Automation Process Engineer – Precision Automation & Cable Assembly

Automation Process Engineer – Precision Automation & Cable Assembly

Clear Path Medical | Tustin, CA

No relocation assistance | U.S. work authorization required

Clear Path Medical is an engineer‑owned contract manufacturer that designs, builds, and ships custom medical cable assemblies 100 % in‑house at our Tustin, CA facility. No layers of management. No offshore delays. Just a lean team turning intricate interconnect designs into FDA‑compliant, life‑critical products.

You’ll design, build, and optimize automated machines and processes for electro‑mechanical medical cable assemblies: robotic label placement, automated stripping, crimping, soldering, and epoxy dispensing. 80 % shop floor, 20 % desk—Solid Works at 8 AM, machining a fixture or debugging a cobot by 10 AM.

• Design, fabricate, and deploy custom automation cells, tooling, and fixtures that deliver repeatable precision.
• Build and assemble machines
  —mechanical framing, pneumatics, wiring, sensors, and safety systems from concept through runoff.
• Program and commission PLCs, HMIs, vision systems, cobots, dispensers, soldering robots, and crimpers.
• Fabricate prototype components using mills, lathes, drill presses, and 3D printers; modify off‑the‑shelf parts when needed.
• Lead automation projects from concept to FAT/SAT— you are the integrator, builder, and troubleshooter.
• Create DFM fixtures, poka‑yoke tooling, and changeover systems that cut setup from 30 min to < 3 min.
• Write bulletproof SOPs, work instructions, and PLC logic that operators execute flawlessly on day one.
• Balance lines and run time studies to achieve > 95 % OEE on high‑mix, low‑volume runs.
• Partner with Quality to lock in zero‑defect crimps, solder joints, and epoxy cures.

• 7+ years automating precise placement & joining processes (medical, aerospace, or electronics contract manufacturing).
• Proven track record building machines or automation cells end‑to‑end—mechanical design, fabrication, wiring, integration.
• Experience with:
  • Vision‑guided label application (± 0.2 mm or tighter)
  • Automated crimping with force/distance monitoring
  • Robotic soldering (laser or iron)
  • Precision epoxy dispensing (time‑pressure or auger)
• Fluent in Solid Works/Inventor for fixtures & DFM; GD&T and tolerance stacks second nature.
• Hands‑on with Studio 5000, URScript, Keyence IV, Epson RC+, Nordson valves, and other automation platforms—you debug on the floor.
• Comfortable using machine shop equipment (manual mill, lathe, bandsaw, drill press, grinders, and welding when needed).
• Project leadership
  —scoped, budgeted, and launched cells on time, under budget.
• Builder’s grit
  —you’ve 3D‑printed nozzles, machined brackets, wired e‑stops, and tuned PID loops after hours to hit spec.

• Direct bottom‑line impact.
• Medical/dental/vision and PTO.
• Zero red tape
  —pitch Monday, prototype Tuesday, qualify next week.
• Shop‑floor vibe: jeans, safety glasses, shipping product that ends up in an OR.

Send your resume plus a 2‑minute note or video on one automation cell or machine you built
—specs, challenges, and results.

Local Orange County only. Interviews start this week. No sponsorship.