Lead Automation Engineer

Eaton; Kings Mountain (NC); Hybrid; USD 97,000 - 143,000; Full time

Job summary

Eaton’s Mobility division is seeking a Lead Automation Engineer for a hybrid work arrangement. Candidates must live within 50 miles of Kings Mountain NC or other Eaton sites, with travel 50%–75% across North America. Lead efforts to boost manufacturing efficiency via automation projects, including budgeting, CARs, and supplier coordination.

Role requires PLC/robotics expertise, HMI programming, and strong project management. Preferred Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Spanish language skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or Engineering Technology from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of three (3) years experience automating manufacturing processes.
• No immigration sponsorship; no CPT/OPT/STEM OPT support.
• Residence within 50 miles of Kings Mountain NC or other specified Eaton sites.

Responsibilities

• Identify automation opportunities within the North American region.
• Develop scopes of work for automation opportunities.
• Establish a reliable automation supply base and obtain proposals.
• Prepare financial justification for automation projects.
• Develop CARs for automation projects.
• Manage capital and expense spending for assigned projects.
• Procure equipment and tooling per project plan and standards.
• Investigate and recommend new equipment and methods.
• Coordinate best practice implementations between facilities.
• Improve existing operations and troubleshoot automation with PLC/robotics.

Skills

PLC ladder logic

Robot programming

HMI programming

Project management

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Bi-lingual Spanish

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

Job description

Eaton’s Mobility division is currently seeking a Lead Automation Engineer. This is a hybrid work opportunity for the business. Candidates must live within 50 miles of one of the following Eaton locations: Southfield MI, Marshall MI, South Bend IN, Indianapolis IN and/or Kings Mountain NC. This role will support 5+ Mfg. site US locations . Travel is expected to be 50%-75% . The Lead Automation Engineer is responsible for leading efforts to drive manufacturing efficiency through implementation of automation projects. The expected annual salary range for this role is $97000 - $143000 a 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. Eaton announced, on January 26, 2026, the intent to separate its Mobility Group (including both the Vehicle and eMobility segments) into an independent, publicly traded company. We expect to complete the separation by the end of the first quarter of 2027. The compensation and benefits that will initially be offered for this position are based on Eaton's plans, programs and practices. If you are offered and accept this position and are actively employed by the Mobility Group when the spinoff closes, the new company will provide further details to employees concerning compensation and benefits at that time.

What You’ll Do

• Identify automation opportunities within the North American region
• Develop scopes of work for automation opportunities
• Establish a reliable automation supply base and work with them to obtain proposals for automation opportunities
• Prepare financial justification for automation projects
• Develop Capital Appropriation Requests (CAR) for automation projects
• Work with Finance and regional leadership to obtain CAR approvalManage capital and expense spending for assigned projects
• Procure equipment and tooling per project plan and standards
• Investigate, analyze and recommend new and/or alternate equipment and manufacturing methods
• Identifies and coordinates best practice implementation between multiple facilities
• Recommends and implements improvements to existing manufacturing operations, equipment and procedures
• Troubleshooting support for existing automation with controls and robotic programming expertise
• Attend Trade shows and seminars to stay current with automation technology

Qualifications

Required Basic Qualifications:

• Minimum Bachelors Degree in Engineering and/or Engineering Technology from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of three (3) years experience in automating manufacturing processes.
• Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any "CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc."
• No relocation is being offered for this position. Candidates must reside within 50 miles of the following Eaton facilities: Southfield MI, Marshall MI, South Bend IN, Indianapolis IN and/or Kings Mountain NC. Active Duty Military is exempt from this geographical limitation .

Preferred Qualifications

• Five (5) years of experience in Manufacturing Engineering
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes such as Forging, Machining, Grinding, Assembly
• Experience writing and debugging PLC ladder logic
• Experience Programming HMI’s (human machine interface) and developing/implementing Robot programs
• Bi-Lingual (Spanish)

Skills

• Ability to define specifications for automation of manufacturing operations
• Proficient with managing suppliers to ensure on time project execution
• Project management skills to define, track, and report project statusesTeam oriented, flexible, must be able to work with all levels of management
• Recognize and define safety improvements for all aspects of manufacturing processes
• Travel will range between 50-75% to support business

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.

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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.