Automation Engineer Manager

Cushman & Wakefield•Rancho Cordova, CA

About The Position

The Automation Engineer Manager leads a team responsible for equipment reliability and operational excellence across fulfillment centers. The role monitors and supports controls automation and technical support work, ensuring the team can troubleshoot complex control systems, analyze performance metrics, lead continuous improvement projects, and mentor junior engineers. The position works with conveyors, sortation systems, scanners, cameras, print-and-apply systems, and SCADA devices and programs. Through technical leadership and design optimization, the manager supports fast and accurate customer order fulfillment while building team capabilities and improving operations. The manager provides subject matter expertise for engineering troubleshooting and root-cause investigations, oversees programming and source coding for PLC- or PC-controller and SCADA/OEE-based solutions, and supports material-handling control systems and industrial networks. The role monitors material-handling equipment metrics, partners with maintenance and operations on performance issues, provides local and remote escalation support, and coordinates vendor or senior-leadership escalation to restore equipment operation. It also includes rotational 24/7 on-call support and travel of up to 10–20%.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, electrical engineering, automation engineering, or equivalent, or 7+ years of PLC programming or automation engineering experience.
7+ years of experience working in industrial controls and automation.
7+ years of process- or production-environment-related PLC-controlled automation and issue-diagnosis experience.
7+ years of robotics work cells and control systems experience.
7+ years of Siemens, Allen-Bradley, or Codesys Ladder Logic and structured programming experience.
7+ years of electrical theory, robotics, controls components, and automated equipment experience.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, shift, and work area, including weekends, nights, and/or holidays.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in computer science, electrical engineering, or automation engineering.
Experience with HMI and control network components, including maintenance, troubleshooting, programming, and design.
Experience with programming software such as RSLogix5000, Studio 5000, FT View, and other controls software platforms.
MBA or other master’s degree and/or Six Sigma Black Belt Certification.
Manufacturing or complex-industry experience leading Controls.

Responsibilities

Apply subject matter expertise to troubleshoot engineering issues, investigate root causes, and plan actions to eliminate or mitigate downtime of critical assets.
Program and source-code in-house solutions based on PLC or PC controllers and SCADA/OEE platforms.
Understand, maintain, and troubleshoot material-handling control systems, including PLC/PC controllers, industrial networks, motor-control systems, servo drives, frequency drives, and electrical distribution systems.
Monitor material-handling equipment metrics and partner with maintenance and operations to address system performance issues and analyze operations.
Provide escalation support to automation engineers during and after business hours, troubleshooting locally and remotely to ensure building hardware and controls software are repaired on time.
Establish training plans and mentor a team of automation engineers.
Escalate downtime situations appropriately to vendors or senior leadership to restore equipment operation.
Provide rotational 24/7 on-call support for site hardware and software systems.
Travel up to 10–20%.