Job Opportunities API

We are currently looking for a Manufacturing Automation Engineer A little about us: With over a century of engineering expertise and innovation, KNDS UK is a renowned world leader in rapidly deployable military bridging systems and a key partner in the UK MoD’s Boxer armoured vehicle programme. We are proud of our heritage and our reputation of providing the highest quality engineering solutions for over 100 years. As a trusted partner to military customers around the world, our employees are the very heart of our company. We have a skilled and experienced workforce dedicated to achieving excellence in all areas of the business from Engineering to Project Management, Business Support to Operations. As our business evolves, we are looking to strengthen our workforce with talented and motivated individuals across a range of disciplines to work from our Northwest Engineering Centre of Excellence and currently have this opportunity available: About the role: The primary purpose of this role is to provide hands on Automation expertise supporting the implementation of automated welding and assembly. Key duties include, but are not limited to: ·         Capital equipment and specification o   Identify opportunities for automation within the hull welding (steel/armour) and bridge fabrication (aluminium) lines. o   Draft technical specifications for the procurement of large-scale robotic welding cells, CNC fabrication centres, and automated material handling systems. o   Conduct Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) and ROI calculations for new capital expenditure (CAPEX) projects. ·         Hands-on Commissioning & Integration o   Lead the physical installation and "Site Acceptance Testing" (SAT) of new robotic systems. o   Collaborate with maintenance teams to establish robust preventative maintenance schedules for all automated assets. ·         Programming & Technical Optimisation o   Develop and refine robot programs for complex geometries, specifically multi-pass heavy plate welding and thick and thin-gauge aluminium joining. o   Utilise Off-Line Programming (OLP) software to minimise production downtime during new product introduction (NPI). o   Troubleshoot PLC logic and HMI interfaces to ensure seamless communication between hardware components. ·         Cross-Functional Leadership and Continuous Improvement (CI) o   Analyse production data to identify bottlenecks and cycle time improvements. o   Apply Lean Manufacturing principles to reduce scrap rates in high-value aluminium materials. o   Mentor shop-floor operators on basic robot intervention and safety protocols o   Coordinate cross-functional teams (including Quality, Production, and Maintenance) to drive collaborative problem-solving and root-cause analysis. ·         Develop processes to improve dimensional stability from effective jigging / fixture / alignment. ·         Process Governance & Documentation o   Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and technical documentation for all automated processes to ensure repeatability and quality assurance. o   Implement robust Risk Management strategies for automated lines, conducting FMEAs (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) to pre-empt technical or safety failures. o   Ensure all automated cells strictly adhere to Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) requirements, including CE/UKCA marking and PUWER regulations. ·         Continuously drive efficiency improvements that reduce the build hours/product. ·         Support and lead structured problem solving and process improvement activities. ·         Provide design for manufacturing input at early stages in the new product development process. ·         Support project management in cross functional activity required for project execution. ·