Advanced Automation Engineer

Amphenol TCS•Yocumtown, PA

About The Position

The Advanced Automation Engineer serves as a primary technical interface between Amphenol and customers developing automated or semi-automated systems for HSIO Overpass cable installation. The role focuses on understanding customer automation requirements, identifying installation and process challenges, developing practical solutions, and driving technical issues to resolution. It works closely with customer engineering, automation, manufacturing, and operations teams to evaluate applications, troubleshoot problems, develop proof-of-concept solutions, and recommend improvements to product design, tooling, fixtures, equipment, and installation processes. Internally, the engineer connects customer requirements with product development, NPI, manufacturing, quality, and operations teams to help ensure solutions are robust, scalable, and production-ready. The position involves hands-on problem solving, direct customer interaction, technical discussions, and translating customer challenges into actionable engineering solutions. Domestic and international travel may be required to support customers, suppliers, and manufacturing sites.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Automation Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
At least 5 years of experience in automation engineering, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, equipment engineering, or a related technical role.
Strong experience troubleshooting automated manufacturing processes.
Demonstrated ability to solve 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 diagnose problems quickly and develop practical corrective actions under customer and production time constraints.
Strong customer-facing communication skills and 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 follow-through.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally to support customers, suppliers, and manufacturing sites.

Nice To Haves

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 in 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.

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary customer-facing technical resource for automation, installation, handling, and manufacturability of HSIO Overpass cable solutions.
Build technical relationships with customer engineering, automation, manufacturing, and operations teams; understand their requirements, challenges, production objectives, and system constraints.
Lead customer discussions and technical reviews to identify automation opportunities, risks, and potential solutions.
Act as liaison between customer engineering teams and Amphenol product development, NPI, process engineering, quality, and operations.
Own automation-related customer issues from problem identification through root-cause analysis, corrective action, validation, and closure.
Troubleshoot automation and installation problems involving cable handling, routing, insertion, retention, orientation, fixturing, tooling, vision, force control, and product variation.
Assess automation failures and determine whether root causes relate to product design, tooling, equipment, process parameters, controls, handling, or operator interaction.
Develop data-driven solutions to improve automation performance, repeatability, cycle time, yield, quality, and reliability.
Support customer automation trials, equipment development, proof-of-concept builds, system integration, and production launch, including hands-on support at customer sites.
Review customer automation concepts and recommend improvements to compatibility with HSIO Overpass products.
Conduct design-for-automation reviews and recommend product design changes that 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 to apply robotics, machine vision, sensors, force control, and intelligent process monitoring.
Translate customer application lessons into product design guidelines, automation standards, and internal best practices.
Communicate customer requirements, technical findings, risks, action plans, and project status to leadership and cross-functional teams.
Develop and maintain process documentation, work instructions, training materials, validation plans, and troubleshooting guides.
Support transition of successful customer automation concepts into scalable manufacturing processes.