Senior Automation Engineer Jobs in Pickens, SC (NOW HIRING)

As a Senior Controls/Automation Engineer working for the Manufacturing Engineering team at Itron in West Union, SC, you will lead the design, development, deployment, and optimization of manufacturing equipment and automated assembly systems to enable the profitable manufacturing of electricity meters, gas meters, network products, and battery-powered devices. You will apply mechanical engineering fundamentals and industrial automation expertise to design robust manufacturing solutions, improve equipment performance, and reduce total manufacturing cost (TMC). You will also provide technical leadership through hands-on troubleshooting, cross-functional collaboration, and mentorship of junior engineers and co-ops, ensuring sustainable long-term manufacturing capability.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Design, develop, install, qualify, and sustain manufacturing equipment and automated assembly systems to support the profitable manufacturing of electricity meters, gas meters, network products, and battery-powered devices (BPD).

• Lead mechanical design efforts including concept development, CAD modeling and analysis, DFMEA/PFMEA/MFMEA support, fabrication, assembly, installation, and qualification of manufacturing equipment and tooling.

• Develop, integrate, and support industrial automation solutions utilizing industrial robots (FANUC, Staubli, etc.), PLCs (Allen Bradley, Beckhoff, etc.), vision systems (Cognex, FANUC iRVision), safety systems, and material handling equipment.

• Own the full equipment lifecycle including specifications, supplier engagement, FAT/SAT, installation, commissioning, validation, and handoff to Operations.

• Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), improve First Pass Yield (FPY), and reduce Scrap and Rework to reduce Total Manufacturing Cost (TMC) through analysis of equipment performance, downtime, cycle time, and failure modes, implementing sustainable corrective actions.

• Provide onsite and remote technical support to troubleshoot equipment, automation systems, and mechanical issues, minimizing downtime and ensuring stable production.

• Develop and maintain manufacturing documentation including equipment specifications, drawings, schematics, risk assessments, work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), preventative maintenance schedules, and control plans.

• Mentor junior manufacturing engineers and technicians, providing guidance on mechanical design, automation best practices, troubleshooting, and structured problem-solving.

• Utilize manufacturing data (including MS-SQL databases, Power BI dashboards) to generate reports, identify issues, and drive data-driven continuous improvement initiatives.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain to support New Product Introduction (NPI), representing Manufacturing Engineering throughout the Product Lifecycle (PLC).

• Deploy Lean manufacturing principles and tools to drive daily accountability on critical KPIs - Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory, and Productivity (SQDIP).

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field.

• 5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in highvolume production environments, with handson involvement in equipment design, industrial automation, and system integration.

• Strong mechanical engineering background, including CAD design (PTC Creo, SolidWorks), machine design principles, equipment build/debug, testing, and troubleshooting.

• Proven experience with industrial automation systems including robots (FANUC, Staubli), PLCs (AllenBradley), vision systems (Cognex), safety systems, and integration of sensors, actuators, and tooling.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex manufacturing problems, identify root causes, and implement solutions that improve OEE, reduce cycle time, and lower manufacturing costs.

• Strong communication, leadership, and mentorship skills, with experience coaching and developing lessexperienced engineers.

Preferred Skills & Experience

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.

• Familiarity with lean manufacturing principles, continuous improvement tools, and structured problemsolving methodologies (e.g., A3, 8D).

• Project management experience.

• Experience working with external equipment suppliers, system integrators, and crossfunctional teams.

• Experience working with manufacturing data systems, performance dashboards, or analytical tools used to monitor equipment and operational KPIs.

Travel:1 - 10%

Benefits Info:

This position also includes a competitive benefit package including; financial, social, health and wellbeing programs, paid vacation, 401k matching, employee stock purchase program, and more!

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