domains or platforms
• Influence CapEx strategy and long-term modernization planning

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Automation, Mechatronics, or related field.
• 4 years - Extensive experience with PLCs, control systems, and industrial automation.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Proven ability to lead large-scale projects and develop and assess junior and mid-level engineers.
• 4 years- Experience in position
• 4 Years - Experience managing people/projects

*experience may include a combination of work experience and education

• List if any travel is required using percentage of time:
  • 50% - on average

• Preferred Qualifications:
  • 6 years - experience in automation, controls, or manufacturing.
  • Experience leading the integration of AI enabled industrial automation technologies (e.g., vision inspection, intelligent sensors, adaptive equipment functions, or vendor embedded AI modules) in production environments, including validation and operational support considerations.
  • Advanced proficiency with Rockwell, Siemens, or similar PLC platforms.
  • Extensive experience with SCADA systems, HMIs, and industrial networks.
  • Deep knowledge of Lean Manufacturing or Six Sigma methodologies.
  • Professional Engineering (PE) license or relevant advanced certifications.
  • *experience may include a combination of work experience and education

This position embodies the values of Niagara's LIFE competency model, focusing on the following key drivers of success:

• Lead Like an Owner
  • Identifies safety issues and takes prompt corrective action
  • Coaches/corrects unsafe team behavior
  • Effectively prioritizes quality, productivity, and cost
  • Encourages honest feedback from direct reports, peers, and up-line manager
  • Uses customer feedback to improve service levels and internal/external customer relationships
• InnovACT
  • Understands the concepts of process consistency and waste minimization
  • Modifies goals based on changing business needs
  • Promotes sharing of opposing viewpoints

• Find a Way
  • Anticipates problems and opportunities within the functional area, and recommends proactive solutions
  • Uses technical knowledge to coach team performance and educate others
  • Leverages technical know-how to solve challenging problems
  • Encourages and models teamwork to demonstrate behavioral expectations for Team Members
  • Builds relationships up, down, and across effectively
• Empowered to be Great
  • Provides effective coaching and feedback to improve individual and team performance
  • Provides positive recognition for Team Member results
  • Assigns responsibilities to maximize team strengths
  • Resolves team conflicts with a calm demeanor and skill
  • Effectively communicates team and individual expectations and follows up appropriately

Education

• Minimum Required:

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Automation, Mechatronics, or related field.
• Preferred: Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Automation, Mechatronics, or related field.

Typical Compensation Range

Benefits

Our Total Rewards package is thoughtfully designed to support both you and your family:

Regular full-time team members are offered a comprehensive benefits package, while part-time, intern, and seasonal team members are offered a limited benefits package.

• Paid Time Off for holidays, sick time, and vacation time
• Paid parental and caregiver leaves
• Medical, including virtual care options
• Dental
• Vision
• 401(k) with company match
• Health Savings Account with company match
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Expanded mental wellbeing benefits including free counseling sessions for all team members and household family members
• Family Building Benefits including enhanced fertilitybenefits for IVF and fertility preservation plus adoption, surrogacy, and Doula reimbursements
• Income protection including Life and AD&D, short and long-term disability, critical illness and an accident plan
• Special discount programs including pet plans, pre-paid legal services, identity theft, car rental, airport parking, etc.
• Tuition reimbursement, college savings plan and scholarship opportunities
• And more!

https://careers.niagarawater.com/us/en/benefits

* *Los Angeles County applicants only** Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the California Fair Chance Act, and any other applicable local and state laws.

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Employment agencies that have fee agreements with Niagara Bottling, LLC and have been engaged on a search shall submit resume to the designated Niagara Bottling, LLC recruiter or, upon authorization, submit resume into this career site to be eligible for placement fees.