SCADA Programmer | Siemens / Rockwell- Aequs

Role overview: The Head of Automation will lead strategy, design, deployment, and continuous improvement of automation across precision manufacturing operations. This role combines technical leadership in industrial automation, software-PLM integration, digital twins and metrology-driven process control with people leadership and programme delivery. The ideal candidate will reduce cycle time and variability, raise yield and throughput, and scale robust, maintainable automation solutions from pilot to plant-wide rollout.

Key responsibilities:

• Strategy & roadmap: Define and own the automation roadmap aligned to business goals (quality, throughput, cost, footprint, safety). Prioritize projects with clear ROI and staged deployment plans.

• Solution design & delivery: Lead design, development, and deployment of automation systems (robotics, PLC/SCADA, machine vision, motion control, custom fixtures, cobots), ensuring integration with MES/ERP/PLM and digital twin platforms.

• Digital twin & data: Drive digital twin models and simulation-based validation (FEA, kinematics, process simulation) to verify processes before commissioning. Define data models for closed-loop control and analytics.

• Metrology-driven process control: Integrate surface metrology, inline inspection, and lab instruments (e.g., interferometry, optical profilers, CMM, XRF/SEM-EDS data flows) into automated feedback loops for SPC and adaptive control.

• Systems architecture & cyber-physical security: Define standards for hardware, control architectures, communication (OPC UA, EtherCAT, PROFINET), and implement industrial cybersecurity best practices.

• Project & stakeholder management: Lead cross-functional programs (engineering, production, QA, procurement), manage budgets, vendors, and timelines; present project status and ROI to senior leadership.

• Team leadership & capability building: Build and lead a multidisciplinary automation team (controls, software, robotics, mechatronics, test/devops), define roles, hiring plans, training and career paths.

• Standardization Implement standards for & reliability: design-for manufacture/automation, documentation, commissioning, preventive maintenance, spare parts management, and MTBF/MTTR improvement. • Continuous improvement & KPIs: Establish KPIs (OEE, yield, cycle time, cost per part, first pass yield, defect PPM) and run continuous improvement programs using data-driven methods (Six Sigma, Kaizen). • Compliance & safety: Ensure solutions meet safety standards (ISO 13849, IEC 62061), local regulations, and environmental/sustainability goals.

Required qualifications & experience:

• Degree: B.Tech /B.E. or equivalent Mechanical/Electrical/Mechatronics/Controls/Automation; M.Tech/MBA advantageous.

• Experience: 12+ years in industrial automation within precision manufacturing or similar high-tolerance environments; 5+ years in leadership/management roles.

• Technical expertise:

o Strong background in PLCs (Siemens, Allen-Bradley), motion controllers, RTOS based controllers. o Robotics experience: industrial robots (ABB, FANUC, KUKA), collaborative robots (Universal Robots) and robot programming.

o Machine vision systems and tools (Cognex, Keyence, Halcon, OpenCV).

o SCADA/MES/ERP integration and data piping (OPC UA, MQTT, REST APIs).

o Familiarity with digital twin, simulation, CAD/CAM, and FEA tools.

o Experience integrating metrology instruments and interpreting high-resolution surface data.

o Software lifecycle understanding: CI/CD for industrial software, versioning, and traceability.

• Leadership skills: proven ability to build and lead cross-functional teams, manage external vendors, and deliver large automation programs.

• Problem-solving: strong analytical skills, data-driven decision making, and experience with statistical quality methods (SPC, Six Sigma).

• Communication: excellent stakeholder management, able to present technical concepts to non-technical leadership.

Preferred / differentiators:

• Prior experience in aerospace, medical devices, optics, semiconductor or similar ultra precision sectors.

• Hands-on experience with digital twin platforms, physics-based modeling, and ML for process control.

• Certifications: PMP, Six Sigma Black Belt, safety certifications (TUV Functional Safety).

• Experience deploying edge computing, OPC UA over TSN, or realtime industrial Ethernet.

• Track record of reducing defect PPMs and improving OEE significantly through automation.