Location: Austin, Texas
Job ID: 50960
HID Global is seeking a Automation Engineer to be an integral member of the Manufacturing Engineering team in Austin. This role is essential for developing and optimizing production equipment with a focus on equipment functionality, efficiency and performance.
The Automation Engineer is a hands-on developer and builder of manufacturing automation equipment, responsible for designing, developing, modifying, and optimizing solutions to meet HID-specific manufacturing needs. This role requires actively researching and learning the automation equipment market to inform development decisions and accelerate implementation. The engineer will take a practical, build-focused approach-developing equipment from the ground up when required, or creating hybrid solutions by modifying and enhancing commercially available or internally developed base equipment. This includes designing custom features, add-ons, and performance improvements to ensure each solution is purpose-built, robust, and optimized for HID's use cases.
As our Automation Engineer IV, you'll support HID's success by: - Designing, building, and developing custom automation equipment and tooling to support HID manufacturing requirements, from early concept through production-ready deployment.
- Performing hands-on mechanical, electrical, and controls development, including fabrication, assembly, integration, testing, and iteration of automation systems.
- Researching and learning the automation equipment market to inform development strategies and identify opportunities to accelerate builds through hybrid solutions.
- Developing automation solutions using a build-from-scratch approach when required, or by modifying and enhancing commercially available or internally developed base equipment.
- Designing and implementing custom features, add-ons, and performance enhancements to existing equipment to meet HID-specific use cases.
- Modifying new or existing internal equipment designs to add functionality, improve reliability, increase throughput, or enable new product capabilities.
- Owning the prototype-to-production lifecycle, including proof-of-concept builds, validation testing, production handoff, and post-launch optimization.
- Troubleshooting and debugging mechanical, electrical, software, and system-level issues directly on the equipment.
- Collaborating closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Operations, Quality, and suppliers to ensure equipment designs are robust, manufacturable, and support production goals.
- Creating and maintaining technical documentation including design concepts, schematics, drawings, test results, and build instructions.
- Identifying continuous improvement opportunities and implementing design changes that improve equipment performance, uptime, and scalability.
- Partnering closely with Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Production teams to identify automation opportunities based on real-world operational pain points, capacity constraints, quality risks, and safety concerns.
- Observing and analyzing existing manufacturing processes on the shop floor to define functional requirements and automation concepts that directly address current and future production needs.
- Translating operational requirements into practical automation solutions, balancing technical feasibility, development effort, cost, and long-term scalability.
- Leading the hands-on development of automation solutions, including concept generation, design trade studies, prototyping, testing, and iterative refinement.
- Evaluating existing equipment and processes to determine when modification, enhancement, or partial automation is the most effective solution versus full replacement.
- Supporting deployment of automation into production, including on-site debugging, optimization, operator support, and early-life issue resolution.
- Acting as a technical problem solver during production challenges, identifying when automation improvements or design changes are required to restore or improve performance.
- Collaborating with suppliers and internal teams to integrate externally sourced equipment into HID operations, ensuring required modifications and custom features are developed in-house where needed.
- Contributing to standardization and reuse of automation concepts, designs, and components to improve development efficiency across projects.
Your Experience and Background include: - Desired Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or similar field.
- 7+ years of Engineering Equipment Development experience.
- Have excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Must be a dependable team player, able to work independently in a fast-paced environment and be proficient at conflict resolution.
- Demonstrated experience in hands-on design, build, and modification of automation equipment in a manufacturing or production environment.
- Proven ability to translate operational problems into practical automation solutions, with direct involvement in development and implementation.
- Experience developing automation systems using a hybrid approach, including modifying commercial off-the-shelf equipment and adding custom mechanical, electrical, or controls features.
- Strong background in mechanical and/or electrical system design, including component selection, integration, and troubleshooting.
- Experience building and iterating prototypes, proof-of-concept systems, and production automation.
- Working knowledge of automation controls, sensors, actuators, motion systems, vision systems, and industrial safety concepts.
- Vision systems experience a plus.
- Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, continuous improvement, or process optimization concepts as they relate to automation.
- Strong collaboration skills with Operations, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and external suppliers.
- Ability to document designs, modifications, and build standards clearly to support repeatability and long-term maintainability.
What we can offer you:- Competitive salary and rewards package
- Competitive benefits and annual leave offering, allowing for work-life balance
- A vibrant, welcoming & inclusive culture
- Extensive career development opportunities and resources to maximize your potential
- To be a part of a global organization that is pioneering the hardware, software and services that allow people to confidently navigate the physical and digital worlds
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