What does a Senior Principal Automation Engineer do?
Automation engineers are responsible for creating and building various automated machines. They design, program, simulate, and test automated machinery and processes to complete exact tasks. They are typically employed in industries where robots or machines are designed to perform specific functions including car manufacturing or food processing plants.
Automation engineers design schematics for automation components using CAD software and analyze production processes to assess automation’s best use. They manage supply chain issues and perform regular maintenance on automation equipment, performing repairs, and troubleshooting when necessary. Automation engineers write requirements for quality assurance and machine operation and regularly calibrate and repair equipment. They analyze production processes, develop automation solutions, and need a minimum bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or electrical engineering and CAD software proficiency.
- Isolate, replicate, and report defects to the software teams.
- Work on custom automation solutions to support the team.
- Implement improvements with measurable results in savings, revenue, or quality.
- Program, configure, and integrate new equipment into an existing systems.
- Provide technician direction and support to fellow team members.
- Provide technical support and training to other automation resources.
- Assist in the development of internal training programs, activities, and initiatives.
- To include cost evaluation and return on investment (ROI) estimates.
- Verify accuracy of energy monitoring, energy reports, and calibration procedures.
- Responsible for the design and integration of control systems for customer applications and processes.
- Complete all work each day in a safe manner.
- Assist in planning, organizing, monitoring, and oversight of all phases of test automation.
- Prepare reports summarizing information or trends related to automation.
- Maintain correct stock levels of repair or replacement parts.
- Develop and document process for internal automation and development projects.
- Actively support/solve intensified issues from both internal and external customers.
- Actively participate in design and code reviews from functional teams.
- Actively work with the customer to optimize the automation performance to deliver contracted KPIs.
- Assist in scheduling and defining resource needs for testing.
- Lead the auditing of all current lab processes to identify opportunities for further automation.
- Develop and execute performance test scripts specific to the product needs.
- Take lead in develop resilient continuous integration and delivery automation pipelines.
- Perform/lead test execution for both project and support related activities.
- Bachelor's or Graduate's Degree in engineering, computer science engineering, electrical engineering or computer science, or equivalent experience.
- Experience with PLC, Agile, HMI, APIs, and SQL software and systems.
- Experience with cloud, Python, SCADA, C, and JAVA software and systems.
- Skilled in writing protocols and collaboration.
- A natural problem solver.
- Demonstrated skill with scripting and test automation.
Senior Principal Automation Engineer Salaries near India
Average Base Pay
Senior Principal Automation Engineer Career Path
Learn how to become a Senior Principal Automation Engineer, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path.
Years of Experience Distribution
Senior Principal Automation Engineer Insights
Greystone“All of the engineering staff is pleasant to work with being both kind and helpful.”
OneSpan“no bonus and 2% rrsp matching (5% + bonus and 4%+ rrsp would be better)”
Proxiad“Payment is on the lower end in the IT industry in Bulgaria Some really odd projects and clients”
Capgemini“I am working in automation field in Capgemini and I have experienced good work life balance here”
Emergn“Salary is not much but except that everything is good specially in terms of people to work with.”
Intel Corporation“the overall experience was ok but my manager wasn't an easy person to work with.”
Solera“Udemy empresarial es una gran ventaja para aprender sobre el career path o sobre cualquier otro tema.”
CA-One Tech Cloud“Unclear Career Progression Paths: One area that could be improved is the clarity of career progression within the company.”
Senior Principal Automation Engineer Interviews
Frequently asked questions about the role and responsibilities of automation engineers
An automation engineer spends their day analyzing and perfecting elements of the manufacturing process. They design and create automation equipment to streamline manufacturing. After the machines are in use, they run tests on equipment, study the results, and make adjustments where necessary.
Yes, automation engineers are a vital part of the manufacturing process. Workers and consumers rely on consistency and functionality from automated production, and automation engineers are needed in every production line. It can be personally fulfilling to see a system go from an idea to everyday use.
When starting out their career, an automation engineer can expect to be paid on average ₹18,00,000 in the United States. With additional on-the-job training and work experience, successful automation engineers who advance in their careers may make from ₹17,45,482 to ₹21,40,872.
Working as an automation engineer requires extreme attention to detail. Professionals need to be able to tolerate a lot of trial and error to perfect a system. They may get frustrated when attempting to solve a problem and the solution isn't clear, and may need to work long hours to resolve issues.