Join a high-impact industrial automation team supporting a large-scale, onsite opportunity in Rochester, Minnesota. This Principal Industrial Automation Engineer role focuses on designing and improving physical automation solutions that increase efficiency, capacity, quality, and reliability in a complex operational environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the evaluation, design, and implementation of physical automation systems that improve operational performance.
• Develop end-to-end solutions for automated production, material handling, and workflow optimization from concept through handoff.
• Analyze current processes to identify opportunities that increase throughput, capacity, productivity, and material flow.
• Create capacity models, workflow simulations, and performance analyses to guide automation decisions.
• Build business cases and capital investment recommendations using cost, labor, quality, risk, and ROI considerations.
• Partner with vendors and systems integrators to define requirements, review designs, oversee implementation, and validate performance.
• Establish repeatable engineering standards and scalable approaches that can be applied across multiple operations.
• Apply Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and industrial engineering methods to remove inefficiencies and strengthen operations.
• Collaborate with operations, facilities, engineering, quality, supply chain, and leadership teams to align solutions with business goals.
• Help ensure automation solutions meet safety, quality, regulatory, and reliability expectations in a healthcare setting.

Skills

• 10+ years of experience in industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, systems engineering, or physical automation engineering.
• Proven experience designing and scaling automated systems in complex, high-volume environments.
• Strong understanding of industrial automation technologies, equipment integration, and material movement systems.
• Experience with capacity modeling, throughput analysis, workflow design, and simulation.
• Ability to develop capital investment recommendations and automation business cases.
• Experience managing vendors, equipment suppliers, and systems integrators through design and implementation.
• Strong analytical, technical leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work full time on-site in Rochester, MN, with occasional travel to Southaven, MS.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in highly automated environments such as fulfillment, manufacturing, distribution, or logistics operations.
• Background in healthcare, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical devices, or life sciences.
• Experience with conveyors, robotics, AS/RS, AGVs, or AMRs.
• Familiarity with industrial automation controls and system-level performance validation.
• Experience leading large-scale automation efforts across multiple vendors, facilities, or stakeholder groups.
• Exposure to capital equipment planning, automation roadmaps, and operational transformation initiatives.
• Lean Six Sigma certification or other relevant industrial engineering credentials.

Horizontal is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where all people feel valued, respected, and supported. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and experiences who bring thoughtful perspectives and a collaborative mindset.

By applying for this position, you acknowledge and agree that Horizontal Talent may contact you regarding your application using automated technology, including phone calls, SMS/text messages, or email, which may be delivered by our virtual AI recruiter, Alex.