Sr. Automation Engineer - Mechanical

Primary Function of Position

Contribute your technical manufacturing, equipment design, automation, and project management skills to a dynamic team creating high-volume automated assembly lines for precision instruments and accessories used in minimally invasive robotic surgery. The role spans evaluation, maintenance, repair, design, analysis, and continuous improvement of mechanical/electronic equipment; close collaboration with machine integrators through specification, design, build, commissioning, and validation; and ongoing production support across sites.

Essential Job Duties

• Lead creation of automation line specifications; source, evaluate, and manage equipment suppliers and machine integrators through design, build, FAT/SAT, and shipment.

• Design, document, procure, qualify, implement, and improve fixtures, tools, and equipment for high-volume assembly.

• Provide daily production line support; resolve emergency/unscheduled problems and repairs to ensure equipment uptime and availability.

• Develop and execute validation protocols (IQ/OQ/DQ/PQ and PPQ) for equipment and automated assembly lines; maintain compliant records.

• Determine and analyze equipment performance trends; define and implement improvements to maintainability, reliability, availability, cycle time, capacity, and first-pass yield.

• Perform and/or support PFMEA for accessories manufacturing lines; incorporate and validate critical tests used in manufacturing.

• Provide DFx input (Manufacturing, Assembly, Automation, Reliability) to design teams; ensure consistency/commonality of hardware and standard part selections.

• Integrate mechatronics components (sensors, motors, pneumatics), motion/vision control, and PLC-based line controls; support robot programming where applicable.

• Create and maintain controlled documentation including BOMs, workflow processes, manufacturing plans, and detailed work instructions; review peer edits.

• Teach, mentor, and train technicians/engineers in specialized equipment: diagnosing, repairing, maintaining, calibrating; improve installation, repair, and upkeep documentation.

• Conduct SAP transactions relevant to process/equipment operations; plan resources and budgets for product/process improvements, tooling, and testing.

• Identify and implement continuous improvement projects for product reliability and cost reduction; proactively seek technologies to improve production processes.

• Support inter-site collaboration (e.g., suppliers and Mexicali plant) and periodic travel.