Advanced Automation Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Amphenol Communications Solutions (ACS), a division of Amphenol Corporation, is a world leader in interconnect solutions for Communications, Mobile, RF, Optics, and Commercial electronics markets. Amphenol Corporation is one of the world’s largest designers and manufacturers of electrical, electronic and fiber optic connectors and interconnect systems, antennas, sensors and sensor-based products and coaxial and high-speed specialty cable. ACS has an expansive global presence in research and development, manufacturing, and sales. We design and manufacture a wide range of innovative connectors as well as cable assemblies for diverse applications including server, storage, data center, mobile, RF, networking, industrial, business equipment, and automotive.

Position: Advanced Automation Engineer - HSIO Overpass Solutions

Location: Nashua, NH / Valley Green, PA /  Chicago, IL

SUMMARY:

The Advanced Automation Engineer will serve as a primary technical interface between Amphenol and customers developing automated or semi-automated systems for HSIO Overpass cable installation. This role will focus heavily on understanding customer automation requirements, identifying installation and process challenges, developing practical automation solutions, and driving technical issues to resolution.

The role will work closely with customer engineering, automation, manufacturing, and operations teams to evaluate applications, troubleshoot automation problems, develop proof-of-concept solutions, and recommend improvements to product design, tooling, fixtures, equipment, and installation processes. Internally, the engineer will connect customer requirements with product development, NPI, manufacturing, quality, and operations teams to ensure solutions are robust, scalable, and ready for production.

The successful candidate will be a hands-on problem solver who is comfortable working directly with customers, leading technical discussions, troubleshooting complex automation issues, and converting customer challenges into actionable engineering solutions.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as a primary customer-facing technical resource for automation, installation, handling, and manufacturability of HSIO Overpass cable solutions.
• Build strong technical relationships with customer engineering, automation, manufacturing, and operations teams.
• Engage directly with customers to understand automation requirements, installation challenges, production objectives, and system-level constraints.
• Lead customer discussions and technical reviews to identify automation opportunities, risks, and potential solutions.
• Act as the liaison between customer engineering teams and Amphenol product development, NPI, process engineering, quality, and operations.
• Own and drive automation-related customer issues from problem identification through root-cause analysis, corrective action, validation, and closure.
• Troubleshoot difficult automation and installation problems involving cable handling, routing, insertion, retention, orientation, fixturing, tooling, vision, force control, and product variation.
• Quickly assess customer automation failures and determine whether the root cause is related to product design, tooling, equipment, process parameters, controls, handling, or operator interaction.
• Develop practical, data-driven solutions to improve automation performance, repeatability, cycle time, yield, quality, and reliability.
• Support customers during automation trials, equipment development, proof-of-concept builds, system integration, and production launch.
• Participate in customer on-site trials and provide hands-on technical support during automation development and implementation.
• Review customer automation concepts and provide recommendations to improve compatibility with HSIO Overpass products.
• Conduct design-for-automation reviews for Overpass cable and interconnect products based on customer installation requirements.
• Identify product design characteristics that may create automation challenges and recommend changes to improve handling, orientation, insertion, routing, retention, and repeatability.
• Work with equipment suppliers and integrators to develop, troubleshoot, and optimize automation solutions.
• Establish troubleshooting methods and standardized approaches for common Overpass automation challenges.
• Identify opportunities for emerging automation technologies, robotics, machine vision, sensors, force control, and intelligent process monitoring.
• Translate lessons learned from customer applications into product design guidelines, automation standards, and internal best practices.
• Communicate customer requirements, technical findings, risks, action plans, and project status to internal leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Develop and maintain process documentation, work instructions, training materials, validation plans, and automation troubleshooting guides.
• Support the transition of successful customer automation concepts into scalable manufacturing processes.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Automation Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of experience in automation engineering, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, equipment engineering, or related technical role.
• Strong experience troubleshooting automated  manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrated experience solving complex mechanical, process, tooling, equipment, and automation problems.
• Strong understanding of Design for Manufacturability and Design for Automation principles.
• Experience reviewing product designs and identifying potential automation and manufacturing risks.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, control diagrams, and product documentation.
• Strong understanding of mechanical systems, fixtures, tooling, sensors, pneumatics, actuators, motion-control systems, and automated material handling.
• Strong root-cause analysis and structured problem-solving skills.
• Ability to quickly diagnose problems and develop practical corrective actions under customer and production time constraints.
• Strong customer-facing communication skills with the ability to explain complex technical problems and solutions clearly.
• Ability to lead technical discussions with customer engineering and automation teams.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to establish credibility and trust with customers.
• Ability to manage multiple customer issues and projects simultaneously while maintaining strong follow-through.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally to support customers, suppliers, and manufacturing sites.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

