Robotics Project Engineer / Manager
Location: Remote – United States
Duration: 12 months with possible extension
Travel: 30–50% travel within the U.S. and Puerto Rico
Overview
We are seeking a Robotics Project Engineer / Manager to lead and support robotics deployment initiatives across multiple sites. This is a business and technology-focused robotics project management role, rather than a hands-on robotics programming or electrical engineering position.
The ideal candidate will have extensive experience identifying robotics opportunities, evaluating whether automation is the right investment, developing business cases, and leading robotics deployments from concept through implementation. Candidates should have exposure to multiple robotics use cases and robot platforms, ideally across manufacturing, logistics, laboratory, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or medical device environments.
Required Experience
- 8-10 years of robotics-related experience with significant exposure to robotics applications, consulting, applications engineering, sales engineering, project management, or deployment.
- Experience with 15+ robotics use cases or deployments across a career, preferably involving multiple robot types and applications.
- Proven experience leading or managing robotics deployments across multiple sites.
- Strong ability to evaluate operational requirements, site constraints, technology suitability, and ROI/business value of robotics investments.
- Experience translating business and operational needs into effective robotics and automation solutions.
- Exposure to leading robotics platforms such as KUKA, FANUC, ABB, Universal Robots (UR), MiR, or OTTO is preferred.
- Experience in manufacturing, logistics, laboratory, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or medical device environments.
- Experience working in regulated environments, with knowledge of GMP, FDA, ISO, and/or IQ/OQ/PQ validation preferred.
- Strong project management, stakeholder management, and vendor management experience.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Willingness and ability to travel 30–50% within the United States and Puerto Rico.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead robotics projects across multiple sites from opportunity identification and planning through deployment and implementation.
- Assess site operations, business requirements, constraints, and automation opportunities to determine whether robotics is an appropriate investment.
- Develop and communicate the business case, value proposition, ROI, productivity, efficiency, safety, and compliance benefits of proposed robotics solutions.
- Partner with site teams, engineering, operations, business stakeholders, and external vendors to define project scope, objectives, requirements, and deliverables.
- Lead robotics deployments from a project management and business/technology perspective, ensuring projects remain aligned with operational and strategic objectives.
- Coordinate vendor and third-party relationships, including technology evaluation, selection, procurement support, implementation, and performance evaluation.
- Provide technical leadership and guidance during requirements gathering, solution evaluation, deployment, troubleshooting, and project execution.
- Lead proof-of-concept (PoC) and pilot projects for new robotics technologies and applications.
- Identify and evaluate future robotics opportunities and develop a pipeline of potential automation initiatives.
- Gather feedback from individual sites and incorporate lessons learned and best practices into broader robotics and automation strategies.
- Ensure appropriate project documentation, risk assessments, requirements, and compliance documentation are completed.
- Collaborate with cross-functional and multidisciplinary teams in both regulated and non-regulated environments.
- Support robotics deployments involving diverse applications such as manufacturing, logistics, material handling, and laboratory operations.
- Travel to sites as required to support assessments, planning, deployment, stakeholder meetings, and project execution.
Preferred Experience and Skills
- Background in robotics engineering, applications engineering, sales engineering, robotics consulting, or robotics project management.
- Demonstrated experience deploying multiple types of robots across diverse applications, rather than experience limited to a single robot type or use case.
- Strong understanding of both the business and technology aspects of robotics deployment.
- Experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, or other regulated industries is highly preferred.
- Knowledge of GMP, FDA, ISO requirements, and IQ/OQ/PQ validation is a plus.
- Experience managing robotics vendors, integrators, and technology partners.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, presentation, and stakeholder-management capabilities.
- Comfortable working across technical, operational, business, and leadership teams.
- Ability to operate effectively in multicultural and multidisciplinary environments.
- Robotics programming, electrical wiring, or hands-on robot technician experience is not the primary focus of this role.
