Manufacturing Engineer Automation

Automation Engineer – Robotic Welding & Fabrication

North West UK | £55,000–£65,000 | Permanent

A well-established engineering manufacturer in the North West is recruiting a hands-on Automation Engineer to support, maintain and continuously improve robotic welding and fabrication systems across a busy production environment.

This is a shop-floor role in the truest sense — you’ll be at the heart of keeping automated equipment performing reliably, solving problems in real time and pushing improvement where it has the most impact. Alongside your day-to-day responsibilities, you’ll serve as the go-to technical expert for new equipment being introduced by the Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (AME) team, supporting commissioning and early operation from the ground up.

Key Responsibilities

• Concept & Supplier Liaison — Contributing to early concept development and acting as the technical point of contact with automation suppliers

• Equipment Specification — Helping to specify and implement new robotic and automated systems

• Commissioning & Testing — Providing hands-on support through commissioning, installation, FAT and SAT activities

• Preventative Maintenance — Collaborating with maintenance teams to build robust PM routines for robotic welding and fabrication cells

• Rapid Fault Finding — Diagnosing faults quickly and applying software fixes to keep downtime to a minimum

• Integrator Collaboration — Working alongside integrators and internal teams to resolve equipment and process issues

• PLC & Controls — Programming, modifying and developing PLCs and associated control systems

• Automation Improvements — Spotting and acting on opportunities to enhance welding and fabrication automation across steel and aluminium

• Robot Programming — Developing and refining robot welding programmes in close collaboration with Weld Engineering

• Offline Programming — Using offline programming tools to support new part introduction and process optimisation

• On-Site Optimisation — Refining robot paths and processes directly on the shop floor, including CI updates and new part integration

• Production Issue Analysis — Getting to the root of automation-related production issues and putting practical fixes in place

• Lean & CI — Applying lean thinking on the shop floor to improve flow, cut downtime and stabilise processes

• Operator Support — Training and supporting operators on basic robot operation, fault recovery and safe working

• Documentation — Keeping cell documentation, operating procedures and automation standards current and accurate

• Compliance — Making sure all equipment modifications meet EHS, CE/UKCA and PUWER requirements

• Quality & Process Control — Upholding manufacturing and quality standards through consistent process control

What We’re Looking For

• Comfortable working hands-on with robotic equipment on the shop floor

• Proactive problem-solver who stays calm and effective under pressure

• Technically strong across automation, robotics or controls

• Driven to make improvements at the point of manufacture, not just from behind a desk

This is a permanent opportunity paying £55,000–£65,000 — ideal for an engineer who wants genuine ownership of how automated systems perform, with the access, resource and support to make it happen.

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