Foundry Automation & Capital Projects Engineer

American Foundry Society; New Hampton (IA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

ATEK Metal Technologies, part of the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry family, seeks an Automation & Projects Engineer to drive automation across our New Hampton foundry. You will lead PLC/robotic projects, manage scope and budgets, and ensure safe, efficient production while coordinating with engineering, maintenance, and quality teams.

The role combines hands-on problem solving with project leadership, requiring strong controls knowledge and the ability to navigate a dynamic foundry environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a foundry environment, including 3+ years in molding and process engineering.
• 2+ years hands-on with industrial controls, communication protocols, and controls architecture.
• Real-world success applying automation in a foundry setting - PLC programming, troubleshooting, configuration.
• HMI and robot programming experience, including backup and restoration.
• A track record of leading capital projects from concept through commissioning, budget and vendors included.
• High school diploma or GED required.

Responsibilities

• Program, troubleshoot, and optimize PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, and robotic automation across foundry processes.
• Lead capital projects from concept through full implementation - scope, budget, vendor management, installation, commissioning (FAT/SAT), and ramp-up.
• Manage equipment relocations and refurbishments, from decommissioning through re-qualification, with minimal disruption to production.
• Maintain plant layout documentation as equipment, capacity, and material flow evolve.
• Partner with Engineering, Maintenance, Production, Quality, and Safety to resolve issues and drive improvement.
• Train operators, engineers, and maintenance staff on the automation systems you build and maintain.
• Manage vendor and integrator relationships, spare parts strategy, and obsolescence planning.

Skills

Automation experience

PLC programming

HMI programming

Robotics integration

Project leadership

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

AutoCAD

SolidWorks

Job description

ATEK Metal Technologies, part of the Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry family, seeks an Automation & Projects Engineer to drive automation across our New Hampton foundry. You will lead PLC/robotic projects, manage scope and budgets, and ensure safe, efficient production while coordinating with engineering, maintenance, and quality teams.

The role combines hands-on problem solving with project leadership, requiring strong controls knowledge and the ability to navigate a dynamic foundry environment.