Automation Engineer

Location: Heaton Chapel

Automation Engineer Welding & Assembly Want to take automation from concept to production? If you're an experienced Automation Engineer who enjoys getting involved at every stagefrom identifying opportunities and specifying equipment through to commissioning, programming and continuous improvement this could be an excellent opportunity to make a real impact. You'll join a growing UK manufacturer, part of a global engineering group supplying specialist equipment to the British Armed Forces .

With more than 100 years of engineering heritage and continued investment in advanced manufacturing, you'll play a key role in developing the next generation of automated welding and assembly capability. This is a hands-on role where you'll work closely with Engineering, Production, Quality and Maintenance, helping introduce new automation while continuously improving the performance, quality and efficiency of existing manufacturing processes.

What's on Offer Competitive salary 4% employee / 7% employer pension contribution Half-day Friday 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays, with additional long-service rewards Life Assurance Company sick pay, increasing with service Employee Assistance Programme Wellbeing initiatives, including free fruit Cycle to Work Scheme Free on-site parking On-site EV charging points Excellent career development within a global defence engineering organisation

The Role This is a varied hands-on Automation Engineering position focused on developing and implementing automated welding and assembly solutions across complex manufacturing operations. You'll identify where automation can improve productivity, quality and repeatability, then help take projects from initial concept and business case through equipment specification, installation, commissioning and production. You'll also get involved in robot programming, PLC/HMI troubleshooting, process optimisation, NPI and continuous improvement , making this an ideal role for an engineer who wants to combine technical expertise with practical problem-solving.

What You'll Be Doing - Automation & Capital Projects Identify opportunities to introduce automation across hull welding and bridge fabrication. Develop technical specifications for robotic welding cells, CNC equipment and automated material handling systems. Support capital investment proposals through cost-benefit and ROI analysis. Lead installation, commissioning and Site Acceptance Testing of new automated equipment. Work with suppliers, Engineering, Production and Maintenance teams to deliver projects successfully.

Programming & Process Optimisation Develop and optimise robot programmes for complex welding applications. Work with Off-Line Programming (OLP) to reduce production downtime during NPI. Troubleshoot PLC logic, HMI interfaces and automated systems. Improve cycle times, build hours, quality and overall equipment performance. Develop effective jigging, fixturing and alignment processes to improve dimensional stability. Continuous Improvement Analyse production data to identify bottlenecks, waste and opportunities for improvement.

Apply Lean Manufacturing and structured problem-solving techniques. Reduce scrap and improve first-time-right performance. Support root-cause analysis across Production, Quality and Maintenance. Mentor operators in basic robot intervention and safe operation. Continuously look for ways to improve manufacturing efficiency and reduce build hours per product. Process & Safety Develop SOPs and technical documentation for automated manufacturing processes. Conduct FMEAs and support robust risk management.

Ensure automated equipment complies with relevant EHS, CE/UKCA and PUWER requirements. Support safe, repeatable and controlled manufacturing processes. Provide Design for Manufacture input during early-stage product development. About You You'll probably already be working as an:
Automation Engineer Manufacturing Automation Engineer Robotics Engineer Controls Engineer Manufacturing Engineer with significant automation experience Welding Automation Engineer You'll be someone who enjoys getting hands-on with technology and solving manufacturing…