Automation Engineer

Job DescriptionJob Description

Job Title: Senior Man

Job Title: Corporate Automation Engineer

Location: Goodyear / Phoenix, Arizona – Buffalo, New York
Department: Manufacturing Engineering
Reports To: Director of Manufacturing Engineering
Employment Type: Full-Time | On-Site
FLSA Status: Exempt

About GTI Energy

GTI Energy, a division of GTI Fabrication, designs and builds advanced modular infrastructure for mission-critical markets, including energy storage systems, data centers, and defense applications. We are growing rapidly and investing heavily in automation to increase capacity, precision, and efficiency at our industrial fabrication facilities.

Position Overview

We are seeking a Senior Manufacturing Automation Engineer to lead the development, deployment, and optimization of automated process across welding, coating, assembly and test systems for all production lines. This is a hands-on technical leadership role focused on designing, programming, integrating, and maintaining robotic systems.

This position will play a key role in advancing GTI’s automation strategy, ensuring our processes achieve the highest standards of safety, quality, efficiency, and scalability.

Key Responsibilities

Automation Applications, Strategy & CapEx Justification

• Partner with operations, manufacturing engineering, and quality to identify automation use cases that improve safety, quality, and throughput.
• Develop capital expenditure justifications and ROI/payback analyses to support automation project funding.
• Lead cross-functional project teams (quality, safety, operations, manufacturing engineering, and facilities) assigned to automation initiatives.
• Develop specifications for individual automation projects and create GTI-wide standards for control systems, robot manufacturers, and welding equipment OEMs.
• Write project-specific performance clauses and high-level automation requirements for new system deployments.

Automation System Design & Integration

• Design, specify, and implement robotic cellsand systems across GTI’s manufacturing footprint.
• Select and oversee external integrators to execute detailed design work.
• Lead internal and external design reviews to verify system safety, quality, and technical alignment.
• Coordinate installation, validation, and qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ) of automation systems with integrators and plant teams.
• Ensure integration of robotics (FANUC, ABB, KUKA, Motoman, etc.), tooling, sensors, and safety systems.

Strategy Development and Sustainability

• Develop and lead ourstrategy to embed automated manufacturing processes that align with our business objectives.
• Ensure that our competency matrix and development plans align with ourtechnical bench strengths needed to succeed in automation.
• Align our integration, programming andautomation environment provide for a robust and manageablesolution set.
• Analyze new products and programs and provide guidance toleverage our automation strengths.
• Partner with mechanical engineers, manufacturing engineers, quality, and maintenance teams to ensure production readiness of automated systems.
• Support design-for-manufacturability efforts on new products to enable automatedprocesses.

Documentation & Training

• Maintain detailed technical documentation including robot programs, schematics, and SOPs.
• Train and mentor technicians, operators, and junior engineers on robotic welding system operation, troubleshooting, and programming.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or Industrial Engineering
• 8–10+ years of experience in manufacturing automation or controls engineering
• Hands-on experience implementing and supporting robotic welding systems
• Proficiency with industrial welding robots (FANUC, ABB, Motoman, KUKA or similar)
• Strong experience with PLC programming and controls integration (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, etc.)
• Proven success leading cross-functional automation projects and managing integrators
• Strong understanding of welding processes (GMAW, GTAW, resistance spot welding) and metallurgy basics
• Knowledge of industrial safety standards (OSHA, NFPA79,RIA) and risk assessments for robotic systems
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills
• Strong project management skills to coordinate multiple automation projects and vendor integrations
• Effective communicator and collaborative team player with leadership experience

Qualifications

• Experience with robotic simulation tools (RoboGuide, RobotStudio, etc.)
• Experience integrating vision systems, sensors, motion control, or automated material handling
• Familiarity with CAD (SolidWorks, AutoCAD) for fixture or tooling design
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher certification

Why Join GTI

• Lead automation for a rapidly growing industrial fabrication company
• Hands-on, high-impact technical role in a fast-paced environment
• Competitive compensation and benefits
• Work with advanced robotic technology to build mission-critical infrastructure

GTI Energy is an equal opportunity employer and celebrates in our workforce.