Automation Engineer

Position Summary

STULZ USA is seeking a hands-on Automation Engineer to lead the equipment buildout of our new Texas Plant - a brownfield plant launch. This role owns the setup, installation, commissioning, and ongoing support of all automated production equipment in the plant, including sheet metal fabrication, pipe forming, and the electrical panel shop, from initial site preparation and integration through preventive maintenance and continuous improvement. The position is critical to ensuring reliable, safe, and efficient operation of the plant's automation backbone, and the scope of responsibility is expected to grow as the facility expands. The role will also lead the plant's digitalization roadmap, including the implementation of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES).

Equipment Scope

Full ownership - setup, installation, commissioning, and ongoing support - of the following equipment and systems:

• Sheet metal laser cutting systems with automated tower loader / material handling system
• CNC punching machine
• Press brakes, including robotic (automated) press brake cells
• Robotic welding cells
• Automated paint shop (powder coating, conveyors, ovens, and controls)
• CNC tube bending machine
• Electrical panel (e-panel) shop equipment and infrastructure

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the setup, installation, and commissioning of all plant equipment as part of the Plant 2 brownfield launch, coordinating with OEMs, riggers, contractors, facilities, and internal teams from site preparation and delivery through production release.
• Conduct factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT) and production runoff/buy-off of new equipment with OEMs prior to release to manufacturing.
• Assess existing building infrastructure (power distribution, compressed air, ventilation, floor loading) against equipment requirements and define the modifications needed to support each installation.
• Manage equipment installation project schedules, budgets, and contractor activities; report progress, risks, and milestones to plant leadership.
• Coordinate required permits and inspections with local authorities and contractors (e.g., paint shop air permitting, fire, electrical, and crane/rigging inspections).
• Develop and execute preventive and predictive maintenance programs for all assigned equipment; establish PM schedules, checklists, and documentation in the CMMS.
• Troubleshoot and resolve mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and control system issues to minimize unplanned downtime; provide rapid response support to production.
• Program, configure, and maintain PLCs, HMIs, robotic systems, and machine controls; manage software backups, parameters, and revision control.
• Program, teach, and optimize robotic welding cells, including weld parameters, torch and consumable maintenance, and coordination of weld fixtures with engineering.
• Establish and manage critical spare parts inventory, vendor relationships, and service contracts for assigned equipment.
• Define equipment layouts, utility requirements (power, compressed air, ventilation, dust/fume extraction), and foundations for new installations.
• Develop standard work, operating procedures, and training materials; train operators and maintenance technicians on safe and proper equipment use.
• Drive continuous improvement in OEE, cycle time, scrap reduction, and changeover time using lean and root-cause methodologies (5 Why, fishbone, FMEA).
• Ensure all equipment and work practices comply with OSHA, machine guarding, and lockout/tagout (LOTO) requirements; lead equipment risk assessments.
• Support capital equipment justification, specification, and acquisition for future automation projects.
• Track and report equipment KPIs to plant leadership.
• Create / maintain complete equipment documentation, including manuals, electrical schematics, as-built drawings, and plant layout files.
• Lead the implementation of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES), including requirements definition, vendor evaluation, equipment/machine connectivity, shop floor data collection, and integration with ERP and quality systems.
• Drive plant digitalization and Industry 4.0 initiatives, including machine data acquisition (OPC UA/IIoT sensors), real-time production and OEE dashboards, digital work instructions, paperless quality records, and predictive maintenance analytics.
• Perform other duties as assigned; the scope of this role is expected to expand as Plant operations grow.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing, Mechanical, Electrical, or Mechatronics Engineering, or equivalent combination of education and hands-on experience.
• 5+ years of hands-on experience in a manufacturing environment with direct responsibility for automated equipment installation and/or maintenance.
• Hands-on experience with sheet metal fabrication equipment (laser cutting, punching, press brakes, robotic welding) and automated material handling systems.
• Working knowledge of PLC platforms (e.g., Siemens, Allen-Bradley/Rockwell), HMIs, servo/motion systems, and industrial robotics.
• Strong mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, and P&IDs.
• Experience implementing preventive maintenance programs and working within a CMMS.
• Experienced with communicating with OEM service and support centers.

Preferred:

• Experience commissioning automated paint/powder coating lines or finishing systems.
• Experience with robotic press brake cells (e.g., bending automation) and offline programming.
• Experience standing up production in brownfield or greenfield plant launches, including equipment installation and integration within existing facilities.
• Familiarity with electrical panel (control panel) assembly operations and UL 508A standards.
• Lean Six Sigma training or certification.
• Experience programming and maintaining robotic welding systems
• Project management experience for capital equipment installation projects (scheduling, budgeting, contractor coordination).
• Experience implementing or administering MES platforms and Industry 4.0 / digitalization tools (e.g., machine connectivity via OPC UA/MTConnect, OEE monitoring software, SAP integration).

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

• Manufacturing floor environment with exposure to noise, moving machinery, and paint shop operations; PPE required.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs, stand for extended periods, climb ladders, and work on or around industrial equipment.
• Occasional off-shift or on-call support during equipment installations, breakdowns, or planned shutdowns.
• Occasional travel to vendor sites, other STULZ facilities, or training (estimated up to 10%).

Must be authorized to work in the US without current or future sponsorship. STEM OPT not supported for this position.