Sr. Manager, Automation Engineering

Sr. Manager, Automation Engineering

Full Time| Permanent |Salary| Onsite

Vantedge Medical is the premier metals-based med-tech solutions partner from concept to full-scale manufacturing. We are at the forefront of precision engineering and innovation, specializing in the development and manufacturing of vital components for medical markets such as Robotic Assisted Surgery, Orthopedics, Surgical Instruments, Dental, and more. Our teams work in unison, collaborating and problem-solving to serve the manufacturing needs of the top Medical Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) around the globe.

Making a difference in the lives of patients and their families drives us to go above and beyond every day. Through our Vander-Bend division we also play an integral role supporting top hyperscalers in the AI data center space. With a steadfast commitment to advancing technology, we take immense pride in the work we do – and have a lot of fun doing it.

The Sr. Manager, Automation Engineering combines deep hands-on automation system design expertise with the leadership of an in-house team of approximately nine engineers and technicians. Beyond leading the team, this role owns the automation function's capital planning and cross-functional coordination – serving as the primary interface to Finance, Operations, Commercial, and site leadership for automation investment and prioritization. The Sr. Manager assesses current-state manufacturing processes across Vantedge's production facilities and develops automation solutions to strengthen new business and improve existing processes.

This is an engaged leadership role: the successful candidate stays technically hands-on while being the lead interface between the automation team and the production sites and customers it supports. We are looking for a technically advanced, highly collaborative leader within a regulated medical device and AI data center manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop a high-performing automation team
• Manage a team of approximately nine automation engineers and technicians at the Wallingford in-house automation build center – setting priorities, balancing demand and workload, and establishing an operating cadence with forward pipeline visibility and delivery commitments.
• Coach and develop the team's technical, business, and commercial acumen – building their understanding of customer requirements, cost drivers, and the production realities behind their solutions; recruit and retain talent.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with site engineering, Site Directors of Operations, and production teams, keeping the team engaged with the operations it supports, and its solutions grounded in real-world production conditions.
• Establish and support automation design practices, safety standards, and documentation across facilities, building on the team's proven process.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership across automation and controls
• Serve as the senior technical authority for robotics, PLC / controls, machine vision, fixturing, and material handling – remaining hands-on in the design, integration, debug, and validation of automated cells, and ensuring designs meet applicable machine-safety and electrical standards.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and guide build-versus-buy decisions; support qualification and validation of automated processes in accordance with medical device and industry quality requirements.
• Assess current state processes and develop automation solutions
• Assess current-state manufacturing processes across all sites to identify safety, productivity, and quality-improvement opportunities.
• Rapidly develop budgetary automation concepts, cost estimates, and ROI / payback analyses, partnering with Estimating, Operations, and Commercial during quoting to embed automation strategies that improve cost competitiveness.
• Build and prioritize a pipeline of automation initiatives, anticipating future demand and balancing quoting needs with current-process improvement.
• Own capital planning and vendor engagement for automation
• Own the capital planning process for automation – creating and justifying Capital Expenditure…