Lead Automation Engineer - Supply Chain

United States Digital Space LLC; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

United States Digital Space LLC in Singapore seeks an experienced Automation Leader to own complex workstreams across manufacturing, distribution, and Digital Supply Chain. You will coordinate internal teams and external partners, shaping technical designs and ensuring automation investments deliver measurable value.

The role spans across multiple sites and regions, driving reusable patterns for controls, robotics, MES/OT connectivity, and performance visibility, while mentoring engineers and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field required.
• 7+ years of automation engineering experience required.
• Experience leading automation projects or workstreams from requirements to handover.

Responsibilities

• Lead automation use‑case discovery, prioritisation, and design reviews.
• Own delivery of automation initiatives across manufacturing, distribution, and Digital Supply Chain.
• Translate process requirements into technical specifications and integration designs.
• Coordinate internal teams and external integrators for scalable solutions.
• Lead FAT/SAT, risk assessments, and commissioning plans.
• Mentor junior engineers and build troubleshooting capability.
• Track benefits and sustain improvements post go-live.

Skills

Automation engineering

Controls engineering

Robotics

Industrial networks

Data dashboards

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

PLC/SCADA

MES/OT

OPC/IIoT

Job description

About the company

At the company, we change lives with every breath. Our global supply chain helps bring life-changing products to people around the world, and we are accelerating how automation, digital systems, data, and advanced manufacturing enable safer, faster, more resilient operations.

The opportunity

We are looking for an automation leader who can own complex workstreams, coordinate internal teams and external partners, and convert automation opportunities into scalable deployment patterns. You will lead use‑case development across manufacturing and distribution, shape technical designs, manage integrators, and ensure automation investments deliver measurable value and adoption.

This role is not confined to one program or one site. You may work across Manufacturing Excellence, distribution automation, procurement and supplier-enabled automation, and Digital Supply Chain initiatives - partnering across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Digital/IT, EHS, Finance, Procurement, and site leadership to turn automation ideas into measurable business outcomes.

What you will help build

• End-to-end automation workstreams across manufacturing lines, distribution processes, suppliers, and regional hubs.
• Reusable solution patterns for controls, robotics, machine vision, MES/OT connectivity, and performance visibility.
• Technical deployment kits, handover models, and sustainment practices for multi-site replication.
• Strong cross-functional delivery routines with Operations, Digital Supply Chain, IT/OT, Quality, EHS, Procurement, and suppliers.

The problems you will help solve

• Automation investments that need tighter requirements, better integration, and faster benefit realization.
• Fragmented approaches to equipment, data, suppliers, and standards across sites or functions.
• Vendor/integrator delivery that needs clear ownership, technical governance, and stage-gate discipline.
• Complex adoption challenges where technology must become part of daily management, not just installed equipment.

What you will do

• Lead automation use‑case discovery, prioritisation, technical concepting, business case input, design reviews, build, commissioning, stabilisation, and handover.
• Own workstream delivery for automation initiatives across manufacturing, distribution, supplier processes, or Digital Supply Chain programs.
• Translate process requirements into technical specifications and integration designs across PLC/HMI, SCADA, MES, WMS/WCS, historians, data platforms, robotics, machine vision, and industrial networks.
• Coordinate internal engineering resources, maintenance, operations, quality, validation, IT/OT, and external integrators to deliver safe, reliable, and scalable solutions.
• Lead FAT/SAT, risk assessments, technical readiness reviews, commissioning plans, and hypercare support.
• Build modular automation playbooks and ensure lessons from pilots become repeatable standards for future deployments.
• Mentor junior engineers and build capability in troubleshooting, commissioning, root cause analysis, and automation design discipline.
• Partner with Finance and operations leaders to track benefits, verify value, and sustain improvements after go‑live.

