Automation Engineering Manager

AeroFarms•Danville, VA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

AeroFarms is transforming agriculture with people and the planet in mind. As a Certified B Corporation and a pioneer in indoor vertical farming, we have built a proprietary agriculture platform to grow products delivering superior flavor, better quality, and improved nutrition and food safety in our industry. Now in over 1,000+ storefronts across the nation, we are scaling our award-winning brand and technology. Join AeroFarms at our advanced indoor vertical farming and automated packaging facility in Danville, VA as the Automation Engineering Manager. This role will lead the development, reliability, and continuous improvement of automation systems across production, packaging, and environmental control operations. The Automation Engineering Manager will oversee automation engineers and technicians while driving improvements in PLC systems, SCADA development, industrial networking infrastructure, and overall equipment performance. Position Overview The Automation Engineering Manager is responsible for managing the design, implementation, and reliability of automation systems across the facility. This includes PLC-controlled equipment, robotics, packaging systems, SCADA platforms, and industrial networking infrastructure. This role combines technical leadership, hands-on engineering, and team development to ensure that automation systems operate reliably, efficiently, and in support of production goals. The Automation Engineering Manager will also support the development and expansion of AeroFarms’ SCADA infrastructure using the Ignition platform, enabling improved visibility, system integration, and operational data across the farm.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field
7+ years of experience supporting automated manufacturing or industrial systems
2–4 years of experience leading engineering or technical teams
Strong experience with PLC programming, automation systems, and troubleshooting

Nice To Haves

Experience developing SCADA systems, particularly Ignition
Experience managing automation in food manufacturing or regulated environments
Knowledge of industrial networking and OT infrastructure
Experience commissioning automated production equipment

Responsibilities

Manage the engineering, performance, and reliability of automation systems across production and packaging operations.
Oversee PLC-controlled equipment, robotics, motion control systems, and automated packaging lines.
Lead troubleshooting and resolution of complex automation issues impacting operations.
Develop standards and best practices for automation programming, documentation, and system design.
Lead development and expansion of the facility’s SCADA platform using Ignition.
Design and deploy SCADA dashboards, alarms, data visualization tools, and process monitoring systems.
Integrate SCADA systems with PLCs, sensors, environmental systems, and packaging equipment.
Support data visibility and system integration for operations, agronomy, and engineering teams.
Oversee the design and maintenance of industrial networking infrastructure supporting automation systems.
Manage communication networks connecting PLCs, SCADA systems, robotics, sensors, and other automation equipment.
Support technologies including managed industrial Ethernet switches, VLAN segmentation, industrial wireless systems, and network redundancy.
Collaborate with IT teams to ensure secure integration between operational technology (OT) and IT systems.
Lead and mentor a team of automation engineers and controls technicians.
Provide technical guidance on automation troubleshooting, system upgrades, and improvement initiatives.
Develop training programs to expand automation capabilities across engineering and maintenance teams.
Identify opportunities to improve equipment uptime, automation performance, and operational efficiency.
Lead root cause analysis efforts for recurring automation or equipment issues.
Support implementation of Lean and continuous improvement initiatives.
Support automation scope for new equipment installations and capital improvement projects.
Work with equipment vendors, system integrators, and internal teams to implement automation upgrades.
Lead commissioning and startup of new automated equipment.
Ensure automation systems comply with machine safety standards, electrical safety requirements, and food manufacturing regulations.
Maintain strong change management and documentation practices for automation systems.