Sr. Engineer, Industrial Automation and Robotics

Overview

Panasonic Energy is seeking a Senior Engineer, Industrial Automation and Robotics who will report to the Senior Director, Next Generation Initiatives. This role operates within the Next Generation Initiatives (NGI) team, a strategic function responsible for advancing automation, AI enablement, and operational transformation across PECNA. The engineer focuses on the physical execution layer of manufacturing: deploying automation and robotics systems that transform how work is performed on the factory floor, driving deployment of robotics, task‑specific equipment automation, process control, automated inspection, and AI‑integrated hardware systems.

The ideal candidate blends future‑forward curiosity with a hands‑on problem‑solving approach, translating complex manufacturing challenges into structured initiatives that enhance safety, quality, productivity, throughput, and cost performance.

• Partner with site leadership and manufacturing stakeholders to define and prioritize initiatives aligned to NGI pillars and identify opportunities to improve performance, cost, and workforce capability.
• Translate operational challenges into clear initiative charters and drive end‑to‑end delivery across physical systems (automation/robotics).
• Own use cases from discovery through proof of concept to scaled deployment, ensuring solutions are operationally relevant, explainable, and embedded into frontline workflows.
• Manage initiative timelines, risks, and dependencies; drive issue resolution with cross‑functional stakeholders.

• Evaluate and pilot emerging automation and robotics technologies across production sites, including advanced robotics, AMRs, and poly functional platforms, and identify high‑impact opportunities in task‑specific equipment automation, process control, automated inspection, and AI‑integrated hardware systems.
• Identify and prioritize automation opportunities that deliver measurable improvements in productivity, throughput, quality, and safety.
• Partner with process engineering, mechanical engineering, quality, controls, and SCADA to convert manual or semi‑automated operations into reliable, closed‑loop automated systems using PLCs, HMIs, sensors, and control logic.
• Develop evaluation frameworks to assess readiness, capability, reliability, safety, and ROI before scaled deployment.

• Bridge the gap between Operations, Engineering, Safety, Maintenance, IT/OT, Quality, Finance, HR, and Supply Chain to ensure deployments are safe, scalable, and sustainable.
• Manage relationships with robotics OEMs, integration partners, and equipment vendors, including RFAs, bids, delivery milestones, FAT/SAT, and performance accountability.
• Define and track KPIs such as cycle time, resource efficiency, MTBF, uptime, ROI, quality impact, and safety improvement.
• Document standards and best practices to enable repeatable deployment across NV and KS sites.
• Support training and change management for sustainable ownership by relevant teams.

• Employee may be required to wear PPE such as a full Tyvek suit, safety shoes, gloves, safety glasses, face mask, bump cap, or a full hazmat suit with respirator, depending on the work environment.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• PMP, Six Sigma, or equivalent continuous improvement certification.

• 7+ years of experience in industrial automation, robotics, controls, equipment engineering, or systems integration within a high-volume manufacturing environment; proven cross‑functional delivery from concept to adoption.
• Knowledge of factory systems (MES, SCADA, PLCs, ERP).
• Experience managing vendors or integrators through requirements, RFAs/RFQs, FAT, SAT, commissioning, and handoff.
• Strong communication, structured problem‑solving, and stakeholder…