Senior Automation Engineer - Manufacturing & Robotics

Kelly Services; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Kelly Services is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer-Automation in Minneapolis, MN to plan, design, and maintain manufacturing processes across filling, kitting, packaging, and shipping. You will lead automation initiatives, drive Lean Six Sigma improvements, and collaborate with Quality, Operations, and R&D to scale production.

The role emphasizes end-to-end project ownership, deploying robotics, PLCs, cobots, and MES integrations while ensuring regulatory compliance and operational

Qualifications

• Requires a master’s degree with 2-5 years of relevant experience or a bachelor’s with 5-8 years or an associate with 10+ years of relevant experience.
• 5+ years of automation or manufacturing engineering experience.
• Mechanical and electrical aptitude.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a strong presence in manufacturing and operational areas, working with frontline employees and leaders to observe work and identify waste and bottlenecks.
• Investigate and identify operational inefficiencies and productivity improvements.
• Use time-studies, line balancing, workload analysis, process mapping, and material-flow assessments to understand performance and opportunities.
• Define and execute automation strategy and roadmap aligned with cost, quality, throughput goals.
• Manage automation projects through planning, design, architecture, building, and deployment.
• Incorporate automation systems including robotics, vision systems, PLCs, and cobots across operations.
• Drive end-to-end process optimization leveraging Lean Six Sigma, data analytics, and digital manufacturing tools to improve KPI (OTD, cycle time, yield, labor).
• Own capital automation projects from concept to commissioning, including business case, specs, vendor selection, FAT/SAT, IQ/OQ/PQ.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives with Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, and R&D to scale manufacturing and industrialize new products.
• Establish and standardize engineering best practices, automation standards, validation protocols, and documentation systems.
• Champion digital transformation including MES integration and data systems.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

Communication

Organization

Collaboration

Troubleshooting

Education

Master's degree

Bachelor's degree

Associate degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Smartsheet

Minitab

JMP

Job description

Kelly Services is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer-Automation in Minneapolis, MN to plan, design, and maintain manufacturing processes across filling, kitting, packaging, and shipping. You will lead automation initiatives, drive Lean Six Sigma improvements, and collaborate with Quality, Operations, and R&D to scale production.

The role emphasizes end-to-end project ownership, deploying robotics, PLCs, cobots, and MES integrations while ensuring regulatory compliance and operational