Senior Automation Engineer

MRC Recruiting; Duncan (OK); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Career advancement

Job summary

MRC Recruiting is partnering with an early-stage industrial technology company turning end-of-life magnets into a domestic source of critical materials. They seek a Senior Automation Engineer to lead the engineering team and advance their proprietary systems from prototype to production.

This role offers high impact, ownership across hydraulics, pneumatics, mechanical assemblies and PLC control, plus interaction with customers and external partners as the company scales toward commercialization

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Mechatronics, Robotics, or Manufacturing disciplines).
• 5+ years of progressive experience in engineering, product development, or manufacturing environments.
• Proven ability to lead end-to-end equipment manufacturing projects, including planning, budgeting, scheduling, and vendor coordination.
• A hands-on background that bridges design and the field. This isn't a seat for a design-only engineer.

Responsibilities

• Lead Engineering on Scaling a Mechatronic System across R&D to commercial deployment.
• Develop deep working knowledge of proprietary machinery integrating hydraulics, pneumatics, mechanical assemblies, and PLC controls.
• Serve as technical point of contact, guiding cross-functional teams and customers.

Skills

SolidWorks

Manufacturing knowledge

DFM

Supply chain logistics

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

PLC

Controls

Robotics

Job description

Our client is an industrial technology company turning end-of-life magnets into a domestic source of critical materials, cutting the country's reliance on overseas supply. It's early-stage, well-funded work with real strategic weight behind it.

As they scale toward commercial deployment, they're looking for a Senior Automation Engineer to lead the engineering team and take their proprietary systems from prototype to production. This is a chance to lead engineering at a high-impact, early-stage company, with real room to grow into a bigger leadership seat as the company scales.

What You'll Do

Lead Engineering on Scaling a Mechatronic System

• Lead and manage the project and team across all aspects, from R&D to commercial-scale implementation.
• Develop deep working knowledge of the company's proprietary machinery, which integrates hydraulics, pneumatics, mechanical assemblies, and PLC-based control systems.
• Serve as the primary internal engineering point of contact, acting as a technical thought leader and systems-level problem-solver across the process and system.

Systems Integration and Troubleshooting

• Understand how the mechanical and electrical subsystems interact, including solenoid valves, pneumatic actuators, linear guides, hydraulic pumps and cylinders, sensors, and control logic.
• When issues come up, such as unexpected machine behavior, lead root-cause analysis and coordinate troubleshooting, drawing on hands-on diagnostics, system logs, or vendor input as needed.

Represent the Technology with Customers

• Act as a technical point of contact for customers, including on-site interaction with sophisticated hyperscaler clients.
• Communicate system capabilities, performance, and troubleshooting clearly and confidently to a demanding technical audience.

Oversee and Coordinate External Technical Partners

• Manage the work of outside automation and systems integration firms, making sure their deliverables align with system requirements, certification goals, and project timelines.
• Provide clear technical direction, weigh engineering trade-offs, and ensure outsourced work stays aligned with the product roadmap and constraints.

Guide Commercialization and Production Readiness

• Lead efforts to evolve the current prototype into a commercially robust, scalable, and compliant system.
• Ensure the design meets manufacturing, field servicing, and certification requirements (e.g., UL, CE), including documentation, BOM finalization, and design-for-assembly.

Deployment and Field Learning

• Support and monitor deployments, making sure field performance aligns with expectations.
• Capture real-world feedback to inform design improvements and de-risk future production runs.

Early Manufacturing Strategy and Vendor Engagement

• Work with operations and supply chain teams to plan for small-batch production, including component sourcing, assembly workflows, and QA/QC processes.
• Help qualify external manufacturers and assess production feasibility and cost efficiency.

Operate as a Technical Leader in a Lean Organization

• Navigate ambiguity and operate independently as the primary in-house engineer, supported by technical advisors and outside collaborators.
• Balance strategic systems thinking with a willingness to roll up your sleeves when needed, bridging business goals and technical execution.

What You Bring

Education

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Mechatronics, Robotics, or Manufacturing disciplines).

Experience

• 5+ years of progressive experience in engineering, product development, or manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a small team and drive project execution without close oversight. This role suits a driven self-starter who is comfortable being the senior technical voice on site.
• Proven ability to lead end-to-end equipment manufacturing projects, including planning, budgeting, scheduling, and vendor coordination.
• Track record of managing small, cross-functional teams toward technical milestones and deliverables.
• A hands-on background that bridges design and the field. This isn't a seat for a design-only engineer.

Key Skills

• Strong proficiency in CAD platforms, specifically SolidWorks.
• In-depth knowledge of manufacturing processes, design for manufacturability, and supply chain logistics. The systems here are small-scale electromechanical and precision electronics, rather than heavy industrial equipment.

Preferred

• PLC, controls, and robotics experience.
• Proven project management experience delivering complex engineering initiatives on time and within budget while coordinating multidisciplinary teams and external partners.
• Experience taking custom or prototype industrial machinery from concept to commercialization.
• Familiarity with relevant compliance standards and certification pathways (e.g., UL, CE marking, electrical/mechanical safety standards).
• Comfortable working in agile or fast-moving hardware development environments.
• Strong communication and organizational skills, with the ability to bridge technical and business functions.
• Ready to grow into leading procurement and development teams, with experience reporting directly to senior management and the C-suite.

Additional Requirements

• Legally eligible to work in the United States on a full-time basis. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship, now or in the future.

Why Join

• Health benefits package, with full benefits details shared during the interview process.
• The chance to lead engineering at a high-impact, early-stage company with significant room for career advancement.

We understand no candidate will meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!