Senior Automation Engineer

01Job Scope

High level purpose of function.

A Senior Automation Engineer in a cell manufacturing company plays a key role in developing, optimizing, and maintaining automated production systems to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operations. They are responsible for programming, troubleshooting, and improving PLCs, robots, and other automated equipment, supporting both new production line installations and ongoing process improvements. The role also includes ensuring accurate data transfer, system connectivity, and smooth communication with cloud platforms to enable traceability, analysis, and digital integration. Close collaboration with production, engineering, and maintenance teams is required to identify and implement solutions that improve quality, throughput, and equipment uptime. A strong focus is placed on continuous improvement, safety, and scalability to meet the growing demand for electric vehicle battery production.

02Key Responsibilities

Overall areas of responsibilities and activities

• Participate in HAZOP sessions and ensure compliance with process safety, operational safety, and environmental standards relating to equipment control and programming.
• Responsible for the FATs of the equipment (Project timeline dependent).
• Lead automation system integration during equipment commissioning (Project timeline dependent).
• Develop the automation systems that are to be implemented in the production and logistics equipment in the factory as well as the relevant specifications and documentation.
• Author and review engineering design documentation (Specifications, Functional design, Logic diagrams, Test Cases, Test Records).
• Train and mentor new engineers, and educate other support functions on process control.
• Code review and test of suppliers work within the projects to validate specified functionality and to ensure the quality and reliability of the data transferred from the equipment to the upper level systems.
• Participate in R&D activities for piloting of new technologies and their suitability to production environments.
• Define and improve the factory blueprint, general specifications and ways of working in collaboration with the extended automation and digitalization teams. (Project timeline dependent).
• Contribute to technical improvements, development and optimization of software processes internally in the automation team
• The role requires regular presence on the production floor.
• Develop and maintain automation programming standards
• Complete supplementary tasks as seen fit by management to effectively utilize time and resource for the benefit of the business.
• Guide and mentor colleagues to industrial best practices, focussing on growth and development.

03Requirements

Educational background and previous experience required for the role

Qualifications and Experience

• Masters Degree in Electronics, Mechatronics, Electrical, Automation, Robotics, Software Engineering or similar.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience within Industrial Automation in process-driven or discrete manufacturing industries such as: Battery Cell, Automotive, Chemical, Paper, Semiconductors, Pharma, Food, Warehouses, etc.
• Experience of working with sensors, instrumentation, servo drives and motion technology.
• Experience with PLC, SCADA, vision systems and CCD cameras and software, OPC connectivity and MES interfaces, especially using Siemens and/or Beckhoff systems.
• Experience with industrial communication protocols and network architecture including design of control systems architecture and PLC code delivering the desired system functionality.
• Experienced continuous improvement and root cause analysis.
• Experience in writing technical documentation (Requirement specifications, Functional design, UML, Test Cases, Test Records).

Specific skills

• Strong knowledge of mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity best practices for manufacturing systems.
• Highly autonomous with a proactive mindset and work ethic.
• Troubleshooting skills with diagnostic equipment.
• Ability to document technical problems concisely.
• Experience in coaching, upskilling, and mentoring engineers or technicians, with a demonstrable commitment to developing the technical capability of others within a production environment.
• Excellent English skills, both written and oral, are essential. Basic Swedish and other language skills are a plus. You should have good communication skills and be able to work in close collaboration with colleagues from many different teams.
• Ability to work within varying environments including clean-rooms and dry-rooms, while wearing appropriate PPE.
• Comfortable operating in high-profile, international, and high-pressure environments.
• A genuine technical interest and passion about working within production is highly valued.