What is an automation engineer?
Automation engineers are experts in simplifying processes. An automation engineer can improve the efficiency of various manufacturing or computer processes or systems by automating parts of them or the entire process or system to do work on their own. They may also design entirely new technology to automate a system or process.
Automation engineers are also referred to as test automation engineers and process automation engineers since testing and process improvement play such big roles in their work. Those who work specifically in industrial environments, like manufacturing plants, are known as industrial automation engineers.
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Project Engineer
Location: Brisbane
Branche: Mining
Expertise: HR & Recruiting
Experience: 0 years
Project Management: Lead and manage mining projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, within budget, and meet safety and operational standards. SPRY Implementation: Utilize SPRY principles to assess, mitigate, and monitor safety and productivity risks across multiple sites. Collaboration: Work closely with various teams, including operations, safety, and maintenance, to ensure project goals are achieved. Compliance: Ensure projects comply with all relevant industry regulations, safety protocols, and environmental standards. Reporting: Provide regular updates to senior management on project status, risks, and mitigation strategies.
Data Engineer
Location: Brisbane
Branche: Information Technology
Expertise: IT & Shared Services
Experience: 0 years
You'll be part of a cross-functional team working across multiple time zones, building data infrastructure and applications that drive real business value. What You'll Do: Lead or contribute to data engineering projects of moderate complexity. Build and maintain scalable front-end and back-end applications using .NET and Python. Design and optimize queries within relational databases. Implement containerized applications using Kubernetes. Work within a Microsoft Azure ecosystem to develop robust data pipelines. Support and guide teams through Agile methodologies and DevOps tooling. Collaborate with stakeholders to support data-driven decisions, using the ESSA approach. Clearly communicate technical solutions to both IT and non-IT audiences
Project Engineer
Location: Melbourne
Branche: Life Sciences
Expertise: Production & Manufacturing
Experience: 3 years
Key Responsibilities: Manage equipment-related work packages from planning through to commissioning and qualification Coordinate factory acceptance testing (FAT), delivery, installation, and commissioning of new equipment Monitor progress, identify risks, and implement mitigations to ensure on-time project delivery Interface with vendors, contractors, and internal stakeholders to align on deliverables Maintain documentation and ensure compliance with GMP standards where applicable
Engineer QAQC
Location: Brisbane
Branche: Mining
Expertise: Quality Management
Experience: 3 years
The QAQC Engineer will be responsible for implementing quality assurance and quality control processes, conducting inspections, and ensuring adherence to project specifications and industry standards. This role will involve working on various construction projects in Papua New Guinea on a FIFO basis, with regular site visits and inspections.
Optimisation Software Engineer
Location: Perth CBD
Branche: Information Technology
Expertise: IT & Shared Services
Experience: 4 years
The Domain Engineer is a highly skilled software engineer with a strong mathematical foundation, specializing in optimization algorithms. This role requires a unique blend of expertise in linear programming, operations research, and software development to modify and improve on algorithms and methods used in existing products. With a proven track record of delivering high-performance, scalable solutions, they will collaborate with domain experts, architects, and development teams to assist in improving existing algorithms within the existing product suite. Responsibilities: Design, develop, and maintain the assignment engine which dynamically allocates tasks to autonomous assets under management of the product suite, leveraging linear programming, combinatorial optimization, and real-time data integration. Collaborate with Architects, Development teams, Verification teams, and other domain experts to translate operational requirements into detailed, high-quality algorithm specifications. Provide expert guidance in solving complex optimization problems, such as minimizing idle time, optimizing routes, and balancing fleet utilization in mining operations. Work with architects to create detailed development work packages for the algorithm improvements, ensuring alignment with system architecture and operational goals. Contribute to the product delivery plan by providing insights into optimization-driven software development timelines and dependencies. Mentor other engineers, sharing expertise in mathematical optimization and software development to accelerate team growth and knowledge sharing. Actively participate in technical discussions, advocating for solutions that balance computational efficiency with practical mining operational needs.
What does an automation engineer do?
In this profession, automation engineers are responsible for understanding manual processes currently used in a business and assess the areas where automation can improve efficiency. Based on the analysis, automation engineers design and develop automated systems that can perform tasks such as data collection, monitoring, and decision-making, which would otherwise be performed manually.
Before deployment, automation engineers test and validate the automated systems to ensure that they are functioning correctly and meet the business requirements. Automation engineers work closely with software developers, quality assurance professionals, project managers, and other stakeholders to ensure that the automation system meets the business requirements and integrates well with other systems. After deployment, automation engineers monitor and maintain the automated systems to ensure that they continue to work as expected.
In addition, automation engineers need to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies to improve and optimize their automated systems continually. They must document their work and report on the status of the automated systems to stakeholders and management.
Overall, automation engineers play a critical role in modernizing and optimizing businesses by automating their processes, improving efficiency, and reducing manual labor. Automation engineers have been used in the manufacturing industry for decades, but it’s relatively new to the business, healthcare, and finance industries. Today, automation engineers can work in a variety of sectors, including pharmaceutical and medical devices, (bio)chemical, oil and gas, food processing, mining, waste and water treatment, software engineering and eCommerce warehousing, among others.
Common automation engineer responsibilities
An automation engineer is responsible for automating systems and processes, and more specific responsibilities may include:
- Designing and developing automation solutions to streamline manual processes and improve efficiency;
- Ensuring that the automation system works as expected by testing and troubleshooting any issues that may arise;
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams, such as software developers, quality assurance teams, and project managers to ensure that the automation system meets business requirements;
- Implementing and maintaining automation systems to run smoothly;
- Conducting feasibility studies and developing recommendations based on their findings;
- Performing system upgrades to keep up to date with technology advancements;
- Documenting and reporting on automation work to stakeholders and management;
- Training end-users on the new automated system to ensure proper use of the technology;
- Improving processes and automate new areas to streamline operations;
- Gathering customer or user requirements to develop suitable automation solutions.
Qualifications for automation engineers
Automation engineers should have at least a Bachelor's degree in Automation Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field. In some cases, a Master's degree or higher may be required for more advanced positions. In addition to a degree, automation engineers may need to be licensed in order to practice. Licensing requirements vary by country.
Additional supporting skills and experience include:
- 2-5+ years of automation engineering experience;
- Excellent technical skills, including experience in software development, automation tools, and programming languages;
- Strong problem-solving skills and able to troubleshoot and resolve issues quickly;
- Ability to work well in teams and collaborate with cross-functional teams;
- Excellent communication skills to convey complex technical information to non-technical stakeholders;
- Being detail-oriented and able to identify potential issues and areas for improvement;
Thinking creatively and developing innovative solutions to automate processes.