Job Title: Converting Automation / Inspection Engineer – Robotics, AMR/AGV & Machine Vision

Location: Saint Paul, MN
Experience: 8–25 Years
Employment Type: Full-Time

Job Summary

We are seeking experienced Converting Automation / Inspection Engineers to design, develop, integrate, and deploy advanced automation and inspection solutions for industrial converting and manufacturing operations.

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in converting line automation, robotics, collaborative robots (cobots), Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), machine vision, and automated inspection systems. Strong knowledge of web processing operations—including unwinding, splicing, slitting, coating, curing, winding, cutting, and packaging—is essential.

This role involves end-to-end engineering ownership, from concept development and equipment selection through system integration, installation, commissioning, and customer handover. The engineer will work closely with customers, OEM suppliers, project managers, fabrication teams, plant personnel, and IT/controls teams to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective automation solutions.

Required Technical Skills

1. Converting Process & Automation

• Experience designing and implementing converting line automation solutions.

• Knowledge of roll loading automation, automatic splicing, buffering, web tension control, material replenishment, and automated inspection.

• Understanding of web handling and converting processes, including unwinding, web conveying, slitting, coating, curing, winding, cutting, and packaging.

• Experience with primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging automation.

• Ability to develop custom-engineered automation solutions based on manufacturing requirements.

2. Robotics & Material Handling Automation

• Hands-on experience with industrial robots, collaborative robots (cobots), AMRs, and AGVs.

• Knowledge of robotic cells, conveyors, sensors, safety systems, and automated material handling.

• Experience selecting and integrating automation equipment to meet plant specifications and production requirements.

• Familiarity with AMR/AGV fleet management and robot-to-equipment integration.

• Understanding of advanced robotics technologies such as human-robot collaboration, teleoperation, haptics, voice-controlled robotics, and exoskeletons.

3. Machine Vision & Inspection Systems

• Experience integrating machine vision systems for automated inspection, quality verification, and defect detection.

• Knowledge of industrial cameras, sensors, vision hardware, inspection equipment, and system interfaces.

• Ability to evaluate inspection requirements and coordinate the integration of vision systems with converting equipment and production lines.

4. Controls Engineering & Plant Integration

• Understanding of industrial automation controls, PLCs, HMIs, sensors, alarms, conveyors, and robot controllers.

• Ability to coordinate interfaces between automation equipment, controls systems, plant IT, and enterprise applications.

• Familiarity with SAP or other ERP platforms and manufacturing system integration requirements.

• Knowledge of equipment safety requirements and applicable industrial safety standards.

5. Application Engineering, Design & Simulation

• Experience in automation application engineering, solution design, development, integration, and deployment.

• Ability to translate manufacturing requirements into technical specifications and equipment designs.

• Knowledge of modeling and simulation concepts, scenario analysis, and interpreting simulation results.

• Ability to collaborate with simulation specialists, evaluate what-if scenarios, and recommend design improvements.

• Experience supporting equipment and capital procurement, including technical evaluation and OEM selection.

6. Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

• Knowledge of lean manufacturing, value stream mapping, waste reduction, and continuous improvement.

• Ability to identify automation opportunities, improve throughput, enhance quality, and reduce manual handling.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Design and engineer converting automation and inspection solutions from initial concept through installation and plant commissioning.

• Develop automation concepts for roll loading, auto-splicing, buffering, web tension control, material handling, inspection, and packaging.

• Evaluate and integrate robots, cobots, AMRs, AGVs, conveyors, sensors, machine vision systems, PLCs, and HMIs.

• Work with project managers, fabrication teams, plant personnel, and engineering stakeholders to deliver project requirements.

• Define project scope, technical specifications, cost estimates, schedules, and equipment requirements.

• Coordinate with OEM suppliers across the United States, Europe, and India for automation equipment and system delivery.

• Support equipment and capital procurement by evaluating technical suitability, functionality, safety, cost, and schedule.

• Track project progress and manage scope, cost, schedule, technical risks, and customer commitments.

• Coordinate with plant IT and controls engineering teams to address integration requirements.

• Organize and lead regular customer, supplier, and project coordination meetings.

• Manage and support installation, commissioning, testing, troubleshooting, and final handover at customer sites.

• Ensure automation designs comply with customer safety requirements and applicable regulatory standards.

• Provide post-deployment technical support, resolve defects, rectify installation issues, and support plant technicians and engineers.

• Identify additional automation opportunities across manufacturing facilities and proactively recommend improvements.

• Apply lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methods to optimize production processes.

• Collaborate effectively with customers, vendors, contractors, and cross-functional teams to achieve project objectives.

Required Qualifications

• 8–25 years of relevant engineering experience in industrial automation, converting processes, robotics integration, inspection systems, or manufacturing engineering.

• Proven experience in converting line automation or web handling and processing environments.

• Hands-on experience designing, integrating, or deploying industrial automation solutions.

• Practical exposure to robotics, cobots, AMRs/AGVs, machine vision, or automated inspection technologies.

• Experience coordinating OEMs, equipment suppliers, installation contractors, and customer engineering teams.

• Experience managing technical scope, equipment selection, project schedules, commissioning, and customer handover.

• Strong communication, coordination, troubleshooting, and technical problem-solving skills.

• Ability to work collaboratively across engineering, manufacturing, plant IT, project management, and supplier teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with advanced robotics, ROS (Robot Operating System), AMR/AGV fleet management, teleoperation, or human-robot collaboration.

• Experience with simulation-led automation design and what-if analysis.

• Exposure to SAP, manufacturing execution systems (MES), or other enterprise manufacturing platforms.

• Experience in industrial converting, flexible packaging, paper, films, nonwovens, labels, or related continuous-web manufacturing environments.

• Knowledge of lean manufacturing, value stream mapping, capital equipment procurement, and continuous improvement.

• Experience working with global OEMs and managing commissioning at manufacturing sites.

Core Dice Search Keywords

Converting Automation Engineer, Converting Engineer, Automation Engineer, Inspection Engineer, Manufacturing Automation Engineer, Industrial Automation, Converting Line Automation, Web Handling, Web Processing, Roll Loading Automation, Automatic Splicing, Auto-Splicing, Web Tension Control, Buffering Systems, Material Handling Automation, Industrial Robotics, Robotics Integration, Collaborative Robots, Cobots, Autonomous Mobile Robots, AMR, Automated Guided Vehicles, AGV, AMR Fleet Management, Machine Vision, Vision Systems, Automated Inspection, Defect Detection, PLC, HMI, Sensors, Conveyors, Robot Controllers, Controls Engineering, Robot Operating System, ROS, Teleoperation, Human-Robot Collaboration, Haptics, Packaging Automation, Slitting, Coating, Curing, Winding, Unwinding, Lean Manufacturing, Value Stream Mapping, Modeling and Simulation, Equipment Commissioning, Installation and Commissioning, OEM Management, Capital Equipment Procurement, SAP, Plant IT, Manufacturing Systems Integration.