Systems Engineer - Warehouse Automation & OT

Position Overview

Data Micro Technologies is seeking an experienced Systems Engineer - Warehouse Automation & OT to support the Distribution Engineering organization at Johnson & Johnson Vision in Jacksonville, Florida.

This is an opportunity to work at the intersection of industrial automation, warehouse technology, operational technology (OT), controls, infrastructure, and systems engineering.

The engineer will initially support existing distribution operations at the Deerwood campus while playing an important role in the transition to a new, approximately 1,000,000-square-foot automated distribution center near Jacksonville International Airport.

You will help design, integrate, qualify, troubleshoot, and sustain the automation and technology infrastructure supporting a modern distribution operation.

We are especially interested in candidates with hands-on experience in Allen-Bradley/Rockwell controls, PLC troubleshooting, warehouse automation, material-handling systems, OT environments, and industrial systems integration.

This is not a traditional corporate IT Systems Engineer position. The role is closely connected to warehouse-floor automation and operational technology and requires someone comfortable working directly with engineering technicians, operations teams, automation vendors, and industrial equipment.

What You'll Do Warehouse Automation & Operational Support

• Provide technical support for integrated and automated warehouse-floor systems.
• Troubleshoot issues involving PLCs, controls, applications, warehouse systems, industrial networks, servers, and material-handling equipment.
• Perform root cause analysis for automation and controls failures.
• Partner directly with Operations and Engineering teams to minimize downtime and improve system reliability.
• Support preventive maintenance, diagnostics, system upgrades, and lifecycle activities.
• Develop operating procedures, troubleshooting documentation, user manuals, and training materials.
• Train engineering technicians, operational users, and support personnel.
• Perform impact assessments related to system failures and operational disruptions.

Systems Engineering & Integration

• Support the integration of facility-floor technology, warehouse automation, and enterprise systems.
• Install, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot applications supporting distribution operations.
• Support the design and implementation of OT networks and compute infrastructure for the new distribution center.
• Assist with phased equipment deployments, system upgrades, migrations, and retirements.
• Support integration of Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Warehouse Control Systems (WCS), Material Handling Equipment (MHE), conveyors, sortation systems, ASRS, PLCs, and associated infrastructure.
• Evaluate third-party technologies, automation equipment, suppliers, and technical solutions.
• Support onboarding, integration, and technical qualification of material-handling and automation suppliers.

Controls & Industrial Automation

• Support and troubleshoot Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation PLC environments.
• Diagnose and modify ladder logic as required to support automated operations.
• Troubleshoot ControlLogix, FactoryTalk, industrial communications, sensors, control panels, and related automation technologies.
• Perform electrical and controls troubleshooting in accordance with applicable safety requirements.
• Work with automation vendors and internal engineering teams to resolve complex equipment and integration issues.

Validation, Compliance & Change Control

• Partner with Quality, Validation, IT, Cybersecurity, Engineering, and Operations to implement compliant system changes.
• Support systems operating within FDA-regulated and cGMP environments.
• Develop and execute Installation Qualification (IQ), Operational Qualification (OQ), and Performance Qualification (PQ) activities.
• Participate in risk assessments, change controls, system qualification, and validation activities.
• Support controls associated with system security, electronic records, audit trails, backup, recovery, and data retention.

Project Leadership

• Lead and support automation, infrastructure, and systems engineering projects.
• Coordinate technical activities across Engineering, Operations, IT, Cybersecurity, Quality, Validation, and external vendors.
• Support project planning, budgeting, capital planning, scheduling, and prioritization.
• Participate in vendor selection, technical evaluation, qualification, and performance management.
• Transition mature systems and support processes to Operations while maintaining appropriate engineering governance.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in:

• Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Industrial Engineering
• Systems Engineering
• Computer Science
• Information Technology
• Cybersecurity
• Supply Chain Management
• Logistics
• Business Administration with relevant technical experience
• Or a related engineering or technical discipline

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in industrial automation, systems engineering, warehouse technology, manufacturing systems, material handling, distribution engineering, or operational technology.
• 3+ years supporting automated warehouse, manufacturing, logistics, or material-handling environments.
• 3+ years working with industrial controls, PLCs, automation systems, or OT infrastructure.
• Hands-on experience diagnosing PLC, controls, equipment, system integration, or industrial network issues.
• Experience working directly with operations and engineering teams in production or distribution environments.
• Experience supporting equipment vendors, system integrators, or automation suppliers.
• Experience coordinating technical projects across multiple stakeholders.

Core Technical SkillsIndustrial Automation & Controls

Strong hands-on experience with:

• Allen-Bradley / Rockwell Automation
• Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)
• ControlLogix
• Ladder Logic
• FactoryTalk environments
• Industrial controls and automation
• Electrical and controls troubleshooting
• Industrial communications
• Root cause analysis of equipment and controls failures

Warehouse & Distribution Technology

Experience with several of the following:

• Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)
• Warehouse Control Systems (WCS)
• Material Handling Equipment (MHE)
• Conveyor systems
• Sortation systems
• Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS)
• Warehouse automation
• Industrial system integration
• Distribution center operations

Operational Technology & Infrastructure

Working knowledge of:

• Operational Technology (OT) environments
• Industrial networking
• Windows Server
• Networked industrial devices
• Application and infrastructure troubleshooting
• System deployment and lifecycle management
• Cybersecurity principles within OT environments
• SDLC and change management

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in one or more of the following areas would be beneficial but is not required:

Regulated Environments

• FDA-regulated operations
• Medical device or pharmaceutical environments
• cGMP
• Computer system validation
• IQ/OQ/PQ
• Electronic records/electronic signatures

Data & Analytics

• Microsoft SQL Server
• Oracle Database
• IBM Db2
• SQL query development
• Advanced Microsoft Excel
• Data extraction and analysis
• Dashboard/KPI reporting
• Data-driven process improvement

Additional Automation Technologies

• FactoryTalk AssetCentre
• FactoryTalk Historian
• Machine vision systems
• Robotics

Professional Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong troubleshooting and root-cause-analysis skills
• Ability to solve problems across controls, software, infrastructure, and equipment
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Ability to collaborate with both technical and operational teams
• Project leadership and stakeholder-management skills
• Vendor and supplier coordination experience
• Strong organization and prioritization skills
• A continuous-improvement mindset
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced distribution environment

Benefits

Compensation & Benefits

• Annual Salary: $105,000
• Paid Time Off: 15 days annually
• Retirement: 3% employer matching contribution
• Health Insurance: Medical benefits offered
• Contract-to-Hire: Role will convert to a John & Johnson Vision employed Staff Engineer at end of 1 year contract based on performance.