Principal Automation Systems Engineer

Job Description Business Unit Cubic Transportation Systems Company Details We are looking for a Principal Automation Engineer to lead the design, development, and deployment of advanced automation solutions leveraging robotics, RPA, and intelligent test frameworks. This role will serve as a technical authority and thought leader in driving automation strategy across software systems, physical robotic devices, and enterprise applications. The Principal Engineer will define standards, mentor teams, and ensure automation initiatives deliver measurable business impact. Job Details Key Responsibilities Automation Strategy & Leadership - Define and drive the enterprise automation vision and roadmap. - Able to build own Automation Framework suitable for both Hardware and Software integration with Robot's - Architect scalable, secure, and maintainable automation frameworks for business processes, hardware integration, and system testing. - Evaluate and adopt emerging automation technologies, including AI/ML-driven automation. Solution Design & Development - Build end-to-end automation solutions integrating RPA platforms, robotic arms, IoT devices, and enterprise software systems. - Develop reusable libraries, frameworks, and accelerators to increase automation coverage. - Ensure automation is aligned with DevOps and CI/CD pipelines for continuous delivery. Governance & Best Practices - Establish automation coding standards, quality practices, and security guidelines. - Define and manage rollback/recovery strategies for automation failures. - Monitor automation performance and optimize for scalability, reliability, and cost efficiency. Collaboration & Mentoring - Partner with cross-functional teams (engineering, QA, operations, business units) to identify automation opportunities. - Mentor engineers and lead a center of excellence (CoE) for automation. - Engage with vendors, partners, and stakeholders to drive enterprise-wide adoption. Monitoring, Analytics & Reporting - Define KPIs to measure automation success (e.g., efficiency gain, defect reduction, ROI). - Build dashboards and observability tools for real-time tracking of automation pipelines. - Continuously assess automation outcomes and refine strategy. ________________________________________ Required Skills & Qualifications - Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field. - Experience: 12+ years in automation, with at least 23 years in a senior/principal engineering role. - Technical Expertise - Strong hands-on experience with RPA tools (UiPath, Automation Anywhere, Blue Prism, PyWin32 or equivalent). - Deep knowledge of robotic automation: robotic arms, ROS (Robot Operating System), PLC/IoT integrations. - Expertise in test automation frameworks (Selenium, Appium, Cypress, Robot Framework, or equivalent). - Proficiency in at least one programming language (Python, Java, C#, or C++). - Experience with cloud automation (AWS, Azure, GCP) and CI/CD platforms (Jenkins, GitLab, Azure DevOps) Soft Skills - Proven leadership and mentoring experience. - Strong problem-solving, analytical, and debugging abilities. - Excellent communication skills for engaging with senior leadership and diverse teams. ________________________________________ Preferred / Nice-to-Have - Experience with AI-driven automation (computer vision, NLP, ML-based decision systems). - Knowledge of digital twins and simulation environments for robotic systems. - Prior work in Device manufacturing. financial services, logistics, or enterprise IT automation. Worker Type Employee