Automation Process Lead - Robotics Engineer

J.B. Poindexter & Co., Inc. (JBPCO) is a privately held, diversified manufacturing company forecasting over $2.5B in annual revenues and employing over 8,000 team members. The six operating subsidiaries, covering 60 locations, are engaged in the production of commercial truck bodies, step-vans, utility trucks, ambulances, electric and alternative fuel vehicles, and expandable foam plastic packaging. For more information, visit

The Automation Process Lead – Robotics Engineer will be responsible for developing the project concept for all automation projects and providing critical SME support in their respective area of expertise through program execution.

This includes working with the Program Manager and respective BU counterparts to take projects from the idea phase through supplier selection including data gathering, concept development, process validation, business case justification, creating the scope of work, and identifying the preferred vendor/integrator. The process lead will apply their expertise to ensure the solution is of good quality and design, meets all safety, ergonomic and lean principles and conforms to all industry and applicable JBPCO standards.

The Process Lead will be supporting multiple projects at one time across all the business units and their facilities within North America. The process lead will ensure selected projects at their core are based around safety, minimal labor dependency, quality, workflow, and delivery improvements.

• Lead cross-functional collaboration with operations, engineering, quality, and business leadership to identify robotic welding and automation opportunities, develop manufacturing technology strategies, and establish Factory of the Future roadmaps aligned with Industry 4.0 objectives.
• Lead the development, deployment, and optimization of advanced manufacturing solutions, including robotic welding, machine tending, automated assembly, inspection, vision systems, autonomous material handling, and flexible manufacturing cells.
• Drive Design for Manufacturing (DFM), tooling, fixturing, weld joint design, and process improvements to maximize robotic welding performance, automation readiness, quality, throughput, safety, and Lean manufacturing outcomes.
• Provide technical leadership for robotic welding and automated manufacturing systems, including process capability, cycle time optimization, capacity planning, production readiness, workflow design, and human-robot collaboration.
• Lead concept development using process/cell simulation, digital twins, offline robot programming, robotic cell design, material flow analysis, line balancing, ergonomic assessments, throughput modeling, and PFEP methodologies.
• Develop technical specifications, standards, and engineering documentation for robotic welding and automation systems; manage vendor selection, design reviews, FAT/SAT, commissioning, process validation, and production launch activities.
• Establish and maintain robotic welding standards, programming methodologies, qualification requirements, and best practices for adaptive welding, seam tracking, touch sensing, machine vision, and advanced automation technologies.
• Drive continuous improvement through production data analytics, weld quality metrics, OEE analysis, statistical methods, and digital manufacturing technologies to improve safety, quality, throughput, and operational efficiency.
• Lead integration of robotic and automated manufacturing systems with plant controls, MES, ERP, quality systems, and industrial data platforms to enable real-time visibility, traceability, production analytics, and smart manufacturing initiatives.
• Serve as the subject matter expert for robotic welding, automation technologies,…