Automation-Driven Manufacturing Engineer - Robotics & Lean

Magenta-LLC; Lockport (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Magenta Precision Plastics Group in Lockport, IL seeks an experienced Manufacturing Engineer to drive automation projects and improve overall equipment effectiveness at our injection-molding facility.

You will collaborate with production, maintenance, quality, and leadership to boost safety, quality, labor efficiency, cycle times, scrap reduction, and uptime while guiding projects from concept through installation and start-up.

Qualifications

• Experience leading automation projects from concept to implementation.
• Strong ability to justify ROI and manage budgets and timelines.
• Proven track record improving safety, quality, and productivity.

Responsibilities

• Improve safety, quality, labor efficiency, cycle time, scrap, uptime, and OEE.
• Lead automation projects involving cobots, robots, vision systems, conveyors, sensors, fixtures, and end-of-arm tooling.
• Develop project scopes, budgets, timelines, risk assessments, and ROI Justifications.
• Manage equipment and automation projects through installation, validation, and production handoff.
• Mentor junior engineers, technicians, interns, and apprentices.

Skills

Automation experience

Robotics

Lean manufacturing

Root-cause analysis

Project management

Tools

Cobots

Industrial robots

Vision systems

Conveyors

Sensors

Fixtures

Job description

Description

Magenta Precision Plastics Group is seeking an experienced, hands-on Manufacturing Engineer to improve manufacturing performance and lead automation projects at our Lockport injection-molding facility.

This individual will work closely with production, maintenance, quality, and leadership to improve safety, quality, labor efficiency, cycle time, scrap, uptime, and overall equipment effectiveness. The ideal candidate can take a project from concept and financial justification through installation, validation, training, and production launch.

Experience implementing collaborative robots, industrial robots, vision systems, or other manufacturing automation is strongly preferred.

Requirements

• Identify and implement improvements in safety, quality, productivity, scrap, cycle time, downtime, and labor efficie
• Lead automation projects involving cobots, robots, vision systems, conveyors, sensors, fixtures, and end-of-arm tooling.
• Evaluate manual operations and develop practical automation solutions with measurable operational and financial benefits.
• Develop project scopes, budgets, timelines, risk assessments, and return-on-investment justifications.
• Manage equipment and automation projects from concept through installation, validation, and production handoff.
• Improve injection-molding work cells, material flow, part handling, assembly, packaging, and secondary operations.
• Troubleshoot manufacturing and equipment problems using structured root-cause analysis.
• Design or coordinate fixtures, guarding, workstations, grippers, and mistake-proofing systems.
• Work with machine builders, automation integrators, equipment suppliers, and tooling vendors.
• Support equipment startup, debugging, acceptance testing, documentation, training, and production qualification.
• Apply Lean manufacturing, standardized work, 5S, and continuous-improvement principles.
• Mentor less-experienced engineers, technicians, interns, and apprentices.