Director of Automation Engineering - Program Execution

JB Poindexter & Co•Elkhart, IN

112d

About The Position

J.B. Poindexter & Co., Inc. is a privately held, diversified manufacturing company with six operating subsidiaries and 60 locations. The Director, Automation Engineering - Program Execution will help create and execute the company’s automation project portfolio across its business units. This advanced manufacturing leader will build and lead an internal team of engineers capable of delivering automation projects through production launch, using internal capabilities or external automation suppliers. The role works with business units and corporate functions to design, build, install, and launch equipment; supports automation roadmaps and concept development; and leads initiatives to deploy improvements across the enterprise. The position also helps identify production improvement opportunities, develop and manage vendor and system acquisition processes, standardize processes across business units, and build automation skills at manufacturing sites. Travel expectation is 75% or more.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering from an accredited college or university.
Excellent mechanical engineering skills, with programming and controls capability and knowledge.
Experience with various types of automation, automation vendors, and automation applications.
Experience successfully implementing automation in a traditionally manual manufacturing environment.
Ability to communicate and build rapport with personnel at all levels in a manufacturing environment.
Experience in a high-volume, complex manufacturing environment.
Understanding of manufacturing design elements, tools, systems, processes, and regulatory requirements.
Understanding of design principles such as data analysis, DOE, GD&T, FMEA, and DFM/DFA.
Excellent mechanical aptitude.
Solid understanding of computer programming and software development.
Willingness to meet a travel expectation of 75% or more.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.

Responsibilities

Build and lead a team of Automation Program Leads and Engineers to deliver the automation project portfolio across JBPCO sites.
Collaborate with business units and corporate functions to design, build, install, and launch equipment at manufacturing sites.
Support development of the automation roadmap and concepts with business units.
Develop strategies and initiatives to deploy equipment and procedures that help roll out automation across plants.
Work cross-functionally and at all organizational levels to gain buy-in and ensure successful implementation of projects at business-unit and corporate levels.
Evaluate current production processes and identify opportunities to improve safety, quality, productivity, and cost structure.
Conduct studies to identify production-efficiency issues and propose and test solutions while preserving volume and mix flexibility.
Identify and qualify external automation design and build vendors.
Lead the system acquisition process, from vendor evaluation and requests for proposals through system build, acceptance testing, and ramp to rate.
Prepare concept layouts and drawings and document design processes and solutions.
Lead complex system tests and prepare reports.
Improve labor and space efficiency and cost effectiveness while addressing safety, including ergonomics.
Identify opportunities to standardize processes across business units and benefit from economies of scale.
Develop automation organizational skill requirements and gap analyses with business-unit manufacturing sites.
Support skills-gap closure through engineer-led training and critical production support.