Staff Automation Engineer

Job Overview

The Staff Automation Engineer is a senior technical expert based at the Suzhou, China site. The role will lead high-impact automation initiatives for TE Connectivity's Medical BU, from concept development and vendor engagement through design, build, controls integration, validation, launch, and global replication.

This role requires deep expertise in mechanical design and controls engineering, robotics, machine vision, industrial software, statistical analysis, precision manufacturing, and emerging technologies such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI-enabled automation.

This position operates within a highly regulated environment (ISO 13485, GMP) and collaborates across several teams including quality, and manufacturing engineering teams to deliver robust, safe, scalable, and validated automation platforms for medical devices and other high-precision industries.

Job Requirements

• Lead design, development, programming, integration, validation, and optimisation of automation systems ranging from semi-automatic stations to fully automated production lines.
• Develop scalable automation architecture, equipment concepts, controls strategies, tooling, fixtures, machine vision, robotics, data acquisition, and smart diagnostics solutions for medical device manufacturing.
• Partner closely with local automation vendors, local SMEs, process engineering, manufacturing engineering, quality, operations, EHS, procurement, and global automation stakeholders to execute automation projects from URS through production release.
• Identify, qualify, and technically manage local China automation vendors, ensuring delivered solutions meet TE requirements for safety, quality, manufacturability, validation, reliability, maintainability, and cost.
• Develop automation solutions with local SMEs and vendors in China and lead global deployment or replication across the U.S., LATAM, EMEA, China, and other TE manufacturing sites.
• Manage global automation project plans, budgets, risks, priorities, vendor deliverables, technical reviews, issue escalation, and stakeholder communication.
• Execute automation projects with speed while maintaining compliance with medical device manufacturing requirements, including design control, validation, change control, and production readiness expectations.
• Lead technical problem solving for equipment performance, yield, throughput, stability, downtime, process capability, and defect reduction.
• Support IQ/OQ/PQ, process validation, documentation, FMEA, DOE, SPC, Lean, DRM, and continuous improvement activities.
• Provide technical leadership, coaching, and design review support to engineers, manufacturing teams, vendors, and cross-functional stakeholders.

What your background should look like

• Bachelor's degree or above in Automation, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Software Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 12 years of progressive automation engineering experience, including successful implementation of automated manufacturing systems in regulated or high-precision manufacturing environments.
• Strong experience working with local automation vendors in China, preferably supporting medical device manufacturing equipment, tooling, controls, testing, inspection, and validation needs.
• Fluent in both English and Chinese, with the ability to lead technical discussions, supplier reviews, design reviews, project updates, and executive-level stakeholder communication in both languages.
• Demonstrated experience managing global automation projects and collaborating effectively with cross-functional stakeholders across multiple regions and functions.
• Proven experience developing automation solutions with local SMEs and vendors and deploying those solutions globally across regions such as the U.S., LATAM, EMEA, and China.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, project risks, technical ambiguity, supplier constraints, and business urgency while executing with speed and discipline.
• Hands-on technical capability in one or more areas: PLC/PC-based controls, robotics, machine vision, servo/motion control, precision assembly, test systems, industrial software, data analytics, tooling, fixtures, or automated inspection.
• Willingness to travel for about 20-30% of the time to other regions within the business unit, including overnight stays, as required by project launches, supplier reviews, and global deployment needs.

Competencies