Material Flow Engineer

Role: Material Flow Engineer

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Key Responsibilities (High Level):

• End-to-end warehouse and material flow design
• Buffer analysis and planning
• Material handling equipment evaluation and procurement
• Cart design and procurement
• Lineside and finished goods buffer planning
• Aisle sizing and optimization

Essentially, candidate should be able to take ownership of the complete warehouse design and material flow operations.

Detail JD:

What You’ll Do

• Own the full lifecycle of material flow and process equipment — from concept development and detailed engineering design through industrialization, commissioning, and handover to operations.
• Design, develop, and deploy automated and semi-automated material flow systems (AGV, AMR, A VRC, conveyors, robotic cells, lifts, ASRS) that enable safe, efficient, and scalable manufacturing operations.
• Specify mechanical, electrical, and control system requirements, ensuring compliance with factory layout constraints, safety standards, and ergonomic guidelines.
• Develop system architecture, capacity, and throughput models to validate technical feasibility, balance OPEX and CAPEX, and align with factory growth and production strategies.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Operations, Controls, Facilities, Process, and Industrial Engineering teams to integrate automation with MES, WMS, and PLC-based control systems.
• Demonstrate advanced material flow and automation design expertise, mastering AMR/AGV/Atechnologies, conveyance systems, VRCs, docking systems, robotics, and line balancing to optimize throughput and manufacturing flow.
• Lead end-to-end program management, including scope definition, vendor selection, RFQ development, procurement, FAT/SAT, schedule tracking, budget oversight, and milestone reporting.
• Build and execute Discrete Event Simulation (DES) models using tools like FlexSim to evaluate capacity, material flow, and resource utilization.
• Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Finance teams to align modeling, simulation, and planning activities.
• Deliver data-driven insights and simulation-based recommendations to enable strategic and operational decision-making across the organization.
• Define and standardize fleet management, path optimization, and traffic control strategies for AGV/AMR systems to ensure robust and scalable factory automation.
• Analyze performance data (OEE, throughput, downtime) to identify bottlenecks and drive continuous improvement in flow efficiency, reliability, and automation performance.
• Implement corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance uptime, safety, and scalability in high-volume manufacturing environments.
• Serve as a technical mentor and subject-matter expert (SME) in automation and material handling, advising leadership on technology roadmaps and long-term automation strategy.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Industrial or Mechanical Engineering (or a related technical field).
• 5+ years of experience in manufacturing, automation, or material handling engineering within high-volume or logistics environments.
• Proven expertise in AGV, AMR, A VRC, conveyors, robotics, and ASRS design, integration, and commissioning.
• Strong proficiency in AutoCAD, SolidWorks, and factory simulation/flow modeling tools such as FlexSim or equivalent.
• Knowledge of simulation and digital twin tools (FlexSim or equivalent) for flow analysis and predictive optimization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead projects end-to-end — from concept and design through installation, commissioning, and production readiness.
• Skilled in program management, including scope, schedule, budget control, and vendor coordination across complex manufacturing projects.
• Solid understanding of controls integration (PLC/MES/WMS) and industrial safety standards (ANSI/ISO/IEC).
• Strong knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, PFEP (Plan for Every Part), Just-in-Time (JIT), and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Proven ability to interpret and act on manufacturing KPIs (OEE, throughput, yield, downtime) to drive measurable efficiency gains.
• Exceptional analytical, communication, and leadership skills, with the ability to align cross-functional teams toward common goals.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in data analytics and visualization tools such as Python, SQL, Power BI, or Tableau for equipment performance monitoring and reporting.
• Exposure to IoT-enabled automation systems for real-time equipment monitoring and performance tracking.
• Strong problem-solving mindset and continuous improvement orientation.
• Demonstrated project management experience including budgeting, scheduling, and vendor collaboration.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Lean Manufacturing certification.
• Experience in battery manufacturing, energy storage, or other high-tech manufacturing environments.