Automation Robot Specialist

The Automation / Robot Specialist serves as the technical owner of automation performance within manufacturing operations. This position develops, integrates, optimizes, and troubleshoots PLC, robot, vision, motion, safety, and industrial communication systems to achieve target cycle time, throughput, quality, and uptime. The specialist provides hands-on launch and stabilization support, applies structured root-cause analysis to eliminate recurring failures, and delivers reliable systems and documentation to sustainment teams.

Automation / Robot Specialist

• Own automation system performance and conduct daily optimization of automated cells to improve cycle time, throughput, quality, and equipment uptime.
• Develop, modify, test, and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, robot, vision, motion-control, safety, and supporting automation programs.
• Optimize robot paths, motion profiles, process sequencing, interlocks, alarms, and recovery routines while maintaining safe operation.
• Use structured root-cause analysis and corrective action to permanently eliminate chronic equipment and process failures.
• Configure, calibrate, validate, and maintain vision systems, sensors, error-proofing devices, servo systems, and networked industrial devices.
• Support equipment installation, commissioning, launch, and the first 90 days of stabilization in partnership with the AMA Lead and cross-functional plant teams.
• Perform offline programming, reach studies, cycle-time simulation, risk assessment, and system validation before production implementation.
• Manage program revisions through formal backup and version-control practices and maintain clear technical documentation, schematics, and network diagrams.
• Train sustainment personnel and complete a stable handoff after launch, including known issues, recovery procedures, validated backups, and performance status.
• Track performance against cycle-time achievement, direct-labor reduction, repeat-failure elimination, and stabilization-phase uptime targets.

Education and Experience

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Engineering Technology, Robotics, Automation, Electrical Engineering, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• At least five years of hands-on experience programming, integrating, optimizing, and troubleshooting industrial automation and robotic systems in a manufacturing environment.

• Expert-level capability with Rockwell Automation Control Logix and Studio 5000, including Ladder Logic, Structured Text, Function Block Diagrams, sequencing, state machines, error handling, data manipulation, and online/offline edits.
• Advanced experience with Factory Talk View HMI development, alarm configuration, trending, RSLinx communications, Add-On Instructions, produced/consumed tags, Kinetix motion control, and Guard Logix safety programming.

• Expert-level Fanuc robot programming and integration, including TP programming, motion commands, I/O and conditional logic, macros, KAREL, path optimization, mastering, and calibration.
• Experience with Fanuc Roboguide and WinOLPC for offline programming, reach analysis, cycle-time simulation, calibration, and system validation.
• Experience with Fanuc force sensing, synchronized motion, and CR-series collaborative robots, including safety zones, hand guiding, speed and separation monitoring, workspace design, and risk assessment.

• Experience configuring Fanuc iRVision 2D/3D applications, including part location, offsets, calibration, and robot-guidance integration.
• Advanced experience with Keyence CV-X and Cognex In-Sight Vision Pro systems, including lighting, calibration, edge detection, pattern matching, OCR, blob analysis, geometric tools, multi-camera synchronization, false-reject reduction, and job validation.

• Proficiency with Ether Net/IP explicit messaging, implicit I/O, and scanner configuration.
• Working knowledge of Profinet, Profibus, RS-232, Modbus RTU, and OPC UA for multi-vendor and Industry 4.0 integration.
• Strong electrical, controls, and networking knowledge to diagnose communication, device, and system-integration failures.

• Strong analytical and structured troubleshooting skills, with the ability to resolve complex automation failures under production and launch conditions.
• Ability to analyze interacting electrical,…