What is an automation engineer?
Automation engineers are experts in simplifying processes. An automation engineer can improve the efficiency of various manufacturing or computer processes or systems by automating parts of them or the entire process or system to do work on their own. They may also design entirely new technology to automate a system or process.
Automation engineers are also referred to as test automation engineers and process automation engineers since testing and process improvement play such big roles in their work. Those who work specifically in industrial environments, like manufacturing plants, are known as industrial automation engineers.
Apply now for a job as an automation engineer!
Project Engineer
Location: Scoresby
Branche: Life Sciences
Expertise: Research & Development
Experience: 4 years
Reporting into the Capital Engineering Manager, this role will suite someone with wealth of experience in food and beverage industry, preferably from confectionary background. They will be responsible for the planning, development, and execution of capital investment projects within the supply chain network. The Project Engineer will lead and manage technical feasibility, design, and implementation, ensuring all projects align with business strategy, quality, safety, and environmental standards. You will be working in a collaborative and high-performing engineering environment, delivering a variety of projects that support manufacturing excellence, automation, and sustainability goals. Project Development Phase: Lead the development of capital investment projects, ensuring strong business cases, technical feasibility, and alignment with strategic goals. Deliver accurate project scopes, budgets, and timelines. Ensure compliance with HSE, quality, procurement, and sanitary design standards. Engage stakeholders across functions to align on technical requirements and outcomes. Project Execution Phase: Manage project execution including installation, commissioning, and handover to operations. Oversee contractor management, resource planning, and compliance with work permits and site safety protocols. Drive project completion on time, to budget, and to required quality standards. Utilize structured project management methodologies (e.g., IIM framework) and tools. Lead and support cross-functional teams and mentor junior engineers. Recognize and promote team contributions and development.
Project Engineer
Location: Sydney
Branche: Infrastructure
Expertise: Controlling
Experience: 2 years
Assist with planning and delivery of piling works on site Coordinate labour, plant, materials, and subcontractors Liaise with builders, consultants, and internal teams Track programme, variations, and site progress Support QA, safety, and project documentation
Marine Engineer
Location: South Townsville
Branche: Shipbuilding
Expertise: Transport & Logistics
Experience: 3 years
As a Marine Engineer (Class 2 Engineer) with Brunel International, you will be responsible for the maintenance, management, and operational readiness of our vessels. You will spend time at sea working onboard our fleet/ sea vessels, undertaking engineering duties essential to the safe and efficient running of the vessels. When the vessels are docked at our Townsville yard, you will perform maintenance tasks, manage vessel systems, and support various business operations as required. This position is based in Townsville, with a standard Monday to Friday workweek when not at sea. Time at sea is variable, reflecting the nature of our projects which are often short term and not on fixed roster patterns. Flexibility and readiness to adapt to project needs are essential.
Industrial Electrician
Location: Warwick
Branche: Life Sciences
Expertise: Production & Manufacturing
Experience: 2 years
About the role: This permanent, full-time position involves working alongside our maintenance electricians to carry out both preventative and reactive maintenance across the entire facility. The role requires early starts at 5am and a five-day work week, scheduled across seven days, with a minimum of 38 hours per week. All staff must follow strict biosecurity measures. This means employees cannot keep birds, poultry, or pigs at home, and you'll be required to shower in and out of the facility each day. All tools, equipment, and uniforms are supplied.
Commissioning Technician
Location: Brisbane
Branche: Renewable Energy
Expertise: Planning & Testing
Experience: 0 years
A leading global power control and automation business is seeking experienced Commissioning Technicians to support projects in Brisbane and Melbourne. This is a hands-on role focused on installation, programming, commissioning and technical support of advanced control systems used in power generation and energy applications. You'll work across customer sites and internal teams to deliver commissioning and technical solutions for PLC-based control systems, generators, BESS and associated infrastructure. Key Responsibilities Install, program and commission PLC-based control systems Perform on-site electrical testing, fault finding and commissioning Develop and modify control logic, SCADA interfaces and test plans Provide technical support to customers remotely and on-site Assist with project delivery, documentation and handover Collaborate with engineering, sales and project teams Ensure all work complies with WHS and site safety requirements Electrical Trade Qualification (Unrestricted Electrical Licence) or Electrical/Control Systems Engineering qualification Minimum 2+ years in commissioning or a similar technical role Strong knowledge of PLCs, power systems, generators, inverters, BESS and switchgear Experience with industrial communications (Modbus, Ethernet, serial) Confident fault-finding skills and customer-facing communication SCADA experience and power generation background highly regarded What's on Offer Work with advanced power and energy technologies Variety of projects across multiple sites and locations Supportive technical team and long-term career opportunity
What does an automation engineer do?
In this profession, automation engineers are responsible for understanding manual processes currently used in a business and assess the areas where automation can improve efficiency. Based on the analysis, automation engineers design and develop automated systems that can perform tasks such as data collection, monitoring, and decision-making, which would otherwise be performed manually.
Before deployment, automation engineers test and validate the automated systems to ensure that they are functioning correctly and meet the business requirements. Automation engineers work closely with software developers, quality assurance professionals, project managers, and other stakeholders to ensure that the automation system meets the business requirements and integrates well with other systems. After deployment, automation engineers monitor and maintain the automated systems to ensure that they continue to work as expected.
In addition, automation engineers need to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies to improve and optimize their automated systems continually. They must document their work and report on the status of the automated systems to stakeholders and management.
Overall, automation engineers play a critical role in modernizing and optimizing businesses by automating their processes, improving efficiency, and reducing manual labor. Automation engineers have been used in the manufacturing industry for decades, but it’s relatively new to the business, healthcare, and finance industries. Today, automation engineers can work in a variety of sectors, including pharmaceutical and medical devices, (bio)chemical, oil and gas, food processing, mining, waste and water treatment, software engineering and eCommerce warehousing, among others.
Common automation engineer responsibilities
An automation engineer is responsible for automating systems and processes, and more specific responsibilities may include:
- Designing and developing automation solutions to streamline manual processes and improve efficiency;
- Ensuring that the automation system works as expected by testing and troubleshooting any issues that may arise;
- Collaborating with cross-functional teams, such as software developers, quality assurance teams, and project managers to ensure that the automation system meets business requirements;
- Implementing and maintaining automation systems to run smoothly;
- Conducting feasibility studies and developing recommendations based on their findings;
- Performing system upgrades to keep up to date with technology advancements;
- Documenting and reporting on automation work to stakeholders and management;
- Training end-users on the new automated system to ensure proper use of the technology;
- Improving processes and automate new areas to streamline operations;
- Gathering customer or user requirements to develop suitable automation solutions.
Qualifications for automation engineers
Automation engineers should have at least a Bachelor's degree in Automation Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field. In some cases, a Master's degree or higher may be required for more advanced positions. In addition to a degree, automation engineers may need to be licensed in order to practice. Licensing requirements vary by country.
Additional supporting skills and experience include:
- 2-5+ years of automation engineering experience;
- Excellent technical skills, including experience in software development, automation tools, and programming languages;
- Strong problem-solving skills and able to troubleshoot and resolve issues quickly;
- Ability to work well in teams and collaborate with cross-functional teams;
- Excellent communication skills to convey complex technical information to non-technical stakeholders;
- Being detail-oriented and able to identify potential issues and areas for improvement;
Thinking creatively and developing innovative solutions to automate processes.