Position overview: This role will be critical in driving innovation, automation, and system optimization to support the overall quality and throughput. With hands-on experience in automated systems, robotics, and industrial controls, along with a strong understanding of manufacturing operations in best practices of lean principles. This position will collaborate cross-functionally with materials engineering, product engineering, operations, IT, quality, and maintenance teams to implement new technologies and continuously improve manufacturing performance.

Key Areas of Responsibility (Answerable for the following end results) · Develop companywide standards to ensure the tooling and equipment are following all safety and regulatory for machine guarding and LOTO procedures. · Develop and own the automation strategy roadmap, aligning with company goals for efficiency, quality, and labor reduction. · Support new business quotation processes. Able to develop processes, labor, tooling and equipment that is to lean best practices from scratch and the ability to support customer tech reviews. · Oversee and project manage new program integrators to track equipment, tooling, labor and their timing to award program numbers. · Build relationships with tooling and equipment integrators to capture and synthesize with them, and our customer standards to meet their requirements. · Partner with product engineering on DFM/DFA reviews to ensure manufacturability with automation in mind. · Collaborating with engineers and other professionals to improve the reliability and performance of machinery and systems. · Collaborate with IT and MES/FMS teams to support data integration and traceability. · Keep up with new technologies and industry trends such as things as; Ind 4.0, I.oT., A.I. Analytics, Augmented Reality, and Machine Learning. · Make informed decisions of a tactical nature, by analyzing information, evaluating alternatives, and considering the potential impact on the group, organization and stakeholders. · Analyze data to reduce / eliminate equipment or tool downtime. · Document all activities as required. · Act as a role model, living the company values on a day-to-day basis · Adhere to all company guidelines for Emergency Evacuation to ensure employee safety. · Any additional responsibility deemed necessary by management.

Limits of Authority · Advise Department Manager of those situations that may pose a significant risk to the program, product assurance, facilities, employee safety or customer satisfaction results. · Initiate actions to prevent the occurrence of any nonconformance relating to products, process & systems. · Identify and record any problems relating to the product, process, or system. · Initiate, recommend or provide solutions thought the appropriate channels and verify implementation. · Control further processing and delivery of nonconforming products until the deficiency is corrected. · Initiate project RFQ’s with supporting documentation to be signed. · Quote / negotiate pricing and timing from vendors for equipment and tooling. · Sign off “Approved” layouts for facility if required.

Basic Education, Experience and Skills Required · 4-year minimum college education in Mechatronics, Mechanical, and or Electrical Engineering · 10 years of related experience in the field of Mechanical, and or Controls. · 10 years Tooling and Equipment assembly experience. · 10 years working with automation (robotics, vision systems, conveyors, DC torque tools, RFID readers, Barcode readers) · 5 years of shop floor Kaizen/lean/6 Sigma experience · 5 years of tooling and equipment installation / field commissioning experience · Possess excellent leadership abilities, organizational and communication skills. · Excellent interpersonal skills and written and verbal communications. · Proficient advanced computer skills, knowledge in Microsoft Suite Software’s (Auto-Cad Experience, Project, PowerPoint, Word, Excel etc…)

Internal Training (Minimum Requirements) · Dakkota Orientation · Safety Training o Hazardous Communication · Dakkota Vision and Culture · Departmental Training o Process – Engineering Change o Process – Program and Process Development o Change Control Database o ARC Flash · Company Training o BOS Overview o Information Technology o Outlook o Trans4M Overview o Purchase Requisitions o Quality Mission Statement o Expense Reporting o Travel Management System

Health, Safety and Physical Demand Requirements · Normal amount of sitting and standing, average mobility to move around an office and plant environment, able to conduct normal amount of work on a computer.

Risks Associated with Job Function · Working around automation internal and external.

Travel Requirements · Approximately 70% of travel required · Valid Passport for out of country travel less than 5% · Valid driver’s license required