Automation Engineering Leader

Sigmar Recruitment; Dublin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Sigmar Recruitment is partnering with a Medical Device client in South Dublin to recruit an Automation Engineering Leader who will spearhead strategy, design, commissioning and continuous improvement of the site’s automated manufacturing systems, balancing hands-on leadership with people management.

This permanent role offers exposure to high-impact projects, cross-functional collaboration, and a target to maximise uptime and throughput while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years experience in automation/engineering roles.
• Experience with Allen-Bradley / Rockwell products.
• Experience with Cognex vision systems.
• Experience with SCADA/HMI systems.
• Strong understanding of network architectures and fieldbus protocols.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the long-term automation strategy aligned with corporate and site targets.
• Manage, mentor, and upskill a team of Automation Engineers and Technicians.
• Manage automation projects plant wide as required and liaise with vendors in the design, procurement, evaluation and acceptance of new equipment.
• Support the continuous improvement of all automated equipment using Lean / Six Sigma and Project Management techniques.
• Assign engineering resources to support both daily plant operations and long-term project deployments.
• Act as the ultimate escalation point for complex, systemic automation failures to minimize plant downtime.
• Work closely with cross functional teams in monitoring equipment performance using proven troubleshooting and problem-solving techniques / methods to solve to root cause
• Provide front line technical support and leadership to Engineering, Operations, Validation, Development & Quality departments
• Support plant wide automation change control and manage software revision control systems
• Assist the Validation team in new process validation, equipment upgrades and NPI's
• Ensure all new equipment and tasks are risk assessed, support investigation and near miss resolution, and proactively drive actions to reduce safety risks
• Provide assistance in the preparation of budgets.
• Participate in Continuous Improvement initiatives as appropriate – Lean, LDMS, Blitz’s.

Skills

Automation leadership

Allen-Bradley / Rockwell

Cognex vision systems

Control networks

VFD/Servo motion

SCADA/HMI systems

Industrial networks

Education

B.Eng. in Electrical, Software, Manufacturing or related engineering discipline

Job description

I’m delighted to be working a very exciting role with one of our Medical Device clients in South Dublin. This role gives you the chance to lead day to day automation activities for the manufacturing site, as well as some projects exposure. It is a time of exciting growth and innovation with this company, so this is an excellent time to join. Permanent role with full salary and benefits package.

Job Purpose:

The Automation Engineering Leader will spearhead the strategy, design, commissioning, and continuous improvement of our automated manufacturing systems. They will work with a high-performing team of automation engineers and technicians to maximise equipment uptime, optimise throughput, and ensure operational safety. This role balances high-level hands-on technical leadership and people management.

Responsibilities:

• Define and execute the long-term automation strategy aligned with corporate and site targets
• Manage, mentor, and upskill a team of Automation Engineers and Technicians
• Manage automation projects plant wide as required and liaise with vendors in the design, procurement, evaluation and acceptance of new equipment
• Support the continuous improvement of all automated equipment using Lean / Six Sigma and Project Management techniques
• Assign engineering resources to support both daily plant operations and long-term project deployments
• Act as the ultimate escalation point for complex, systemic automation failures to minimize plant downtime
• Work closely with cross functional teams in monitoring equipment performance using proven troubleshooting and problem-solving techniques / methods to solve to root cause
• Provide front line technical support and leadership to Engineering, Operations, Validation, Development & Quality departments
• Support plant wide automation change control and manage software revision control systems
• Assist the Validation team in new process validation, equipment upgrades and NPI's
• Ensure all new equipment and tasks are risk assessed, support investigation and near miss resolution, and proactively drive actions to reduce safety risks
• Provide assistance in the preparation of budgets.
• Participate in Continuous Improvement initiatives as appropriate – Lean, LDMS, Blitz’s.

Educational Requirements and Relevant Experience:

• B.Eng. in Electrical, Software, Manufacturing or related engineering discipline

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• At least 8 years’ experience in a similar role with Equipment Automation, Software or related experience
• Specific experience and in-depth knowledge of Allen Bradley / Rockwell Automation products including capability to write code from specification
• Experience of High Speed Vision systems (Cognex) and Control Networks & Communication Systems (ControlNet, DeviceNet, Ethernet)
• Experience integrating and configuring complex VFD/Servo motion systems
• Experience of development, deployment & maintenance of SCADA / HMI systems (Allen Bradley, Schneider)
• Deep knowledge of network architectures and fieldbus protocols (EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Modbus, OPC UA)