• Experience supporting automation integration directly with OEM or Tier 1 customers.
• Experience with automated installation of cables, connectors, wire harnesses, interconnects, or similar products.
• Experience troubleshooting customer automation equipment and production processes.
• Experience working with machine builders, system integrators, robotics integrators, and automation suppliers.
• Experience taking a customer automation problem from initial investigation through proof-of-concept, validation, and production implementation.
• Experience scaling automation from prototype or pilot production into high-volume manufacturing.
• Experience developing automation roadmaps tied to capacity, labor efficiency, yield improvement, quality, reliability, and customer program timing.
• Experience with rapid-response engineering and customer escalation environments.
• Experience developing customer-facing technical presentations, proposals, feasibility studies, and problem-solving reports.
• Experience mentoring automation engineers, process engineers, technicians, or equipment-development teams.

KEY SUCCESS FACTORS

• Customer-Focused Problem Solver: Quickly understand customer automation challenges and take ownership of finding practical solutions.
• Strong Customer Interaction: Build trusted relationships with customer engineering, automation, manufacturing, and operations teams.
• Automation Troubleshooting: Diagnose problems across product design, tooling, equipment, controls, process parameters, and material handling.
• Hands-On Engineering: Work directly with equipment, fixtures, tooling, products, and processes to identify and solve problems.
• Root-Cause Ownership: Drive automation issues from initial problem identification through root cause, corrective action, validation, and closure.
• Technical Communication: Clearly communicate complex automation problems, risks, recommendations, and solutions to customers and internal stakeholders.
• Fast Response: Respond effectively to customer escalations and production issues where rapid technical problem-solving is critical.
• Design for Automation: Identify automation risks early and influence product design to improve automated handling, installation, inspection, and production scalability.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Connect customers with product engineering, NPI, manufacturing, quality, operations, and suppliers to solve problems efficiently.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify recurring customer and manufacturing issues and convert lessons learned into better products, processes, tooling, and automation standards.
• Customer-to-Factory Translation: Convert customer application requirements into clear internal engineering, product, tooling, equipment, and process requirements.
• Production Readiness: Ensure automation solutions developed with customers can be reliably scaled into repeatable, high-volume manufacturing.

The base salary range for this position is  $100,000- $120,000 annually.  In determining rate of pay, Amphenol considers a variety of nondiscriminatory factors, including but not limited to geographic location, relevant industry experience, qualifications, skills, and education. It would be rare for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for a given role. Base salary is one facet of Amphenol's total rewards package which includes participation in our comprehensive benefits program with medical, dental, and vision benefits effective day 1, vacation, sick leave, personal days, paid holidays, life insurance, short/long term disability, and matching 401K.

Amphenol Corporation is proud of our reputation as an excellent employer. Our focus is to provide the highest level of support and responsiveness to both our employees and our customers, the world's largest technology companies. Amphenol Corporation offers the opportunity for career growth within a global organization. We believe that Amphenol Corporation is unique in that every employee, regardless of his or her position, has the ability to positively impact the business.

Amphenol is an “Equal Opportunity Employer” - Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin. For additional company information please visit our website at -cs.com/