Production Automation Technician

Astemo; Harrodsburg (KY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Job summary

Astemo, Ltd. in Harrodsburg, KY is seeking a seasoned maintenance professional to lead troubleshooting and improvement initiatives for automated production equipment. The role emphasizes root-cause analysis, training, and cross-functional collaboration to boost uptime and reliability.

The ideal candidate will guide technicians, develop procedural documentation, and drive continuous improvement within a safety-conscious manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Two-year technical degree in electrical, mechanical, mechatronics, automation, robotics, or related field.
• Seven+ years of relevant work experience in industrial maintenance, controls, automation, or related manufacturing field.
• Strong electrical and mechanical troubleshooting in automated manufacturing environments.
• Proven ability to lead complex equipment troubleshooting and identify root causes.
• Ability to train, mentor, and provide technical guidance to maintenance personnel.
• Excellent organizational, time management, and teamwork skills.
• Proficiency with PC applications (Word, Excel).
• Commitment to safety, product quality, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Monitor, analyze, and improve critical equipment performance KPIs (uptime, MTTR, downtime frequency, recurring failures).
• Lead advanced troubleshooting of automated production equipment (PLCs, HMIs, robotics, vision systems, sensors, actuators).
• Analyze failures to determine root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Identify recurring issues and opportunities to improve reliability and efficiency.
• Support defect reduction by investigating quality issues related to equipment.
• Provide technical leadership to maintenance personnel during complex troubleshooting.
• Develop and deliver technical training to enhance troubleshooting capabilities.
• Mentor maintenance technicians to strengthen technical knowledge and standards.
• Contribute to continuous improvement projects to reduce downtime and improve performance.
• Collaborate with production, engineering, quality, and cross-functional teams to resolve equipment issues.
• Develop and standardize troubleshooting procedures and equipment documentation.
• Identify opportunities to improve controls, automation sequences, and system functionality while ensuring safety and quality.
• Ensure repairs/modifications comply with safety procedures and production requirements.

Skills

Electrical troubleshooting

Mechanical troubleshooting

Root cause analysis

Training & mentoring

Problem solving

Collaboration and teamwork

Safety compliance

PC skills

Education

Two-year technical degree in electrical or mechanical fields

Tools

Keyence PLC/HMI

Allen-Bradley PLC

FANUC robotics

Cognex vision systems

Job description

Primary Responsibilities

• Monitor, analyze, and improve critical equipment performance KPIs, including uptime, mean time to repair (MTTR), downtime frequency, and recurring equipment failures.
• Lead advanced troubleshooting of automated production equipment, including PLCs, HMIs, robotics, vision systems, sensors, actuators, and associated electrical and mechanical systems.
• Analyze equipment failures to determine root causes and develop, implement, and verify effective countermeasures to prevent recurrence.
• Identify recurring equipment issues, equipment weaknesses, and opportunities to improve reliability, maintainability, and production efficiency.
• Support defect reduction initiatives by investigating equipment-related quality issues and implementing corrective and preventive actions.
• Provide technical leadership and direction to maintenance personnel during complex troubleshooting and equipment recovery activities.
• Develop and execute technical training programs to improve maintenance personnel's troubleshooting capabilities and understanding of automated equipment.
• Mentor and coach maintenance technicians to strengthen technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, and execution standards.
• Support continuous improvement projects focused on reducing downtime, improving equipment performance, and eliminating recurring failures.
• Collaborate with production, engineering, quality, and other cross-functional teams to resolve equipment-related issues and support production objectives.
• Support the development and standardization of troubleshooting procedures, equipment documentation, and best maintenance practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment controls, automation sequences, and system functionality while maintaining established safety and quality requirements.
• Ensure automation-related repairs, modifications, and improvements are completed in accordance with applicable safety procedures, equipment standards, and production requirements.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate is a motivated, self-directed technical professional who demonstrates strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and a commitment to continuous improvement. This individual must be capable of working collaboratively while also taking ownership of complex technical issues from initial troubleshooting through root cause identification and permanent corrective action.

Required qualifications and competencies include:

• Strong electrical and mechanical troubleshooting skills in an automated manufacturing environment.
• Proven ability to lead complex equipment troubleshooting activities and guide others toward identifying the root cause of failures.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret equipment behavior, identify failure patterns, and develop effective countermeasures.
• Ability to prioritize competing demands and respond effectively to production-critical equipment issues.
• Strong organizational, time management, communication, and teamwork skills.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of assigned responsibilities, drive action items to completion, and follow through on improvement activities.
• Ability to train, mentor, and provide technical guidance to maintenance personnel.
• Working knowledge of PCs and Microsoft Office applications, including Word and Excel.
• Commitment to workplace safety, product quality, equipment reliability, and continuous improvement.

Minimum Requirements

• Two-year technical degree in electrical, mechanical, mechatronics, automation, robotics, or a related field; or
• Seven or more years of relevant work experience in industrial maintenance, controls, automation, or a related manufacturing field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of PLC and HMI systems, including Keyence, Allen-Bradley, or comparable platforms.
• Advanced knowledge of industrial robotics, including FANUC, Yamaha, or comparable systems.
• Advanced knowledge of industrial vision systems, including Cognex, Keyence, or comparable platforms.
• Experience troubleshooting automated assembly equipment and integrated manufacturing systems.
• Experience with electrical schematics, control panel layouts, I/O diagnostics, sensors, actuators, and industrial communication networks.
• Experience conducting root cause analysis and implementing permanent corrective actions for recurring equipment failures.
• Experience developing technical training materials and mentoring maintenance personnel.
• Experience with continuous improvement, equipment reliability, downtime reduction, and defect prevention initiatives.

Performance Expectations

Success in this position will be measured by the individual's ability to improve automated equipment performance, reduce recurring downtime, strengthen maintenance troubleshooting capabilities, and drive sustainable equipment improvements.

The successful candidate will demonstrate technical ownership, lead effective root cause and countermeasure activities, develop the capabilities of the maintenance team, and consistently follow through on assigned improvement actions.