Project Assistant Jobs in Mauldin, SC (NOW HIRING)

AFL manufactures industry-leading fiber optic cable, connectivity and accessories and provides engineering and installation services for some of the largest telecom customers in the world. Our company was founded in 1984 with a single fiber optic cable and today, we manufacture thousands of products, generate an excess of $3B in revenue, and employ approximately 12,000 associates worldwide. At AFL, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset. We hire and train each individual, investing in them to ensure success in their careers. With a commitment to professional development and growth, let us connect you to your next career opportunity.

What We Offer:

• 401K Company match (up to 4% - dollar for dollar)
• Professional development, training, and tuition reimbursement programs
• Excellent medical, dental, vision, and life insurance policy options
• Opportunities for career advancement with an industry leading company!

Job Summary

The Mechatronics Project Coordinator is responsible for supporting the planning, coordination, execution, and administrative control of complex manufacturing equipment projects within the Mechatronics Engineering department. This position provides daily coordination of machine upgrades, sustainability initiatives, equipment rebuilds, safety projects, controls upgrades, and capital installations across manufacturing operations.

The ideal candidate possesses proven project coordination experience involving industrial manufacturing equipment and demonstrates strong working knowledge of both electrical and mechanical machine systems, including PLCs, HMIs, industrial networks, vision systems, VFDs, servo systems, motors, bearings, pneumatics, sensors, motion control systems, and machine safety systems.

This role is heavily focused on project execution support, procurement coordination, cost tracking, timeline adherence, documentation management, and lifecycle management of manufacturing assets and critical machine components.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate Mechatronics Engineering projects from initiation through completion while supporting project schedules, priorities, and execution activities.
• Support machine sustainability projects, safety upgrades, controls modernization efforts, equipment rebuilds, and manufacturing process improvements.
• Create and maintain project schedules, task lists, milestone tracking, and status updates.
• Enter purchase requisitions into Oracle and monitor approval, purchasing, shipping, and receiving status throughout the procurement process.
• Expedite critical project materials, components, and services to support project timelines and minimize manufacturing downtime.
• Maintain organized project files, documentation packages, templates, engineering records, and project tracking systems.
• Assist in coordination with vendors, contractors, maintenance, engineering, and manufacturing personnel to support project execution activities.
• Assist with machine numerical tracking, equipment asset management, and lifecycle maturity tracking for manufacturing equipment and critical spare parts.
• Maintain and update Mechatronics procedures, standards, templates, engineering documentation, and departmental records.
• Support inventory tracking and procurement activities for controls components, electrical hardware, mechanical assemblies, and project materials.
• Assist with project closeout activities including documentation completion, cost reconciliation, lessons learned, and archival of project records.
• Provide routine project status reporting related to schedule adherence, procurement status, project risks, and budget tracking.
• Support coordination of machine downtime with production scheduling, and installation activities.
• Support coordination of machine hand-over to process engineering and production scheduling.
• Maintain a high level of organization across multiple simultaneous projects and competing priorities.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to project execution, equipment reliability, and engineering documentation practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Coordinate and maintain the Industrial Equipment Sign-Off process to verify equipment readiness, installation completion, startup validation, punch-list resolution, documentation completion, and stakeholder approval prior to project closeout.
• Ensure all required project documentation is finalized and archived, including electrical drawings, mechanical documentation, software backups, lifecycle records, spare parts lists (BOM), training records, safety documentation, PM recommendations, and machine standards updates.
• Verify final project costs are reconciled against approved budgets and that all purchase requisitions, invoices, and project expenditures are properly tracked and documented.
• Coordinate final acceptance reviews with Mechatronics, Maintenance, Operations, Process Engineering, EHS, contractors, and vendors as required.
• Maintain project closure checklists, sign-off templates, and turnover documentation to support audit readiness, equipment sustainability, and long-term asset management.
• Ensure all open action items, deficiencies, and startup concerns are documented, assigned, and resolved prior to formal project closure.
• Support post-project reviews (PPRs), lessons learned documentation, and continuous improvement initiatives associated with equipment installations and upgrades.

Required Technical Knowledge

Candidates should possess familiarity with industrial manufacturing equipment and systems including:

• PLC systems (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, GE, or similar)
• HMIs and industrial operator interfaces
• Vision inspection systems
• Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
• Servo systems and motion control
• Industrial motors and motor controls
• Bearings and mechanical power transmission systems
• Pneumatic and hydraulic systems
• Industrial sensors and instrumentation
• Electrical schematics and machine documentation
• Industrial networking and communications
• Machine safety systems and LOTO practices
• Manufacturing process equipment and automation systems

Personal Qualities

• Strong organizational and project coordination skills
• High attention to detail and documentation accuracy
• Strong sense of urgency and ability to expedite critical activities
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Analytical and problem-solving mindset
• Self-motivated with strong follow-through
• Ability to work effectively in fast-paced manufacturing environments
• Strong teamwork and collaboration skills
• Professionalism and discretion with confidential information

Qualifications

• Proven experience coordinating projects involving complex manufacturing equipment and industrial automation systems
• Associate degree, technical degree, trade school certification, military technical experience, or equivalent industry experience preferred
• Experience working in manufacturing, industrial automation, mechatronics, maintenance, or engineering environments
• Experience with Oracle or similar ERP systems preferred
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint
• Experience tracking project schedules, budgets, procurement activities, and project documentation
• Understanding of manufacturing equipment components and machine systems
• Excellent time management and multitasking abilities