Automation Engineer Machine Maintenance

lego; Richmond (VA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 127,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Family care leave

Life and disability insurance

Headspace wellbeing program

Colleague discount

Bonus program

Hybrid work policy

Job summary

LEGO Group is seeking an Automation Engineer for injection molding operations. You will troubleshoot and maintain automated control systems, support PLCs/HMI networks, and contribute to reliability initiatives and preventive maintenance programs across cross-functional teams.

The role involves collaboration with Maintenance, Production, Engineering and Quality to drive uptime, safety and efficiency, with a hybrid office-based schedule in the Richmond area.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related technical field preferred.
• Experience in industrial automation, controls engineering, or manufacturing maintenance.
• Proficient with troubleshooting PLCs, HMIs, networks, sensors, actuators, drives and machine control systems.
• Strong knowledge of electrical systems and automation hardware.
• Experience with injection molding equipment and automated systems.
• Familiarity with major PLC platforms (Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens).
• Knowledge of predictive maintenance and reliability improvement methodologies.
• Experience with industrial robotics (Fanuc, ABB, KUKA, or similar).

Responsibilities

• Monitor, troubleshoot, maintain, and optimize automation and control systems for injection molding operations.
• Provide technical support for PLCs, HMIs, networks, sensors, actuators, drives, and robotics.
• Investigate failures for safety, quality, uptime, and implement corrective actions.
• Develop troubleshooting guides, maintenance procedures, electrical docs, PLC backups.
• Collaborate with Maintenance, Production, Engineering, and Quality teams to improve reliability.
• Support automation upgrades, equipment modifications, and continuous improvement projects.
• Assist with commissioning, testing, and validation of new automation equipment.
• Contribute to maintenance standards and best practices; train technicians and operators.

Skills

PLC troubleshooting

HMI troubleshooting

Industrial networks

Sensors & actuators

Drive systems

Robotics knowledge

Electrical systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Allen-Bradley/Rockwell PLCs

Siemens PLCs

Fanuc/ABB/KUKA robotics

Job description

Job Description

Would you like to be responsible for supporting the reliability, maintenance, and continuous improvement of automation and control systems used in injection molding operations?

The Automation Engineer Machine Maintenance serves as a technical resource for troubleshooting, optimizing, and maintaining automated manufacturing equipment to maximize uptime, improve equipment performance, and support safe and efficient production operations. Working closely with Maintenance, Production, Engineering, and Quality teams, the Machine Automation Engineer contributes to equipment reliability initiatives, automation improvements, and preventive maintenance programs while ensuring compliance with company standards and manufacturer recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor, troubleshoot, maintain, and optimize automation and control systems supporting injection molding operations.
• Provide technical support for PLCs, HMIs, industrial networks, sensors, actuators, drives, robotics, and associated control systems.
• Investigate automation and equipment failures affecting safety, quality, uptime, and product. Perm root cause analysis and support the implementation of corrective actions to reduce recurring equipment issues.
• Develop and maintain troubleshooting guides, maintenance work instructions, electrical documentation, PLC backups, and technical records.
• Collaborate with Maintenance, Production, Engineering, and Quality teams to improve equipment reliability and operational efficiency.
• Support automation upgrades, equipment modifications, machine retrofits, and continuous improvement projects.
• Assist with commissioning, testing, and validation of new automation equipment and system enhancements.
• Contribute to the development and improvement of maintenance procedures, automation standards, and best practices.
• Assist in training maintenance technicians and production personnel on automation systems and troubleshooting techniques.
• Be a part of our Team!

Be a part of our team succeeding

Be a part of the team that ensures molding processes are optimized for safety, quality, and efficiency, while supporting the integration of new materials, technologies, and global standards into daily operations. A key component of this role is aligning cross-functional efforts across engineering, production, and quality teams to deliver high-performance outcomes and future-ready capabilities in manufacturing.

Do you have what it takes?

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, or a related technical field is preferred.
• Working experience in industrial automation, controls engineering, manufacturing maintenance, or a related field.
• Experience troubleshooting PLCs, HMIs, industrial communication networks, sensors, actuators, drives, and machine control systems.
• Strong knowledge of electrical systems, automation hardware, and industrial control systems.
• Experience supporting injection molding equipment and automated manufacturing systems.
• Experience with industrial robotics (Fanuc, ABB, KUKA, or similar).
• Familiarity with Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens, or similar PLC platforms.
• Knowledge of predictive maintenance and reliability improvement methodologies.

Be a part of our Team!

Compensation

The salary for this position has a range of $84,674.00 - $127,010.00 based on anticipated responsibilities, market benchmarks, and organizational constraints. The LEGO Group carefully considers a wide range of compensation factors, including but not limited to prior experience, skills, expertise, location, internal equity, and other considerations permitted by law. The comprehensive remuneration details, inclusive of benefits, will be communicated upon finalisation of the employment offer.

What's in it for you?

• Family Care Leave - We offer enhanced paid leave options for those important times.
• Insurances - All colleagues are covered by our life and disability insurance which provides protection and peace of mind.
• Wellbeing - We want you to be your best self, so you'll have access to the Headspace App and lots of wellbeing initiatives and programs run by local teams where you are based
• Colleague Discount - We know you'll love to build so from day 1 you will qualify for our generous colleague discount.
• Bonus - We do our best work to succeed together. When goals are reached and if eligible, you'll be rewarded through our bonus scheme
• Your workplace - When you join the team you'll be assigned a primary workplace location i.e. one of our Offices, stores or factories. Our hybrid work policy means an average of 3 days per week in the office. The hiring team will discuss the policy and role eligibility with you during the recruitmen