Manufacturing Project Engineer

Manufacturing Equipment Engineer – Paint & Automation

Location: Georgetown, KY
Work Arrangement: On-site
Schedule: Monday–Friday | 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
1512305
Travel: Approximately 30% domestic
Experience: 5+ years of manufacturing experience preferred

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Manufacturing Equipment Engineer to support equipment planning and engineering activities within an automotive paint manufacturing environment.

This position will support the planning, specification, evaluation, installation, and improvement of manufacturing equipment for new vehicle programs, equipment refurbishment, and equipment lifecycle projects across North American manufacturing facilities.

The ideal candidate combines strong manufacturing and project engineering experience with practical knowledge of automation, robotics, equipment maintenance, conveyors, and manufacturing systems.

This role is approximately 80% office/project engineering and 20% hands-on shop-floor activity.

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluate manufacturing equipment project proposals, including process and equipment capability assessments.

• Plan equipment for new vehicle programs, equipment refurbishment, and lifecycle management projects.

• Develop and review equipment specifications and technical requirements.

• Support automation, robotics, conveyor, and paint-line equipment projects.

• Develop strategies and lead implementation of equipment deployment and standardization initiatives across North American manufacturing facilities.

• Coordinate equipment projects from planning and specification through installation and implementation.

• Create and review technical, inspection, and project documentation.

• Participate in on-site equipment inspections and perform quality checks.

• Work directly with equipment suppliers, manufacturing teams, maintenance, engineering, and other cross-functional groups.

• Identify project constraints and develop effective countermeasures.

• Develop equipment standards and improve specifications to support safety, compliance, quality, cost, and standardization objectives.

• Create presentations, reports, and KPI updates to communicate project status.

• Support equipment installation, execution, inspection, and troubleshooting activities on the manufacturing floor.

• Develop expertise in multiple paint shop technologies and manufacturing systems.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of manufacturing experience preferred.

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering OR equivalent technical/manufacturing engineering experience.

• Experience developing or working with manufacturing equipment specifications.

• Experience with CAD or similar modeling software.

• At least 2 years of project management experience.

• Strong understanding of manufacturing equipment and production environments.

• Ability to identify project constraints, troubleshoot issues, and develop effective countermeasures.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

• Ability to work effectively with engineering teams, equipment suppliers, maintenance personnel, and manufacturing operations.

• Ability to work on the manufacturing floor and participate in hands-on equipment inspections.

• Ability to travel domestically approximately 30%.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in any of the following areas would be highly desirable:

• Automotive manufacturing

• SEIBI / equipment preparation and launch

• Industrial robotics and automation

• Robot programming

• Conveyor systems

• Paint shop equipment and processes

• Paint booths

• Ovens

• Abatement systems

• Air houses and enclosures

• Equipment maintenance

• PLC systems

• Vision systems

• New model introduction or vehicle launch

• Machine Risk Analysis

• Equipment safety and compliance

• AutoCAD

• A3 and/or Ringi documentation

• Equipment procurement and supplier coordination

Bilingual capability in English/Spanish or English/Japanese is also a plus.

Work Environment & Travel

This position is based on-site in Georgetown, Kentucky and will involve a combination of office-based engineering work and hands-on manufacturing floor activity.

Approximately 30% domestic travel may be required depending on project needs. Travel may include meetings, project coordination, equipment inspections, and hands-on equipment activities.

Overtime may be required during critical project periods, including weekdays, weekends, plant shutdowns, holidays, or other non-standard hours.

Ideal Candidate

The strongest candidate will be a manufacturing equipment engineer with hands-on automotive or industrial experience who can take ownership of an equipment project from specification and planning through supplier coordination, installation, inspection, and production readiness.

Candidates with experience in paint manufacturing, conveyors, robotics, automation, equipment maintenance, or SEIBI/new model launch activities will be especially well suited for this position.