Senior Automation Manager
About The Position
Pratt & Whitney is executing a multi-year digital transformation strategy within our Manufacturing Operational Excellence division. Our state-of-the-art facility in Asheville, NC has been designated as the premier Lighthouse Site to pioneer this modern factory modernization. Serving as the Automation Leader, you will hold end-to-end strategic and operational responsibility for defining the vision, roadmap, and deployment strategy for next-generation smart factory execution. This high-visibility role bridges complex physical aerospace manufacturing with advanced digital infrastructure. You will scale a high-performing automation engineering team, champion the stand-up of Asheville’s Operational Technology (OT) Network, and collaborate directly with executive stakeholders to align multi-million dollar capital investments (CapEx) with enterprise manufacturing goals.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in a technical field (such as Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, Automation, or Systems Engineering) with 10+ years of related experience, OR an Advanced Degree with 8+ years of experience. In lieu of a degree, 14+ years of related experience is required.
- Engineering Team Leadership: Proven track record of direct people management or formal project team leadership overseeing engineering or technical personnel within industrial controls and automation manufacturing environments.
- Core Controls & Industrial Automation: Hands-on experience or deep technical understanding of PLCs, SCADA systems, hardware, firmware, electronics development, and the utilization of CAD and/or PLM software packages to manage engineering data.
- Industry 4.0 & OT Networks: Proven experience managing complex digital transformation projects, including the deployment of digital andon systems and building or scaling Operational Technology (OT) networks.
Nice To Haves
- Proven capability to present complex technical strategies to executive-level leadership, manage large-scale cross-functional stakeholders, formulate ROI business cases, and govern CapEx budgets.
- Technical proficiency within an aerospace or defense manufacturing environment utilizing enterprise systems including Siemens NX, Teamcenter, Solumina G7, SAP, and NC (Numerical Controls) programming.
- Practical experience leading brownfield or greenfield advanced manufacturing modernization, digital thread implementations, Model-Based Definition (MB-DMI), and MES software integrations.
- Practical experience deploying automated operational metrics (OEE/OLE), industrial robotics, and high-fidelity robot simulation workflows.
- Deep understanding of structured, enterprise-wide continuous improvement methodologies and operating frameworks, such as Lean Six Sigma or RTX’s CORE system.
Responsibilities
- Define and own the automation vision, roadmap, and deployment strategy for the Asheville lighthouse site — including SCADA, PLC/control systems, robotics, OT network infrastructure, and MES integration.
- Lead a team of automation engineers to implement, optimize, and sustain factory automation across engineered processes, lean pull systems, and performance data integration.
- Stand up and manage the Operational Technology (OT) Network as the critical enabling infrastructure for Industry 4.0 initiatives — including machine state monitoring, automated OEE/OLE, digital andon, and tiered metrics reporting.
- Drive cross-functional alignment on process capability requirements, control tools, and data analytics optimization — including MB-DMI, MES execution, and quality systems integration.
- Lead capital planning, equipment specification, ROI analysis, and budget management for automation investments — from initial business case through deployment and financial return tracking.
- Develop and execute technical maturity and project plans; build and report transformation progress metrics at all organizational levels, including executive leadership.
- Lead standardization efforts for automation equipment, system layout, fixture and tooling, ergonomics, and robot simulation.
- Build and advance the automation organization's technical proficiency — including training development, documentation, and team capability growth.
- Ensure all automation initiatives operate within CORE principles, EH&S requirements, and corporate ethical standards.
Benefits
- medical
- dental
- vision
- life insurance
- short-term disability
- long-term disability
- 401(k) match
- flexible spending accounts
- flexible work schedules
- employee assistance program
- Employee Scholar Program
- parental leave
- paid time off
- holidays
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
