Senior Manufacturing Engineer: Automation & Lean

Itron is innovating new ways for utilities and cities to manage energy and water. We create a more resourceful world to protect essential resources for today and tomorrow. Join us.

As a Senior Manufacturing Engineer working for the Manufacturing Engineering team at Itron in West Union, SC, you will lead the design, development, deployment, and optimization of manufacturing equipment and automated assembly systems to enable the profitable manufacturing of electricity meters, gas meters, network products, and battery-powered devices. You will apply mechanical engineering fundamentals and industrial automation expertise to design robust manufacturing solutions, improve equipment performance, and reduce total manufacturing cost (TMC).

You will also provide technical leadership through hands-on troubleshooting, cross-functional collaboration, and mentorship of junior engineers and co-ops, ensuring sustainable long-term manufacturing capability.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Design, develop, install, qualify, and sustain manufacturing equipment and automated assembly systems to support the profitable manufacturing of electricity meters, gas meters, network products, and battery-powered devices (BPD).
• Lead mechanical design efforts including concept development, CAD modeling and analysis, DFMEA/PFMEA/MFMEA support, fabrication, assembly, installation, and qualification of manufacturing equipment and tooling.
• Develop, integrate, and support industrial automation solutions utilizing industrial robots (FANUC, Stäubli, etc.), PLCs (Allen Bradley, Beckhoff, etc.), vision systems (Cognex, FANUC iRVision), safety systems, and material handling equipment.
• Own the full equipment lifecycle including specifications, supplier engagement, FAT/SAT, installation, commissioning, validation, and handoff to Operations.
• Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), improve First Pass Yield (FPY), and reduce Scrap and Rework to reduce Total Manufacturing Cost (TMC) through analysis of equipment performance, downtime, cycle time, and failure modes, implementing sustainable corrective actions.
• Provide onsite and remote technical support to troubleshoot equipment, automation systems, and mechanical issues, minimizing downtime and ensuring stable production.
• Develop and maintain manufacturing documentation including equipment specifications, drawings, schematics, risk assessments, work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), preventative maintenance schedules, and control plans.
• Mentor junior manufacturing engineers and technicians, providing guidance on mechanical design, automation best practices, troubleshooting, and structured problem-solving.
• Utilize manufacturing data (including MS-SQL databases, Power BI dashboards) to generate reports, identify issues, and drive data-driven continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with R&D, Quality, Operations, and Supply Chain to support New Product Introduction (NPI), representing Manufacturing Engineering throughout the Product Lifecycle (PLC).
• Deploy Lean manufacturing principles and tools to drive daily accountability on critical KPIs – Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory, and Productivity (SQDIP).

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience in high‑volume production environments, with hands‑on involvement in equipment design, industrial automation, and system integration.
• Strong mechanical engineering background, including CAD design (PTC Creo, Solid Works), machine design principles, equipment build/debug, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Proven experience with industrial automation systems including robots (FANUC, Stäubli), PLCs (Allen‑Bradley), vision systems (Cognex), safety systems, and integration of sensors, actuators, and tooling.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex manufacturing problems, identify root causes, and implement solutions that improve OEE, reduce cycle time, and lower manufacturing costs.
• Strong communication, leadership, and mentorship skills, with experience coaching and developing…