Automation Robot Specialist

Adient plc; Normal (IL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Adient plc is seeking an Automation / Robot Specialist to own and optimize automation performance across PLC, robot, and vision systems within its Normal, Illinois manufacturing operations. The role focuses on reducing cycle times, increasing throughput, and ensuring system uptime while maintaining safety and documentation standards.

You will launch, stabilize, and sustain automation solutions with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Requires hands-on experience with PLCs, robotics, vision, motion-control, and safety systems.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex automation challenges and implement root-cause analysis.
• Experience documenting systems, schematics, and network diagrams.

Responsibilities

• Own automation system performance and daily optimization of automated cells.
• Develop, modify, test, and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, robot, vision, motion-control, safety, and automation programs.
• Optimize robot paths, motion profiles, sequencing, interlocks, alarms, and recovery routines.
• Use root-cause analysis to eliminate recurring failures.
• Configure, calibrate, validate, and maintain vision systems, sensors, and networked devices.
• Support installation, commissioning, launch, and stabilization in partnership with cross-functional teams.
• Perform offline programming, reach studies, cycle-time simulation, and risk assessment.
• Manage revisions and maintain documentation, schematics, and network diagrams.
• Train sustainment personnel and hand off with known issues and recovery procedures.
• Track performance against cycle-time, throughput, quality, and uptime targets.

Skills

PLC programming

Robot programming

Vision systems

Motion control

Safety compliance

HMI programming

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Automation or equivalent

Tools

Ethernet/IP / Modbus

Vision systems software

Job description

Summary

The Automation / Robot Specialist serves as the technical owner of automation performance within manufacturing operations. This position develops, integrates, optimizes, and troubleshoots PLC, robot, vision, motion, safety, and industrial communication systems to achieve target cycle time, throughput, quality, and uptime. The specialist provides hands-on launch and stabilization support, applies structured root-cause analysis to eliminate recurring failures, and delivers reliable systems and documentation to sustainment teams.

Responsibilities

• Own automation system performance and conduct daily optimization of automated cells to improve cycle time, throughput, quality, and equipment uptime.


• Develop, modify, test, and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, robot, vision, motion-control, safety, and supporting automation programs.


• Optimize robot paths, motion profiles, process sequencing, interlocks, alarms, and recovery routines while maintaining safe operation.


• Use structured root-cause analysis and corrective action to permanently eliminate chronic equipment and process failures.


• Configure, calibrate, validate, and maintain vision systems, sensors, error-proofing devices, servo systems, and networked industrial devices.


• Support equipment installation, commissioning, launch, and the first 90 days of stabilization in partnership with the AMA Lead and cross-functional plant teams.


• Perform offline programming, reach studies, cycle-time simulation, risk assessment, and system validation before production implementation.


• Manage program revisions through formal backup and version-control practices and maintain clear technical documentation, schematics, and network diagrams.


• Train sustainment personnel and complete a stable handoff after launch, including known issues, recovery procedures, validated backups, and performance status.


• Track performance against cycle-time achievement, direct-labor reduction, repeat-failure elimination, and stabilization-phase uptime targets.

Primary Location

Normal Adient (NYSE: ADNT) is a global leader in automotive seating. With more than 65,000 employees in 29 countries, Adient operates ~200 manufacturing/assembly plants worldwide. We produce and deliver automotive seating for all major OEMs. From complete seating systems to individual components, our expertise spans every step of the automotive seat-making process. We take our products from research and design to engineering and manufacturing — and into millions of vehicles every year. For more information, please visit www.adient.com.