Automation Engineer

Viaphoton; Naperville (IL); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

401(k) with match

Flexible PTO

Paid holidays

Job summary

viaPhoton designs and builds unique automation machines that power fiber optic manufacturing, integrating machine vision, motion control, and custom assemblies. You’ll own projects from concept through deployment and directly improve production for global cloud providers.

Require a bachelor’s in a related field and 3+ years delivering end-to-end automation. Hands-on with Jetson Nano/Raspberry Pi; SolidWorks/Python/C/C++/PLC.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field.
• 3+ years delivering end-to-end industrial automation solutions (5–10 years ideal).
• Designed, fabricated, and deployed automation machines improving factory output and quality.
• Hands-on experience with motion control systems, vision systems, and embedded hardware like Jetson Nano and Raspberry Pi.
• Proficient in SolidWorks, Python, C/C++, and PLC programming (Siemens or Allen Bradley).

Responsibilities

• Design and build automation machines from concept through deployment, integrating machine vision, precision motion control, and mechanical assemblies.
• Bridge automation and human processes, integrating mechanized systems into optimized manufacturing workflows.
• Own the full design cycle in SolidWorks from concept to prototyping and troubleshooting.
• Apply design experiments and statistical analysis to refine machines over time.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, and production teams to deliver floor-ready solutions.

Skills

End-to-end automation

Motion control

Machine vision

Team collaboration

Prototyping

Education

Bachelor’s degree in ME/EE/Robotics

Tools

SolidWorks

Python

C/C++

PLC programming (Siemens/AB)

Jetson Nano

Raspberry Pi

Job description

We are changing the norm by being customer-focused, technology-led.

viaPhoton builds custom-engineered fiber optic solutions that power AI infrastructure, data centers, and 5G networks for some of the biggest names in tech. In five years we've grown to a team of 200+ and 4x'd our revenue in the last year alone, and we're just getting started. We're looking for dependable, hardworking people who take pride in their work and want to grow with us.

About the Role

You’ll design and build one-of-a-kind automation machines that power fiber optic manufacturing. This is hands-on work where you’ll solve complex problems integrating machine vision, precision motion control, and mechanical design. You’ll own projects from concept through deployment and see your solutions directly improve how we produce for the world’s biggest cloud providers.

• Design and build novel automation machines from concept through deployment, integrating machine vision, precision motion control, and custom mechanical assemblies
• Bridge automation and human process, integrating complex mechanized systems into highly optimized manual manufacturing workflows
• Own the full design cycle in SolidWorks, from initial concept and part design to physical prototyping, iteration, and troubleshooting
• Improve what exists, applying design experiments and statistical analysis to refine and evolve machines over time
• Collaborate constantly across engineering, operations, and production teams to deliver solutions that actually work on the floor

What You’ll Bring

• Have a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field
• Have at least 3 years delivering end-to-end industrial automation solutions from concept to deployment (5 to 10 years is ideal)
• Have designed, fabricated, and deployed new automation machines that meaningfully improve factory output and quality
• Have hands‑on experience with motion control systems, vision systems, and embedded hardware like Jetson Nano and Raspberry Pi
• Are proficient in SolidWorks, Python, C/C++, and PLC programming (Siemens or Allen Bradley)
• Robust health, dental, and vision coverage that starts on day 1
• 401(k) with 4% match, vests immediately after a 90-day waiting period
• Flexible PTO that grows over time
• 10 paid holidays, including 2 floating holidays

Compensation

$75,000 to $95,000 base, plus annual bonus

At viaPhoton, we are committed to furthering our culture of inclusion. We reinforce this through our core values and beliefs as well as our processes and strategic goals. We remind team members to seek various viewpoints, learn and be hungry with curiosity, and gain trust.

We are an equal opportunity employer and make all employment decisions based on merit and qualifications. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, health condition, genetic information, marital or family status, military or veteran status, socioeconomic background, or any other status protected by applicable law.

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