Senior Automation Manager

Pratt & Whitney; Asheville (NC); On-site; USD 132,000 - 252,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Short-term disability

Long-term disability

401(k) match

Flexible spending accounts

Flexible work schedules

Employee assistance program

Employee Scholar Program

Parental leave

Paid time off

Holidays

Job summary

Pratt & Whitney in Asheville, NC seeks an Automation Leader to define and execute the vision for next-gen smart factory initiatives. You will guide end-to-end automation, from SCADA/PLC to OT networks, while aligning with executive goals.

The role requires strong leadership in industrial controls, hands-on implementation, and managing multi-million dollar capital investments to deliver measurable productivity gains.

Qualifications

• Requires 10+ years in engineering leadership or 8+ with advanced degree
• Hands-on controls, automation, and manufacturing data experience
• Experience with Industry 4.0 and OT networks required
• Ability to manage CapEx budgets and ROI analyses

Responsibilities

• Define automation vision, roadmap, and deployment strategy for the Asheville site
• Lead engineers to implement factory automation and data integration
• Stand up OT network and oversee multi-million dollar capital investments
• Drive cross-functional alignment on process capabilities and analytics

Skills

Automation leadership

Industrial controls

PLC/SCADA

OT networks

Capital budgeting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a technical field

Advanced degree

14+ years experience in lieu of degree

Tools

Siemens NX

Teamcenter

Solumina G7

SAP

NC programming

Job description

Date Posted

2026-09-16

Country

United States of America

Location

US-NC-ASHEVILLE-330 ~ 330 Pratt Whitney Blvd ~ PRATT WHITNEY

Position Role Type

Onsite

U.S. Citizen, U.S. Person, or Immigration Status Requirements

U.S. citizenship is required, as only U.S. citizens are authorized to access information under this program/contract.

Security Clearance Type

None/Not Required

Security Clearance Status

Not Required

At RTX, the world's largest aerospace and defense company, 185,000 great minds are united by purpose and inspired to make a difference solving the world’s most complex problems. With our three market leading businesses, world-class operations and investments in research and development, we offer capabilities and opportunity no one else can. Together, we push the boundaries of known science and find new ways to connect and protect our world.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power systems and has been revolutionizing modern flight for over 100 years. Join us and help shape the future of aerospace and defense.

What You Will Do

Pratt & Whitney is executing a multi-year digital transformation strategy within our Manufacturing Operational Excellence division. Our state-of-the-art facility in Asheville, NC has been designated as the premier Lighthouse Site to pioneer this modern factory modernization.

Serving as the Automation Leader, you will hold end-to-end strategic and operational responsibility for defining the vision, roadmap, and deployment strategy for next-generation smart factory execution. This high-visibility role bridges complex physical aerospace manufacturing with advanced digital infrastructure. You will scale a high-performing automation engineering team, champion the stand-up of Asheville’s Operational Technology (OT) Network, and collaborate directly with executive stakeholders to align multi-million dollar capital investments (CapEx) with enterprise manufacturing goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and own the automation vision, roadmap, and deployment strategy for the Asheville lighthouse site — including SCADA, PLC/control systems, robotics, OT network infrastructure, and MES integration.
• Lead a team of automation engineers to implement, optimize, and sustain factory automation across engineered processes, lean pull systems, and performance data integration.
• Stand up and manage the Operational Technology (OT) Network as the critical enabling infrastructure for Industry 4.0 initiatives — including machine state monitoring, automated OEE/OLE, digital andon, and tiered metrics reporting.
• Drive cross-functional alignment on process capability requirements, control tools, and data analytics optimization — including MB-DMI, MES execution, and quality systems integration.
• Lead capital planning, equipment specification, ROI analysis, and budget management for automation investments — from initial business case through deployment and financial return tracking.
• Develop and execute technical maturity and project plans; build and report transformation progress metrics at all organizational levels, including executive leadership.
• Lead standardization efforts for automation equipment, system layout, fixture and tooling, ergonomics, and robot simulation.
• Build and advance the automation organization's technical proficiency — including training development, documentation, and team capability growth.
• Ensure all automation initiatives operate within CORE principles, EH&S requirements, and corporate ethical standards.

Qualifications You Must Have

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field (such as Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, Automation, or Systems Engineering) with 10+ years of related experience, OR an Advanced Degree with 8+ years of experience. In lieu of a degree, 14+ years of related experience is required.
• Engineering Team Leadership: Proven track record of direct people management or formal project team leadership overseeing engineering or technical personnel within industrial controls and automation manufacturing environments.
• Core Controls & Industrial Automation: Hands-on experience or deep technical understanding of PLCs, SCADA systems, hardware, firmware, electronics development, and the utilization of CAD and/or PLM software packages to manage engineering data.
• Industry 4.0 & OT Networks: Proven experience managing complex digital transformation projects, including the deployment of digital andon systems and building or scaling Operational Technology (OT) networks.

Qualifications We Prefer

• Proven capability to present complex technical strategies to executive-level leadership, manage large-scale cross-functional stakeholders, formulate ROI business cases, and govern CapEx budgets.
• Technical proficiency within an aerospace or defense manufacturing environment utilizing enterprise systems including Siemens NX, Teamcenter, Solumina G7, SAP, and NC (Numerical Controls) programming.
• Practical experience leading brownfield or greenfield advanced manufacturing modernization, digital thread implementations, Model-Based Definition (MB-DMI), and MES software integrations.
• Practical experience deploying automated operational metrics (OEE/OLE), industrial robotics, and high-fidelity robot simulation workflows.
• Deep understanding of structured, enterprise-wide continuous improvement methodologies and operating frameworks, such as Lean Six Sigma or RTX’s CORE system.

Onsite

Employees who are working in Onsite roles will work primarily onsite. This includes all production and maintenance employees, as they are essential to the development of our products.

Candidates will learn more about role type and current site status throughout the recruiting process. For onsite and hybrid roles, commuting to and from the assigned site is the employee’s personal responsibility.

As part of our commitment to maintaining a secure hiring process, candidates may be asked to attend select steps of the interview process in-person at one of our office locations, regardless of whether the role is designated as on-site, hybrid or remote.

The salary range for this role is 132,400 USD - 251,600 USD. The salary range provided is a good faith estimate representative of all experience levels. RTX considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, location, education/training, and key skills.

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, flexible work schedules, employee assistance program, Employee Scholar Program, parental leave, paid time off, and holidays. Specific benefits are dependent upon the specific business unit as well as whether or not the position is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement.

Hired applicants may be eligible for annual short-term and/or long-term incentive compensation programs depending on the level of the position and whether or not it is covered by a collective-bargaining agreement. Payments under these annual programs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon a variety of factors including, but not limited to, individual performance, business unit performance, and/or the company’s performance.

This role is a U.S.-based role. If the successful candidate resides in a U.S. territory, the appropriate pay structure and benefits will apply.

RTX anticipates the application window closing approximately 40 days from the date the notice was posted. However, factors such as candidate flow and business necessity may require RTX to shorten or extend the application window.

RTX is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, or any other applicable state or federal protected class. RTX provides affirmative action in employment for qualified Individuals with a Disability and Protected Veterans in compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act.