Sr. Manager, Automation Engineering

Vantedge Medical; Wallingford (CT); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Vantedge Medical in Wallingford, CT, is seeking a Sr. Manager, Automation Engineering to lead an in-house team of about nine engineers and technicians.

This role owns the automation function's capital planning and serves as the primary interface to Finance, Operations, Commercial, and site leadership for automation investment and prioritization. The successful candidate will assess current manufacturing processes, develop automation solutions, remain hands-on in robotics, PLCs, machine vision,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Manufacturing or related field.
• 10+ years hands-on experience in automation and controls engineering with leadership responsibility.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams across engineering and operations.
• Experience owning automation capital planning, ROI/payback, and vendor management.
• Knowledge of machine-safety and electrical standards in regulated manufacturing.
• Strong communication and multi-project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing automation team.
• Manage nine automation engineers and technicians at Wallingford center; set priorities and deadlines.
• Coach the team on technical, business, and customer requirements.
• Build strong relationships with site engineering and production teams.
• Establish automation design practices and safety standards across facilities.
• Provide hands-on leadership across automation and controls.
• Serve as senior technical authority for robotics, PLC/controls, machine vision, fixturing, and material handling.
• Evaluate technologies and guide build-versus-buy decisions and validation.
• Develop budgetary automation concepts and ROI analyses with cross-functional partners.
• Own capital planning for automation and vendor engagement.

Skills

Team leadership

Automation & controls

Communication

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in a technical field

Tools

PLC programming

Machine vision

Robotics

Fixturing

Job description

• We are not currently working with third party agencies on this role.

About Us: Vantedge Medical is the premier metals-based med-tech solutions partner from concept to full-scale manufacturing. We are at the forefront of precision engineering and innovation, specializing in the development and manufacturing of vital components for medical markets such as Robotic Assisted Surgery, Orthopedics, Surgical Instruments, Dental, and more. Our teams work in unison, collaborating and problem-solving to serve the manufacturing needs of the top Medical Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) around the globe. Making a difference in the lives of patients and their families drives us to go above and beyond every day. Through our Vander-Bend division we also play an integral role supporting top hyperscalers in the AI data center space. With a steadfast commitment to advancing technology, we take immense pride in the work we do - and have a lot of fun doing it.

Job Summary: The Sr. Manager, Automation Engineering combines deep hands-on automation system design expertise with the leadership of an in-house team of approximately nine engineers and technicians. Beyond leading the team, this role owns the automation function's capital planning and cross-functional coordination - serving as the primary interface to Finance, Operations, Commercial, and site leadership for automation investment and prioritization. The Sr. Manager assesses current-state manufacturing processes across Vantedge's production facilities and develops automation solutions to strengthen new business and improve existing processes. This is an engaged leadership role: the successful candidate stays technically hands-on while being the lead interface between the automation team and the production sites and customers it supports. We are looking for a technically advanced, highly collaborative leader within a regulated medical device and AI data center manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing automation team
• Manage a team of approximately nine automation engineers and technicians at the Wallingford in-house automation build center - setting priorities, balancing demand and workload, and establishing an operating cadence with forward pipeline visibility and delivery commitments.
• Coach and develop the team's technical, business, and commercial acumen - building their understanding of customer requirements, cost drivers, and the production realities behind their solutions; recruit and retain talent.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with site engineering, Site Directors of Operations, and production teams, keeping the team engaged with the operations it supports, and its solutions grounded in real-world production conditions.
• Establish and support automation design practices, safety standards, and documentation across facilities, building on the team's proven process.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership across automation and controls
• Serve as the senior technical authority for robotics, PLC / controls, machine vision, fixturing, and material handling - remaining hands-on in the design, integration, debug, and validation of automated cells, and ensuring designs meet applicable machine-safety and electrical standards.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and guide build-versus-buy decisions; support qualification and validation of automated processes in accordance with medical device and industry quality requirements.
• Assess current state processes and develop automation solutions
• Assess current-state manufacturing processes across all sites to identify safety, productivity, and quality-improvement opportunities.
• Rapidly develop budgetary automation concepts, cost estimates, and ROI / payback analyses, partnering with Estimating, Operations, and Commercial during quoting to embed automation strategies that improve cost competitiveness.
• Build and prioritize a pipeline of automation initiatives, anticipating future demand and balancing quoting needs with current-process improvement.
• Own capital planning and vendor engagement for automation
• Own the capital planning process for automation - creating and justifying Capital Expenditure Requests and business cases.
• Serve as the interface to Finance, Operations, Commercial, and site leadership on automation investment and prioritization, setting realistic scope, cost, and timeline expectations.
• Lead vendor and integrator discovery, engagement, and selection, owning key vendor relationships on behalf of the automation function.

Requirements

• Engineering or bachelor's degree in a technical field (Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Manufacturing, or related)
• Minimum 10 years hands-on experience in automation and controls engineering (design, build, and implementation of robotics, PLC programming, machine vision, fixturing, material handling, etc.), including progressive team- or project-leadership responsibility
• Demonstrated people-leadership experience and a collaborative style, with the ability to build strong relationships across engineering, operations, and site teams
• Experience owning automation capital planning - budgetary estimates, ROI / payback, CERs, capital justification - and managing vendor / integrator-supplied projects
• Working knowledge of applicable machine-safety and electrical standards medical device or other regulated-industry manufacturing experience
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment; proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a multi-site manufacturing environment, ideally metals-based (CNC machining, stamping, welding, EDM, and assembly)
• Business or financial acumen (e.g., MBA) and experience presenting capital proposals to executive leadership

Working Conditions

On-site at Wallingford, CT with ~25% travel to production sites, customer meetings, and industry events; manufacturing environments require appropriate PPE