Automation Business Lead

Automation Experts; Birmingham; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Uncapped bonus

Equity options

Job summary

Automation Experts is expanding in the UK and seeks an experienced FMCG engineer to lead business development and automation strategy. The role blends technical automation knowledge with strong customer relationships to grow the UK operation from a home-based base across the Liverpool–Gloucester corridor.

You will identify opportunities, shape solutions with international teams, and help build a local engineering team while travelling 20-30% internationally where required.

Qualifications

• Experience in FMCG or related process manufacturing with customer-facing credibility.
• Strong industry understanding and ability to develop new business relationships.
• Commercial potential and growth mindset prioritized alongside technical know-how.

Responsibilities

• Develop relationships with key customers across FMCG, especially food & beverage.
• Identify opportunities for automation and process solutions by understanding challenges.
• Use network to open doors, develop opportunities and drive growth.
• Collaborate with international engineering teams to shape solutions and support delivery.
• Help define UK growth strategy and recruit/develop a local engineering team.

Skills

FMCG industry knowledge

Customer relationships

Commercial mindset

Engineering experience

Business development

Tools

Siemens PCS7

Rockwell PlantPAx

Job description

Automation Business Lead - UK Expansion

£60-75k+ Uncapped Bonus (expected earning £150k+)

Equity/Performance Based Options Considered

Home based - West of England between Liverpool - Gloucester

No further west than Leicester

International Travel Required (20-30%)

Ref: 22345

An established international automation and process solutions business is investing in its UK expansion — and is looking for an experienced FMCG engineer with the industry knowledge, customer relationships and commercial drive to help build its UK presence.

Your background could be in automation, mechanical or process engineering. What matters is your understanding of FMCG manufacturing, the challenges facing production and engineering teams, and the relationships needed to develop new business.

This is an opportunity to take your industry experience beyond project delivery, combining technical knowledge and customer relationships with genuine commercial responsibility. Working alongside an established international engineering team, you'll develop new opportunities, build customer partnerships and help shape the UK business, with the potential to grow into a wider leadership role as the operation expands.

Automation Lead - The Role:

• Develop relationships with key customers across FMCG, particularly food and beverage
• Identify opportunities for automation and process solutions by understanding customers' operational and engineering challenges.
• Use your industry knowledge and existing network to open doors, develop opportunities and drive commercial growth.
• Work with international engineering teams to shape solutions and support project delivery.
• Help define the UK growth strategy and, over time, recruit and develop a local engineering team.

Automation Lead - The Person:

An experienced engineer from an FMCG or closely related process manufacturing environment, with the credibility, industry understanding and customer relationships to help grow a business. You might be an automation and controls engineer, a mechanical engineer or a process engineer.

Technical automation experience is advantageous, particularly with batch processing, Siemens PCS7 or Rockwell PlantPAx, but FMCG experience, industry contacts and commercial potential are the priorities.

You'll be confident engaging with customers, understanding their challenges and identifying opportunities to deliver value. Just as importantly, you'll be motivated by the opportunity to help build a business rather than simply deliver projects.

Sponsorship is not available for this position, you must be eligible to live and work in the UK. EU passports very helpful for ease of travel.

This is a rare opportunity to join a respected global automation business at an early stage of its UK expansion. You'll have the technical credibility to make a difference from day one, with the opportunity to grow into a broader leadership role as the operation develops.

You must be based between Liverpool and Gloucester, and no further west than Leicester. This is an essential requirement for the role. The position will initially be home-based, with a permanent UK office location to be agreed based on the successful candidate's location. International travel will account for approximately 20-30% of the role.

Candidates must already have the right to work in the UK; sponsorship is unavailable. An EU passport would be advantageous for international travel.