Automation Engineer II

Summary:

The Automation Engineer will be an in-house technical expert in automated manufacturing equipment and methods who will leverage these skills to implement, optimize and maintain Chemence's production and manufacturing processes. The Automation Engineer identifies opportunities and implements solutions to move from manual and semi-automatic processes to cost-effective automated processes. This includes participation in and leadership of projects involving automation of manual operations, capacity expansion via implementation of automated processes, and modification of existing process hardware to accommodate changes. The Automation Engineer will work with external equipment suppliers as well as with engineers and internal business partners to achieve business goals. This role includes working with Chemence Medical and Chemence Performance Materials.

This position is an interdisciplinary field integrating physical science, robotics, controls, automation, mechatronics engineering, and technology. Equipment expertise is required for troubleshooting support of automation, including PLC programming, electronic data processing, HMIs, process controls and robotics. Technical writing skills are needed to prepare equipment specifications, standard operating procedures, and technical reports, including documentation to satisfy regulatory requirements. Good interpersonal skills are needed to work with other employees at all levels of the company, and with suppliers.

The Automation Engineer will support the full scope of Chemence's operations, which includes discrete part processing, such as tube filling, part assembly, blister sealing and boxing, to chemical batch processes, such as chemical reactor control, to improvements with inventory control.

Experience and knowledge with equipment such as multi-axis robots, pick-and-place robots, vibratory feeders, conveyors, pneumatic and vacuum systems, image processing via visions systems, bottle filling lines, label printing and label application, blister sealing, boxing, pouching, or similar automated equipment is expected. Experience and knowledge with a variety of fluid or chemical processing equipment such as pumps, filters, chillers, heaters, heat exchanges, temperature control loops, automated valves, mixing vessels, reactors and condensers is also desired.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Conceive, design, test, and develop innovative solutions based on analysis and organizational objectives.
• Teamwork with R&D, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, and Production.
• Specify system components or direct modification of automated systems to ensure conformance with engineering design and performance specifications.
• Investigate equipment failures and difficulties to diagnose faulty operation, and to make recommendations.
• Confer with management and other personnel to implement operating procedures and resolve system malfunctions.
• Responsible for designing control systems to minimize and resolve production issues and project costs.
• Evaluate and explores new and existing processes, equipment, and materials as an input to scheduling methods, performance metrics and financial standards.
• Develop and design robust new packaging concepts with feasibility analysis, applying best practices, continuous improvements, project management techniques.
• Create custom packaging solutions for Chemence Medical and Performance Materials to ensure both aesthetic and functional objectives.
• Work with suppliers and their design and engineering teams to create new custom machines.
• Evaluate and select packaging materials and processes that meet functional, cost and consumer usage requirements.
• Ensure project meets quality requirements of all key internal stakeholders including but not limited to Quality, Validation, Production, Manufacturing and R & D.
• Support deviation/customer complaint investigations, CAPA and safety related corrective actions.
• Author and executed change controls for system modification by following appropriate standard operating procedures.
• Lead process flow reviews, capacity and utilization studies, time and motion studies, standard work, cycle time analysis and line balancing.
• Robotics system interaction/programming.
• Create electrical, mechanical, and pneumatic drawings and related technical documentation.
• PLC and HMI setup and programming.
• Vision system setup and programming.
• Lead and assist with system fabrication, factory, and site acceptance testing.
• Lead and assist with equipment selection and specification.
• Leading Capital Projects from the initiation to close out or phase, meeting the initial expectation in deliverables, cost, quality and safety.
• Prepare capital project documentation for budget approval Work closely with purchasing, engineering, robot programming, and project management teams to ensure automation system assembly is completed in a timely manner.
• Integration and/or installation of robots and related peripheral equipment

Qualifications, Education, and/or Experience Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial, Mechanical, Electrical or Chemical Engineering, or Computer Science, plus 4 years' experience in robotics or industrial automation.
• 3+ years of technical competency experience in at least two of these (PLC, process controls and instrumentation, packaging equipment, robotics).
• 3+ years of experience working in the industrial or medical industry, manufacturing or packaging areas, or maintenance.
• Technical competency in analysis of geometric objects in 2 and 3 dimensions.
• Knowledge and understanding of industry standards (ISO, ASTM, ANSI, NEC, NFPA, OSHA etc.).
• Technical writing skills.
• Must be able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Must have good communication skills, orally and in writing.
• Understanding of process improvement, quality improvement concepts, machine efficiencies.
• Project management skills are desired.

Language Skills:

• English required; Spanish is a plus.

Physical Demands:

• Position requires walking, standing for prolonged periods, occasionally required to sit, climb, or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. May frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment:

• Non-temperature-controlled warehouse, non-temperature-controlled production floor, temperature-controlled office.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

AAP/EEO Statement:

CHEMENCE® provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.