Automation Application Engineer

Frank Calandra Jennmar Services•Wyoming, MI

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Automation Application Engineer plays a critical technical role in designing, proposing, and supporting robotic automation solutions for manufacturing, packaging, material handling, welding, and assembly applications. You will work closely with sales teams and customers to apply industrial robots (e.g., FANUC, ABB, Universal Robots/cobots) and related technologies to create efficient, scalable, and safe automated systems. This customer-facing position emphasizes pre-sales engineering, concept development, system integration, and technical proposals. As the primary point of contact for both internal teams and customers, you will lead cross-functional efforts involving mechanical design, controls engineering, fabrication, and assembly. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in industrial automation and robotics, excellent communication skills, and a results-driven mindset.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field (preferred).
3–8+ years in robotic applications, automation engineering, or related roles.
Hands-on experience with industrial robots (FANUC strongly preferred in the region, plus ABB, UR, etc.) is essential.
Robot programming and simulation (FANUC RoboGuide, ABB RobotStudio, or similar).
Knowledge of robotic integration with PLC/HMI (Rockwell, Siemens), vision systems, and safety circuits.
Proficiency in CAD (AutoCAD, SolidWorks), Microsoft Office, and project estimation tools.
Understanding of mechanical design, EOAT, and automation system architecture.
Excellent communication, problem-solving, customer service orientation, and ability to manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment.
Willingness to travel regionally to customer sites (typically 10–20%).
Valid driver’s license.

Nice To Haves

Experience in packaging machinery, welding automation, material handling, or high-volume manufacturing.
Certifications in robotics (e.g., FANUC) or safety standards.
Background in cobots, machine vision (e.g., Cognex), or offline programming software.

Responsibilities

Develop robotic automation concepts and layouts for tasks such as pick-and-place, palletizing, welding, material handling, assembly, bin picking, and packaging.
Select appropriate robots, end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), vision systems, and safety devices.
Create detailed proposals including robot programs/concepts, cycle time analysis, layouts (using CAD), risk assessments, cost estimates, and integration plans with PLCs, conveyors, and other automation equipment.
Serve as the technical expert for sales teams.
Participate in customer meetings, site visits, and presentations to understand requirements and demonstrate robotic solutions.
Translate customer needs into robust automation applications.
Perform reach studies, payload analysis, cycle time simulations, and ROI evaluations.
Ensure solutions meet safety standards (e.g., RIA), quality, and throughput goals.
Stay current with advancements in collaborative robots (cobots), machine vision, AI-guided robotics, and Industry 4.0 integration.