Automation Engineer III

Work Schedule

Standard (Mon-Fri)

Environmental Conditions

Adherence to all Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Safety Standards

Job Description

As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.

Position Summary

The Automation Engineer III identifies, develops, implements, and supports automation solutions that improve manufacturing safety, quality, productivity, capacity, reliability, and cost performance. This role provides technical leadership for automation and equipment projects and serves as a key technical resource for production equipment, robotics, controls, motion systems, and equipment integration -partnering with Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations, Quality, Continous Improvement, Finance, Facilities, and equipment suppliers to translate production needs into reliable, scalable, financially justified solutions. The role requires broad engineering knowledge and the ability to independently manage complex assignments from opportunity identification and business-case development through design, implementation, validation, and benefits realization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Automation & Equipment Engineering

• Identify, design, and implement automation systems -robotics, motion control, material handling, sensors, machine vision, automated inspection -that improve productivity, quality, capacity, ergonomics, and safety.

• Provide advanced engineering support and structured root-cause troubleshooting for equipment, controls, mechanical, electrical, and process issues.

• Develop corrective actions and improvements that increase equipment reliability, uptime, throughput, and maintainability.

• Monitor equipment/process performance using operational data, alarms, and downtime to identify recurring failure modes and predictive-maintenance opportunities.

• Maintain equipment configurations, specifications, control requirements, and documentation needed to keep equipment in a validated, controlled state.

Process Troubleshooting & Equipment Reliability

• Conduct manufacturing equipment failure investigations and structured troubleshooting of equipment/process failures.

• Study equipment performance and reliability trends; participate in defining preventive-maintenance schedules, procedures, and spare-parts strategies.

• Oversee adherence to maintenance and calibration schedules and ensure activities are properly documented; support complex equipment issues, including off-shift as needed.

Automation Project Leadership

• Lead automation projects end-to-end -from opportunity identification through implementation and sustained operation -working directly with stakeholders to understand process challenges and opportunities.

• Develop technical concepts, feasibility studies, scope, cost estimates, schedules, risk assessments, and business cases; evaluate opportunities by feasibility, value, and risk.

• Support CAPEX planning and technical justification; coordinate cross-functional teams and manage projects to scope, schedule, budget, and expected outcomes.

Installation, Integration & Validation

• Define facility, utility, safety, and production requirements for new automated equipment.

• Coordinate installation, commissioning, FAT/SAT testing, and production handoff; perform or support IQ/OQ/PQ and develop test plans and acceptance criteria.

• Support new product/process introduction and ensure equipment design considers reliability, maintainability, usability, and safety.

Vendor & Technology Management

• Develop technical specifications for suppliers; evaluate vendors, technologies, and system integrators.

• Provide technical direction during design, fabrication, testing, and commissioning; review and approve drawings, specs, and control concepts.

• Manage vendor technical issues through resolution and evaluate alternative equipment and second-source solutions.

Continuous Improvement & Technical Leadership

• Partner with Manufacturing, Operations, PPI, and Finance to establish baselines and quantify benefits (labor savings, cycle time, uptime, scrap, cost avoidance) using PPI/structured problem-solving.

• Maintain a prioritized automation opportunity pipeline; serve as technical subject-matter resource and mentor engineers/technicians.

• Lead cross-functional teams without direct authority; communicate status, risks, and recommendations to leadership.

Supervisory Responsibilities

No direct supervisory responsibility; however, this role is expected to provide technical leadership and direction to project teams, contractors, suppliers, integrators, and technicians to ensure successful delivery of automation initiatives.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Automation, Electrical, Mechanical, or Manufacturing Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics, Controls Engineering, or related technical discipline; advanced degree a plus.

• Significant relevant experience in manufacturing/factory automation, equipment engineering, controls, or robotics, consistent with an Engineer III level, including independently delivering complex automation projects.

• Experience in regulated, life-sciences, medical-device, semiconductor, or similarly complex manufacturing environments preferred.

Technical Knowledge & Skills

Industrial automation and automated manufacturing equipment; robotics and integration; PLC/industrial control systems; HMI; servo systems and motion control; sensors, actuators, pneumatics, and electromechanical systems; machine vision and automated inspection; material handling and precision positioning; equipment troubleshooting and root-cause analysis; commissioning, qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ), and validation; preventive-maintenance program development and equipment reliability improvement; equipment safety concepts; engineering drawings and specifications; and capital-equipment specification, procurement, and vendor management.

Problem Solving, Communication & Leadership

Demonstrated ability to define complex technical problems, analyze data, determine root causes, and implement sustainable solutions -including in ambiguous situations requiring engineering judgment and innovation. Applies engineering, mathematics, and analysis to balance performance, cost, schedule, safety, and maintainability. Strong written/verbal communication with operators through senior leadership; ability to translate technical topics into business recommendations; ability to influence and lead cross-functional teams without direct authority; and ability to prepare technical reports, business cases, and presentations, and to train and develop others.

Key Competencies

Technical depth and engineering judgment • Factory automation expertise • End-to-end project ownership • Structured problem solving • Innovation and continuous improvement • Business and financial awareness • Project and vendor management • Cross-functional collaboration • Stakeholder management • Proactive communication • Quality and compliance mindset • Influence without authority • Focus on measurable business impact

Success in the Role

Success is demonstrated not only by delivering technically successful automation solutions, but by creating sustainable, measurable improvements to manufacturing operations. The engineer is expected to operate as a technical leader who independently identifies opportunities, drives implementation, and demonstrates operational and financial impact -continuously challenging existing methods and applying automation, robotics, and equipment engineering to make Thermo Fisher Scientific manufacturing safer, more reliable, more productive, and more scalable.