Field Automation Engineer; PLCs & Python

About Ship Monk

Ship Monk isn't just a 3PL; we're a growth partner for merchants. We provide cutting-edge technology and a network of owned and operated fulfillment centers that empower high-growth ecommerce and DTC brands to stress less and grow more. With over 2,500 employees across five countries, we're on a mission to revolutionize fulfillment by providing everything from the fastest click-to-delivery and real-time inventory to custom solutions—all with a merchant-first mindset.

We believe in building for the long term, and our success is powered by five key differentiators that help us become true partners to our merchants.

• Global Fulfillment Network: Our 12+ owned and operated fulfillment centers span the US, Canada, Mexico, the U.K., and Mainland Europe. We never outsource, ensuring quality and consistency.
• Proprietary Technology: We’ve eliminated the need for tribal knowledge with our AI-powered platform. It provides a real-time, unified view of inventory and orders, giving our merchants the control and visibility they need to succeed.
• Unrivaled Support: We provide hands-on, "mom and pop" support with a global reach. Our dedicated teams are on-site at every fulfillment center, ready to jump into action.
• Transparent Pricing: We believe in honest, long-term partnerships. Our all-inclusive pricing means predictable costs, with no hidden fees or surprises.
• Committed to the Future: We invest over $10 million annually in research and development to ensure our technology and services continually evolve, helping merchants plant roots with a partner who is here to stay.

Our values are the heart of our culture. We're looking for individuals who embody these principles every day.

• Merchant-first: We handle the logistics so our merchants can focus on what they do best—growing their business.
• Own it: We take ownership of our work, our mistakes, and our successes.
• People make Ship Monk: We believe in our team and invest in our people.
• Change the score: We challenge the status quo, constantly innovating and improving.
• Get sh
  * t done: We're a fast-paced, high-growth company that values action and results.

Ship Monk is moving beyond traditional "maintenance." We are looking for a Field Automation Engineer to serve as the critical bridge between our physical sorting infrastructure (conveyors, cameras, diverters) and our digital ecosystem.

The Goal: We want you to automate yourself out of a suitcase. Our vision is a "maintenance-free" future. The better you stabilize the hardware and fine-tune the system logic, the less you will need to travel. We have remote monitoring tools in place—we just need the right person to architect the stability that makes them effective.

• Hardware Ownership (The Priority): You are the primary owner of the sorting machinery. You bring a pragmatic, "common sense" approach to troubleshooting that pure software developers often lack.
• Diagnose Physical Issues: When a package is misrouted, you check the physical reality first. Is the diverter wheel worn out? Is the camera lens dirty? Is a sensor obstructed?
• Orchestrate the Floor: Maintain the health of scanners, dimensioners, and automated conveyors.
• Root Cause Analysis: Distinguish between a mechanical failure (e.g., a jammed roller) and a system instruction error.
• The Communication Bridge: This is a communication-heavy role. You are the translator between two distinct worlds:
• Warehouse Operations: You can explain technical issues to non-technical staff on the floor in plain English.
• Software Development: You can relay detailed technical context to our software teams when deep code changes are needed.
• System Integration & Logic (The "Nice-to-Have"): While hardware is your priority, you are comfortable in a technical environment.
• Manage the "Middleman": Oversee the integration layer that connects our Warehouse Management System (WMS) to the Sorter hardware.
• Triage Logic: Understand the rules of "what to do when..." and identify if an error is software-related or physical.
• Scripting: If you can at least modify Python (+Bash) scripts and SQL queries to debug logic, that is a huge plus (though…