Automation Engineer (Material Conveyance, Aerospace)

TL;DR

Automation Engineer (Material Conveyance): Own material flow across autonomous factories using AMRs, conveyance systems, and overhead cranes/gantries with an accent on MES/WMS integration, safety zones, and throughput optimization. Focus on scoping, commissioning, simulating layouts, and designing traffic management for high-volume aerospace production.

Location: Los Angeles, CA (onsite, hands-on on-the-floor role).

Salary: $140,000 – $220,000 (actual range may vary based on experience)

Company

Building autonomous factories that enable aerospace and defense companies to manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and 2x cheaper using software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing.

What you will do

• Scope, select, commission, and ramp AMR fleets including vendor evaluation, configuration, testing, and support.
• Design conveyance systems (belts, rollers, lifts) for inter/intra-cell flow with cycle-time analysis, buffers, and failure recovery.
• Design overhead material movement using cranes, gantries, hoists, and safe zones where appropriate.
• Manage traffic, lift-zones, intersections, and mixed human/robot safety.
• Integrate systems with MES/WMS, PLCs via VDA 5050, OPC-UA, MQTT, REST.
• Simulate throughput, layouts, and constraints using AnyLogic, FlexSim, or similar before hardware deployment.
• Partner with teams on interfaces, standards, and runbooks for future factories.

Requirements

• Bachelor's in ME, EE, Mechatronics, Industrial Engineering, or related.
• 3+ years deploying AMRs/AGVs, conveyance, overhead equipment, or hybrid systems in production.
• Personally commissioned at least one AMR fleet, conveyance run, or crane interface.
• Working knowledge of VDA 5050, OPC-UA, MQTT, REST, PLC handshakes, MES/WMS integration.
• Safety expertise for mixed human/robot environments and suspended loads.
• Experience with simulation tools like AnyLogic, FlexSim, or Plant Simulation.
• U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or ITAR-eligible.

Nice to have

• Factory-scale material flow experience (20+ AMRs, full networks).
• ROS/ROS2 for custom fleets.
• Crane/hoist integration for heavy aerospace parts.
• Python for analytics.
• Lean fundamentals (takt, kanban).
• EV/battery/aerospace/maritime material flow.

Culture & Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance.
• 401k.
• Relocation support for certain situations.
• Flexible vacation policy.