Job Type
Full-time
Description
Sr. Manager, Automation Engineering Full Time| Permanent |Salary| Onsite
*We are not currently working with third party agencies on this role. Job Summary: The Sr. Manager, Automation Engineering combines deep hands-on automation system design expertise with the leadership of an in-house team of approximately nine engineers and technicians. Beyond leading the team, this role owns the automation function's capital planning and cross-functional coordination - serving as the primary interface to Finance, Operations, Commercial, and site leadership for automation investment and prioritization. The Sr. Manager assesses current-state manufacturing processes across Vantedge's production facilities and develops automation solutions to strengthen new business and improve existing processes. This is an engaged leadership role: the successful candidate stays technically hands-on while being the lead interface between the automation team and the production sites and customers it supports. We are looking for a technically advanced, highly collaborative leader within a regulated medical device and AI data center manufacturing environment.
Key Responsibilities:- Lead and develop a high-performing automation team
- Manage a team of approximately nine automation engineers and technicians at the Wallingford in-house automation build center - setting priorities, balancing demand and workload, and establishing an operating cadence with forward pipeline visibility and delivery commitments.
- Coach and develop the team's technical, business, and commercial acumen - building their understanding of customer requirements, cost drivers, and the production realities behind their solutions; recruit and retain talent.
- Build strong, collaborative relationships with site engineering, Site Directors of Operations, and production teams, keeping the team engaged with the operations it supports, and its solutions grounded in real-world production conditions.
- Establish and support automation design practices, safety standards, and documentation across facilities, building on the team's proven process.
- Provide hands-on technical leadership across automation and controls
- Serve as the senior technical authority for robotics, PLC / controls, machine vision, fixturing, and material handling - remaining hands-on in the design, integration, debug, and validation of automated cells, and ensuring designs meet applicable machine-safety and electrical standards.
- Evaluate emerging technologies and guide build-versus-buy decisions; support qualification and validation of automated processes in accordance with medical device and industry quality requirements.
- Assess current state processes and develop automation solutions
- Assess current-state manufacturing processes across all sites to identify safety, productivity, and quality-improvement opportunities.
- Rapidly develop budgetary automation concepts, cost estimates, and ROI / payback analyses, partnering with Estimating, Operations, and Commercial during quoting to embed automation strategies that improve cost competitiveness.
- Build and prioritize a pipeline of automation initiatives, anticipating future demand and balancing quoting needs with current-process improvement.
- Own capital planning and vendor engagement for automation
- Own the capital planning process for automation - creating and justifying Capital Expenditure Requests and business cases.
- Serve as the interface to Finance, Operations, Commercial, and site leadership on automation investment and prioritization, setting realistic scope, cost, and timeline expectations.
- Lead vendor and integrator discovery, engagement, and selection, owning key vendor relationships on behalf of the automation function.
Requirements
- Engineering or bachelor's degree in a technical field (Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Manufacturing, or related)
- Minimum 10 years hands-on experience in automation and controls engineering (design, build, and implementation of robotics, PLC programming, machine vision, fixturing, material handling, etc.), including progressive team- or project-leadership responsibility
- Demonstrated people-leadership experience and a collaborative style, with the ability to build strong relationships across engineering, operations, and site teams
- Experience owning automation capital planning - budgetary estimates, ROI / payback, CERs, capital justification - and managing vendor / integrator-supplied projects
- Working knowledge of applicable machine-safety and electrical standards medical device or other regulated-industry manufacturing experience
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment; proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
Preferred Qualifications:- Experience in a multi-site manufacturing environment, ideally metals-based (CNC machining, stamping, welding, EDM, and assembly)
- Business or financial acumen (e.g., MBA) and experience presenting capital proposals to executive leadership
Working Conditions: On-site at Wallingford, CT with ~25% travel to production sites, customer meetings, and industry events; manufacturing environments require appropriate PPE
