Senior Automation Engineer: Robotic Welding & PLC Systems

Position Overview

GTI Energy is a contract manufacturing partner supporting customers in renewable energy, power generation, infrastructure, and industrial systems. We fabricate custom designed, purpose-built enclosures and skids and perform mechanical and electrical integration in-house, delivering a true turn‑key product. Our scope spans engineering, prototype builds, through full production, requiring teams that can move fast, adapt, and execute with precision.

GTI Energy offers a competitive compensation and benefits package designed to support employees and their families while providing long‑term career growth opportunities within a fast‑growing manufacturing organization.

Benefits may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match (where applicable)
• Paid Time Off (PTO) and paid holidays
• Sick time in accordance with state and local requirements
• Company‑paid life insurance and disability coverage
• Career advancement opportunities within a rapidly growing organization
• Exposure to advanced manufacturing, modular infrastructure, and large‑scale industrial projects
• Collaborative, fast‑paced environment with strong operational and engineering leadership
• Employee‑focused culture centered on safety, quality, accountability, and continuous improvement

Automation Applications, Strategy & Cap Ex Justification

• Partner with operations, manufacturing engineering, and quality to identify automation use cases that improve safety, quality, and throughput.
• Develop capital expenditure justifications and ROI/payback analyses to support automation project funding.
• Lead cross‑functional project teams (quality, safety, operations, manufacturing engineering, and facilities) assigned to automation initiatives.
• Develop specifications for individual automation projects and create GTI‑wide standards for control systems, preferred robot manufacturers, and welding equipment OEMs.
• Write project‑specific performance clauses and high‑level automation requirements for new system deployments.

Automation System Design & Integration

• Design, specify, and implement robotic cells and systems across GTI’s manufacturing footprint.
• Select and oversee external integrators to execute detailed design work.
• Lead internal and external design reviews to verify system safety, quality, and technical alignment.
• Coordinate installation, validation, and qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ) of automation systems with integrators and plant teams.
• Ensure integration of robotics (FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Motoman, etc.), tooling, sensors, and safety systems.

Strategy Development and Sustainability

• Develop and lead our strategy to embed automated manufacturing processes that align with our business objectives.
• Ensure that our competency matrix and development plans align with our technical bench strengths needed to succeed in automation.
• Align our integration, programming and automation environment to provide a robust and manageable solution set.
• Analyze new products and programs and provide guidance to leverage our automation strengths.
• Partner with mechanical engineers, manufacturing engineers, quality, and maintenance teams to ensure production readiness of automated systems.
• Support design‑for‑manufacturability efforts on new products to enable automated processes.

Documentation & Training

• Maintain detailed technical documentation including robot programs, schematics, and SOPs.
• Train and mentor technicians, operators, and junior engineers on robotic welding system operation, troubleshooting, and programming.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or Industrial Engineering
• 8–10+ years of experience in manufacturing automation or controls engineering
• Hands‑on experience implementing and supporting robotic welding systems
• Proficiency with industrial welding robots (FANUC, ABB, Motoman, KUKA or similar)
• Strong experience with PLC programming and controls integration (Allen‑Bradley, Siemens, etc.)
• Proven success leading cross‑functional automation projects and managing integrators
• Strong understanding of welding processes (GMAW, GTAW, resistance spot welding) and metallurgy basics
• Knowledge of…