Qualifications and experience

Essential qualifications

• Tertiary qualification (bachelor's degree or equivalent) in Automation Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Computer/Software Engineering, Control Systems, or a related engineering discipline.
• 7+ years of relevant experience in automation engineering, controls, robotics, systems integration, manufacturing/process engineering, digital/OT delivery, or industrial automation project delivery.
• Demonstrated experience leading automation projects or technical workstreams from requirements and business case input through design, build, FAT/SAT, commissioning, validation/qualification support, hypercare, and operational handover.
• Strong working knowledge of PLC/HMI, SCADA, machine vision/AOI, robotics/cobots, motion systems, sensors, industrial networks, MES/OT connectivity, historians, dashboards, and data capture architectures.
• Experience coordinating internal teams and external suppliers/integrators, including technical reviews, issue resolution, risk management, schedule ownership, documentation, and benefits tracking.
• Ability to influence cross-functional partners across Operations, Engineering, Quality, EHS, Digital/IT, Procurement, Finance, suppliers, and site leadership in a fast-moving transformation environment.

Preferred qualifications and strengths

• Experience in medical device, pharmaceutical, healthcare technology, regulated manufacturing, distribution automation, supplier automation, or high-volume advanced manufacturing environments.
• Experience with MES/WMS/WCS, OPC/IIoT, edge connectivity, cybersecurity-by-design, OEE/visual factory dashboards, digital twins, simulation, or AI/ML-enabled inspection and optimization.
• PMP, Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt, GAMP/validation, machine safety, robotics, PLC/SCADA platform, industrial networking, or OT cybersecurity certifications.
• Strong change leadership behaviours: structured communication, stakeholder alignment, coaching, adoption focus, and ability to convert pilots into repeatable deployment standards.
• Commercial awareness and financial acumen to support business cases, vendor selection, total cost of ownership decisions, and sustained benefits realization.

Technical ecosystem

• Automation controls platforms such as Rockwell, Siemens, Omron, or equivalent; HMI/SCADA and industrial communication protocols.
• MES, WMS/WCS, historians, OPC/IIoT, edge connectivity, data models, dashboards, and cyber-secure OT integration practices.
• Robotics, cobots, AGV/AMR interfaces, conveyors, AOI/machine vision, automated test, packaging, and material handling systems.
• FAT/SAT, commissioning, validation/qualification support, machine safety, documentation, change control, and handover governance.
• Lean, OEE, root cause analysis, statistical problem solving, simulation/digital twin exposure, and AI/ML-enabled inspection or decision support are desirable.

Success in the first 12 months

Delivery discipline

Automation workstreams deliver to agreed scope, timeline, budget, risk, quality, and safety expectations.

Milestone predictability, risk closure rate, issue aging, quality of handover.

Business value

Automation delivers measurable value in throughput, productivity, service, quality, safety, or cost.

Validated benefits, baseline/counterfactual, post-go‑live sustainment checks.

Scalable standards

Pilots become repeatable deployment kits rather than one‑off solutions.

Reusable requirements, design templates, technical standards, training and sustainment packs.

Integration reliability

Automation systems run reliably with stable OT/IT integration and clear support models.

Uptime, MTTR, incident trends, data completeness, support model adoption.

Capability build

Engineers, operations, maintenance, and suppliers gain capability to support the solution at scale.

Training completion, mentoring outcomes, reduced dependence on escalation or integrator support.

Why join us

• Shape the next generation of automation across a global, mission‑driven healthcare technology company.
• Work on practical, high‑impact use cases where engineering excellence directly improves safety, quality, service, productivity, and resilience.
• Help build reusable automation patterns and digital foundations that can scale across factories, distribution centres, suppliers, and regional hubs.
• Join a transformation agenda with executive sponsorship, real investment, and a clear ambition to create world‑class operations.

Joining us is more than saying “yes” to making the world a healthier place. It’s discovering a career that’s challenging, supportive and inspiring. Where a culture driven by excellence helps you not only meet your goals, but also create new ones. We focus on creating a diverse and inclusive culture, encouraging individual expression in the workplace and thrive on the innovative ideas this generates.