PLC - Maintenance Manager

Harco Manufacturing Group, LLC; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Harco Manufacturing Group, LLC in Dayton, Ohio seeks an experienced Automation & Maintenance Manager to lead our automotive facility’s automation, robotics, assembly lines, and maintenance department. You will maximize equipment reliability, reduce cycle times, and minimize micro-stoppages on high-volume lines.

The ideal candidate bridges advanced automotive automation (6-axis robotics, PLCs, vision inspection) with strategic maintenance leadership to drive world-class OEE and continuous

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Automation Engineering or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years in a Tier 1 or OEM automotive manufacturing environment with leadership experience.
• Proficiency programming and troubleshooting industrial PLCs (Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, Siemens Step 7/TIA Portal).
• Direct experience with robotics (Fanuc, KUKA, Yaskawa) and vision-guided inspection systems (Cognex, Keyence).
• Strong knowledge of industrial networks and automotive safety systems.
• Familiarity with OSHA, RIA safety standards, and LOTO procedures.

Responsibilities

• Direct, mentor, and develop the team of manufacturing engineers, maintenance technicians, and tool-and-die specialists.
• Oversee programming, troubleshooting, and optimization of PLCs, HMIs, servo systems, motors, drives, sensors, and vision sensors.
• Implement data-driven predictive and preventive maintenance using a CMMS.
• Analyze uptime data to eliminate bottlenecks using Lean and Six Sigma principles.
• Lead capital projects for new vehicle program launches, tooling changes, and line integrations.
• Ensure maintenance and automation comply with IATF 16949 and related quality standards.

Skills

PLC Programming

Robotics

Vision inspection

CMMS

Lean Six Sigma

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Automation Engineering

Tools

Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley

Siemens Step 7/TIA Portal

Cognex Vision

Keyence Vision Systems

Industrial networks (EtherNet/IP/PROFINET)

Job description

AUTOMATION & MAINTENANCE MANAGER POSITION SUMMARY

Job Summary

A experienced and high-energy Automation and Maintenance Manager to lead our automotive manufacturing facility’s automation systems, robotics, assembly lines, and maintenance department. In this role, you will be directly responsible for maximizing equipment reliability, reducing cycle times, and minimizing micro-stoppages across high-volume production lines. The ideal candidate will bridge advanced automotive automation engineering (6-axis robotics, PLCs, vision inspection) with strategic maintenance leadership to drive world-class Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).

Core Responsibilities

• Team Leadership: Direct, mentor, and develop and support the team of mfg. engineers, maintenance technicians, and tool-and-die specialists.
• Automotive Automation & Robotics: Oversee the programming, troubleshooting, and optimization of PLC’s, HMI’s, servo systems, motors, drives, sensors, vision sensors, and data collection software and hardware. Assist in solving these problems in plant Manufacturing areas, and well as Engineering Lab, Quality Lab, and Sample Inspection.
• Predictive & Preventive Maintenance: Implement and monitor a data-driven Predictive and Preventive Maintenance (PM/PdM) strategy utilizing a CMMS to optimize high-speed stamping, powertrain, or assembly assets.
• OEE & Continuous Improvement: Analyze machine uptime data, MTBF, and MTTR to systematically eliminate bottlenecks, utilizing Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma principles.
• Capital Projects (CAPEX): Lead engineering projects for new vehicle program launches, tooling changeovers, line integrations, and cell deployments.
• Quality & Quality Systems: Ensure all maintenance and automation processes support automotive quality standards, adhering strictly to IATF 16949 compliance and control plans.
• Spare Parts & Vendor Management: Maintain critical spare parts inventories for rapid deployment, and manage relationships with Tier 1 equipment OEMs and automation integrators.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, or Automation Engineering (equivalent technical experience and specialized training will be evaluated).
• Experience: 5+ years of hands-on engineering or maintenance experience in a Tier 1 or OEM automotive manufacturing environment, with at least 2 years in a leadership/supervisory capacity.
• Technical Skills:
• Proficiency programming and troubleshooting industrial PLCs (e.g., Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley, Siemens Step 7/TIA Portal).
• Direct experience with industrial robotics (e.g., Fanuc, KUKA, Yaskawa) and vision-guided inspection systems (e.g., Cognex, Keyence).
• Deep understanding of industrial communication networks (EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, DeviceNet) and automotive safety PLC systems.
• Compliance & Safety: Expert knowledge of OSHA standards, RIA robotic safety requirements (ANSI/RIA R15.06), and lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) protocols.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing high-volume automotive final assembly systems.
• Lean Six Sigma Green or Black Belt certification.
• Experience with automated guided vehicles (AGVs/AMRs) and Industry 4.0 data acquisition tools.