Internet of Things Engineer

Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc. is the largest manufacturer of furniture in the world. Established in 1945, Ashley offers one of the industry’s broadest product assortments to retail partners in 123 countries. About the role The IoT Engineer – Smart Manufacturing is responsible for architecting, implementing, and sustaining industrial IoT integrations across manufacturing facilities to enable Smart Factory transformation. This role operates at the intersection of industrial automation and enterprise systems, connecting plant‑floor equipment (PLCs, sensors, robotics, packaging lines, and scanning systems) to enterprise platforms including the Execution Operations Platform (EOP), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), ERP systems, and robotics execution systems. This is a hands‑on, plant‑facing engineering role requiring real‑time problem solving during machine installations, go‑lives, and commissioning events. The position directly enables production visibility, material traceability, quality validation, and operational optimization. The IoT Developer plays a critical role in scaling standardized connectivity architecture across multiple facilities. Key Responsibilities Integrate PLCs, robotics, sensors, and machine controllers using MQTT, OPC‑UA, REST APIs, and secure messaging protocols Develop and maintain edge‑to‑cloud data pipelines for real‑time manufacturing data Design standardized machine connectivity frameworks for multi‑site scalability Implement structured data models for production, quality, and downtime capture Ensure secure data transmission and storage aligned with IT and cybersecurity standards Develop reusable integration templates to accelerate future deployments Smart Factory Enablement Connect Execution Operations Platform (EOP) with MES, ERP systems, and enterprise applications Enable material tracking technologies (RFID, barcode, serialization, vision systems) Capture and validate real‑time production, scrap, yield, and dimensional data Support deployment of Control Tower and plant observability systems Enable digital twin models of machines and production lines Standardize event‑driven data structures for enterprise reporting and analytics Automation Expansion & Plant Deployments Participate in Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) Validate integration reliability prior to production go‑live Support commissioning and startup during compressed installation windows Troubleshoot PLC and machine communication during live production Work directly with automation vendors, controls engineers, and plant operations teams Scale successful implementations across additional facilities Proactive Operational Support & Reliability Monitor machine connectivity and data health across sites Troubleshoot IoT communication failures and production‑impacting issues Improve system resilience and fault tolerance Reduce downtime through early detection and rapid resolution Continuously harden and optimize plant integration architecture Preferred Qualifications Smart Factory or Industry 4.0 implementation experience Experience integrating material tracking technologies (RFID, barcode, computer vision) Exposure to enterprise genealogy or graph database systems (e.g., Neo4J) Participation in multi‑site rollouts Experience supporting robotics or automated packaging systems Industrial systems thinking Structured data modeling Cross‑functional communication Root cause analysis Corporate Social Responsibility We are an equal opportunity employer and provide a drug‑free working environment. While Ashley appreciates the interest of all candidates only those meeting specific position requirements may be contacted. Principals Only. #J-18808-Ljbffr