Automation Manufacturing Engineer

Eaton; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 97,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

Eaton's Critical Power Solutions (CPS) division seeks an Automation Manufacturing Engineer to lead advanced manufacturing, automation, and capacity initiatives across its manufacturing network. This role operates near Richmond, VA, with an expected annual salary range of $97,000 to $143,000.

Responsibilities include applying Lean principles, driving Industry 4.0 projects, developing capacity strategies, and coordinating cross-functional teams to standardize best practices across CPS sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of five years of progressive manufacturing engineering experience, including cross-functional or multisite projects.
• Candidates must reside within 50 miles of the location listed in the job description.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without company sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Apply Lean manufacturing principles to identify and implement improvements across CPS manufacturing sites.
• Lead Industry 4.0 and automation projects and support site-led implementations (robots, lifts, automation).
• Develop and execute divisional manufacturing and capacity strategies aligned with forecast demand.
• Lead capital-project concepts from business case to implementation and handoff.
• Evaluate processes to improve safety, quality, productivity, and cost competitiveness.
• Industrialize new products with manufacturability and production-system design considerations.
• Standardize best practices across the CPS network with cross-functional partners.
• Manage multiple projects, communicate risks, and deliver on scope, schedule, cost, and performance.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Industry 4.0

Automation

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Value-stream mapping

Multisite coordination

Problem solving

Manufacturing strategy

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Project

Job description

Requisition ID75973-Posted10/22/2026

Eaton’s Critical Power Solutions (CPS) division is currently seeking a Automation Manufacturing Engineer to lead advanced manufacturing, automation, industrialization, and capacity initiatives across its manufacturing network. This role is located our of Richmond, VA.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $97000- $143000a year.

Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

What you’ll do:

• Apply Lean manufacturing principles, including current-state and future-state value-stream mapping, to identify, prioritize, and implement improvements across CPS manufacturing sites.
• Lead divisional Industry 4.0 and automation projects and provide technical support for site-led implementations, including autonomous mobile robots, vertical lift modules, industrial robotics, and collaborative robotics.
• Develop and execute divisional manufacturing and capacity strategies that align equipment, labor, floor space, and capital investments with forecast demand.
• Develop capital-project concepts and lead approved projects from business case and planning through implementation, validation, and operational handoff.
• Evaluate existing manufacturing processes and implement solutions that improve safety, repeatability, quality, productivity, and cost competitiveness.
• Lead the industrialization of new products by incorporating design for manufacturability and assembly, production-system design, automation, capital requirements, and launch-readiness planning.
• Partner with engineering, operations, quality, supply chain, and site leadership to standardize best practices and scale successful manufacturing solutions across the CPS network.
• Independently manage multiple cross-functional projects, communicate risks and priorities, and deliver agreed scope, schedule, cost, and performance objectives.

When we embrace the different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds that make each of us unique, we — as individuals and as a company — are stronger.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of five years of progressive manufacturing engineering experience, including experience leading cross-functional projects or multisite initiatives.
• Candidates must reside within 50 miles of the location listed in the job description
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without company sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, industrial, manufacturing, or a related engineering discipline.
• Experience using an enterprise resource planning or material requirements planning system, preferably SAP.
• Experience implementing industrial automation, industrial robotics, or collaborative robotics.
• Experience using Microsoft Project or an equivalent project-planning tool.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Project Management Professional certification or an equivalent project-management credential.

Skills:

• Broad knowledge of manufacturing processes, including assembly, automation, material flow, and production-system design.
• Demonstrated ability to apply Lean manufacturing systems and Six Sigma methods to solve complex operational problems.
• Ability to translate business priorities into practical manufacturing strategies in a dynamic, multisite environment.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively and to communicate clearly and professionally across organizational levels and functions.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize competing demands, maintain momentum, influence without direct authority, and deliver measurable results.

All positions may require participation in video and in-person interviews as part of the hiring process. All candidates will be evaluated based on job-related competencies, and all candidates’ privacy rights and data security will be protected in accordance with applicable laws.

We are committed to ensuring equal employment opportunities for all job applicants and employees. Employment decisions are based upon job-related reasons regardless of an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, marital status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

Eaton believes in second chance employment. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction history will be considered regardless of their arrest or conviction history, consistent with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act and other local laws.

You do not need to disclose your conviction history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Eaton is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.

To request a disability-related reasonable accommodation to assist you in your job search, application, or interview process, please call us at 1-800-836-6345 to discuss your specific need. Only accommodation requests will be accepted by this phone number.

We know that good benefit programs are important to employees and their families. Eaton provides various Health and Welfare benefits as well as Retirement benefits, and several programs that provide for paid and unpaid time away from work. Click here for more detail: Eaton Benefits Overview. Please note that specific programs and options available to an employee may depend on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements.