Automation Engineer

Summary

Wabtec Corporation is a global provider of equipment, systems, digital solutions, and services for the freight and transit rail sectors. The Automation Engineer will develop and deploy automation solutions across manufacturing processes, supporting project execution from concept through production launch. The role focuses on robotics, machine integration, simulation, safety, optimization, and technical collaboration across manufacturing sites.

Responsibilities

• Support automation projects from concept through production launch
• Evaluate manufacturing processes and identify practical automation opportunities
• Develop automation concepts, layouts, simulations, cycle-time estimates, and technical specifications
• Perform robot reach, payload, interference, and process simulations to reduce project risk
• Support capital estimates, ROI business cases, equipment scopes, and project documentation
• Participate in vendor selection, RFQs, design reviews, FAT, SAT, commissioning, and startup
• Work with controls, manufacturing, quality, maintenance, EHS, suppliers, and integrators to resolve technical issues
• Troubleshoot and optimize existing robotic and automated manufacturing systems
• Document lessons learned and help replicate successful automation solutions across sites
• Support Automation & Advanced Manufacturing standards, roadmap, and preferred technology strategy
• Evaluate emerging technologies including robotics, vision, simulation, digital twins, and AI-enabled manufacturing
• Provide hands-on technical support and knowledge sharing for site engineering teams

Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Mechatronics, Automation/Controls, Robotics Engineering, or a related discipline
• 3+ years of industrial automation, manufacturing engineering, robotics, controls, or advanced manufacturing experience
• Hands-on experience applying industrial robots and automation equipment in a production environment
• Ability to design automation concepts, cell layouts, tooling approaches, and equipment interfaces
• Experience with robot or manufacturing simulation, offline programming, or digital manufacturing tools
• Strong understanding of machine safety, controls, integration, manufacturing processes, and production readiness
• Effective project execution, problem-solving, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Ability to travel as required to support enterprise manufacturing sites
• Automation or robotics experience in high-volume manufacturing environment
• Industrial robots (FANUC preferred; ABB, KUKA, or Yaskawa/Motoman experience also valuable)
• Robot simulation and offline programming tools such as FANUC ROBOGUIDE, Process Simulate, Visual Components, or equivalent
• 3D CAD, equipment layouts, reach studies, cycle-time analysis, and design-for-automation
• Machine vision, inspection, and robotic guidance systems
• Automated material handling, end-of-arm tooling, fixtures, and sensor integration
• PLCs, HMIs, industrial networking, MES, SCADA, OEE, or manufacturing data systems
• FAT, SAT, commissioning, production launch, and structured root-cause problem solving
• Lean or Six Sigma certification

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Manufacturing, Mechatronics, Automation/Controls, Robotics Engineering, or a related discipline
• 3+ years of industrial automation, manufacturing engineering, robotics, controls, or advanced manufacturing experience
• Hands-on experience applying industrial robots and automation equipment in a production environment
• Ability to design automation concepts, cell layouts, tooling approaches, and equipment interfaces
• Experience with robot or manufacturing simulation, offline programming, or digital manufacturing tools
• Strong understanding of machine safety, controls, integration, manufacturing processes, and production readiness
• Effective project execution, problem-solving, documentation, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Ability to travel as required to support enterprise manufacturing sites

Nice to Haves

• Automation or robotics experience in high-volume manufacturing environment
• Industrial robots (FANUC preferred; ABB, KUKA, or Yaskawa/Motoman experience also valuable)
• Robot simulation and offline programming tools such as FANUC ROBOGUIDE, Process Simulate, Visual Components, or equivalent
• 3D CAD, equipment layouts, reach studies, cycle-time analysis, and design-for-automation
• Machine vision, inspection, and robotic guidance systems
• Automated material handling, end-of-arm tooling, fixtures, and sensor integration
• PLCs, HMIs, industrial networking, MES, SCADA, OEE, or manufacturing data systems
• FAT, SAT, commissioning, production launch, and structured root-cause problem solving
• Lean or Six Sigma certification

Benefits

• Health benefits
• Welfare benefits
• Retirement benefits
• Annual bonus, if eligible