Senior Principal Automation Technician

Overview

Shift: 1st shift
City: Solon
Swagelok, Northeast Ohio, USA

Swagelok is a global organization and one of the largest employers of manufacturing talent in Northeast Ohio. We are driven by our core values of Quality, Integrity, Respect for the Individual, Customer Focus, Innovation, and Continuous Improvement, which are demonstrated through our daily actions. For over 75 years, our dedication to our core values has been the foundation for our success.

Our products have been up into space, down to the bottom of the ocean, and everywhere in between. That same dedication spans to our customers.

Throughout our organization we demonstrate a commitment to these values and those we bring onboard. Whether you want to grow in your role or explore broad opportunities and develop new skills—you’ll thrive in a culture that promotes learning and development.

We strive to be a company where we all can do our best work with a true sense of purpose and belonging.

Be Connected. Be Valued. Be You.

We hope you’ll consider joining our team.

The Senior Principal Automation Technician is an advanced technical role focused on providing expert-level troubleshooting, system optimization, and system design across complex automation systems. This position is responsible for handling the most challenging technical issues and optimizing automation systems to improve performance, reliability, and efficiency. The Senior Principal Automation Technician will work closely with engineering teams to ensure seamless integration of automation solutions, provide mentorship and knowledge transfer to other technicians, and stay ahead of industry trends to apply new technologies to system improvements.

This role involves mentoring a team of technicians, leading long-term automation projects, and providing expert-level troubleshooting and system optimization. Individuals will drive cross-functional collaboration to ensure operational excellence and will also influence decision-making and strategic direction related to automation within the organization.

• Mentors a team of technicians, fostering an environment of growth, collaboration, and technical excellence.
• Designs, integrates, and optimizes complex automation systems to enhance operational efficiency and system reliability.
• Provides expert-level troubleshooting and support for complex automation systems, driving problem resolution and continuous improvement.
• Leads automation projects and installations, ensuring they meet specifications.
• Modifies, reverse engineers, and optimizes existing automation systems to improve functionality and performance.
• Provides leadership and guidance for long-term automation projects, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and operational needs.
• Enhances comprehensive documentation and reports system performance regularly.
• Recommends and influences improvements for automated system solutions, including electrical, controls, robotic, pneumatic, and mechanical systems.
• Collaborates with engineering teams to optimize and improve automation systems (including PLCs, robots, and vision systems) for better efficiency, quality, and reliability.
• Influences decision-making and strategic planning regarding automation systems and technological innovations.
• Oversees the development of new automation systems, from conceptual design through to implementation and optimization.
• Ensures all automation systems and projects comply with safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Proactively identifies opportunities for continuous improvement and implements solutions to enhance system performance and reduce downtime.
• Applies engineering theory, practices, and principles to perform failure analysis to determine root cause of equipment failures and conduct machinery performance evaluations.
• Leads technical communication and quotations with 3rd party automation / integrator vendors.
• Collaborates cross-functionally with other groups such as Operations, IT, Sourcing, and other stakeholders as needed.
• Contributes to training and development activities to stay current with new automation technologies and industry best practices.