Automation Engineer - Manufacturing

Automation Experts; Manchester; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension (4% employee, 7% employer)

Half-day Friday

Employee Assistance

Additional Holidays

Long Service Rewards

Life Assurance

Wellbeing Initiatives

Cycle to Work

Free on-site Parking

On-site EV Charging points

Job summary

Automation Experts is seeking an Automation Engineer - Manufacturing in Greater Manchester to help drive automated welding, robotic assembly and large-scale production automation projects. The role focuses on hands-on automation, process optimisation and continuous improvement within a high‑tech manufacturing environment.

You will identify automation opportunities, specify robotic cells, lead installation and SAT, and develop robot programs while using OLP to minimise downtime during NPI.

Qualifications

• HND or Degree in Manufacturing, Engineering or Mechatronics.
• Experience with industrial Robotics (ABB) and PLC systems (Siemens).
• Background in automated manufacturing environments and Lean practices.

Responsibilities

• Identify and implement automation opportunities across welding and fabrication operations
• Support specification and procurement of robotic welding cells, CNC fabrication centres and automated handling systems
• Lead installation, commissioning and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) activities
• Develop and optimise robot programs for complex manufacturing applications
• Utilise Off‑Line Programming (OLP) software to minimise downtime during new product introduction (NPI)
• Troubleshoot PLCs and HMI systems to support automated manufacturing processes
• Analyse production data to improve cycle times, efficiency and product quality
• Apply Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies
• Develop SOPs, FMEAs and technical documentation for automated systems
• Support cross-functional engineering, production and maintenance teams

Skills

ABB Robotics

Siemens PLC

Lean Manufacturing

NPI Experience

Automation Engineering

Education

HND or Degree in Engineering

Job description

Automation Engineer - Manufacturing

To £60k + Benefits. Greater Manchester. Ref: 25440

Attractive Pension (4% Employee Contribution, 7% employer contribution) Half-day Friday, Employee Assistance, Additional Holidays & Long Service Rewards, Life Assurance, Wellbeing Initiatives, Cycle to Work Scheme, Free on-site Parking, On-site EV Charging points

Do you want to help drive the future of robotic manufacturing and automation within a world-class engineering environment?

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Manufacturing Engineer to join a highly advanced manufacturing operation, supporting the implementation of automated welding, robotic assembly and large-scale production automation projects. Working within a dedicated Manufacturing Engineering team, you’ll play a key role in developing innovative automated manufacturing solutions, improving production efficiency and supporting the introduction of cutting-edge robotic systems within a complex engineering environment.

Perfect for someone who enjoys hands‑on automation, process optimisation and continuous improvement within large‑scale manufacturing.

Automation Engineer - Manufacturing - The Role:

• Identify and implement automation opportunities across welding and fabrication operations
• Support specification and procurement of robotic welding cells, CNC fabrication centres and automated handling systems
• Lead installation, commissioning and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) activities
• Develop and optimise robot programs for complex manufacturing applications
• Utilise Off‑Line Programming (OLP) software to minimise downtime during new product introduction (NPI)
• Troubleshoot PLCs and HMI systems to support automated manufacturing processes
• Analyse production data to improve cycle times, efficiency and product quality
• Apply Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies
• Develop SOPs, FMEAs and technical documentation for automated systems
• Support cross-functional engineering, production and maintenance teams

Automation Engineer - Manufacturing - What We’re Looking For:

• HND or Degree in Manufacturing, Engineering or Mechatronics
• Experience with industrial Robotics (ABB) and PLC systems (Siemens)
• Background within automated manufacturing or engineering environments
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing and process optimisation
• Experience with NPI, automation integration and production improvement activities
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills
• Ability to work collaboratively across engineering and production teams
• Knowledge of manufacturing safety and compliance standards

Desirable experience includes:

• Robotic welding, CNC machining or automated fabrication systems
• Six Sigma or Lean certification
• Industry 4.0 or digital manufacturing technologies
• Heavy manufacturing experience within defence, automotive or aerospace sectors

Why Join?

• Work on advanced automation and robotic manufacturing technology
• Opportunity to lead innovative automation and continuous improvement projects
• Technically challenging environment with excellent long‑term career development
• Strong collaborative engineering culture
• Exposure to large-scale manufacturing and advanced production systems
• Opportunity to influence future manufacturing processes and operational excellence

Located in Greater Manchester, this role would be commutable from Manchester, Oldham, Stockport, Rochdale and other surrounding