Automation Engineering Manager
Scotts Miracle-Gro · Field, OH
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Controls
- Base pay
- $146k–$171k
- Travel
- 35%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 10+ years
- Industry
- Chemicals
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management controls role at Scotts Miracle-Gro (chemicals) in Field, OH. Knowledge of and experience with conceptualizing or designing automated solutions in a manufacturing environment.
- They ask for
- 10+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- PLC, Robotics, Automation, EHS / safety
- Base pay
- $146k–$171k
- Day to day
- about 35% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
How this role compares
Against 19 other live controls postings in Ohio.
- Base pay
- About 41% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (10+ vs 5+)
Typical $100k–$125k, from 5 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ PLC 75%
- ✓ Automation 75%
- ✓ Robotics 60%
- ✓ Team leadership 45%
- Lean 30%
- AutoCAD 25%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Controls team at Scotts Miracle-Gro
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- The posting says about 35% travel. Between which sites?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from Scotts Miracle-GroAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
In this role you will
- ◆The most important qualification for this role is the skill to walk the floor at Scotts’ manufacturing sites, observe the work, talk to operators, supervisors and operations leaders and arrive at opportunities for automating processes. Then collect data regarding production, demand, capacity, labor and other costs along with potential cost savings and cost to automate in order to build a business case to proceed.
- ◆Be responsible for building the strategy, identifying opportunity, communicating the vision and leading the implementation of automation within Scotts.
- ◆Lead multiple paths of automation: Planning, setting goals and executing for both individual projects and the wider strategy and roadmap for automation.
- ◆Communicate the vision of automation to internal and external stakeholders across all levels of the organization. Create and maintain an automation roadmap aligned with overall Automation and Supply Chain strategies. Report regularly on current and planned project statuses to key stakeholders and senior leadership.
- ◆Identify, lead, and advocate for automation opportunities. This involves identifying needs, scoping projects, building business cases and leading projects to completion to deliver solutions.
- ◆Manage multiple simultaneous projects from business case development through successful startup by developing contractors, vendors, and internal resources. Partner with stakeholders to define requirements, establish parameters, and ensure high-quality delivery. Collaborate across cross-functional teams to drive project success.
- ◆Develop standards for automation to aid in all aspects of automation.
- ◆Collaborate with other parts of the organization to identify needs around automation to accomplish business goals, creating a plan and executing on those plans.
- ◆Partner with other parts of the organization, especially operations, EHS and leadership to develop solutions for automation that provide return on investment, improve safety and increase quality of Scotts’ products.
- ◆Lead both OT and IT efforts to ensure standards and practices are optimized for maximum production availability.
- ◆Consult with engineering teams at the local/manufacturing site level as they conduct locally-led automation projects.
What you'll need to be successful
- ✓Bachelor's Degree, engineering or related technical field recommended. A high level of experience may be substituted for education if the experience is directly related to the role.
- ✓Understanding of automation concepts in a manufacturing environment.
- ✓Industrial Robotics (Fanuc preferred).
- ✓7–10 years of experience preferred, with an emphasis on subject matter expertise. A minimum of 4 years of deep experience in the core technical competencies is required.
- ✓Knowledge of and experience with conceptualizing or designing automated solutions in a manufacturing environment.
- ✓Knowledge of and experience with identifying automation opportunities through Gemba walks, team discussions, and data collection to build business cases.
- ✓Thorough understanding of PLC and HMI technologies as well as power distribution (
The starting budgeted pay range for this role will generally fall between $145,600.00 - $171,300.00 per year. Scotts will consider various factors in determining the actual pay including your skills, qualifications, experience, and geographical location.In addition to the determined base salary, this role is also incentive eligible under our corporate bonus programs.For remote roles where the final candidate resides in Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oregon or Washington, state required pay thresholds will be factored into base salary.
Here at
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Here at ScottsMiracle-Gro there is no such thing as a typical day. Our culture is constantly energized by new and exciting growth opportunities and at a rapid pace. Below are details on an open job. If the role interests you and you would like to be considered we encourage you to apply!
We are looking for an Automation Engineering Manager who will join our Supply Chain Engineering team remotely. This position can be based remotely anywhere in North America.
This is a corporate-level, high visibility engineering role responsible for identifying, evaluating and executing automation/controls projects. We are looking for someone with a strong automation/controls engineering background who wants to lead others by establishing standards and ensuring they are followed. This role will not have the time to write code.
This role may have up to 50% travel required during peak times and should average 35%. The incumbent will perform a combination of Work from Home and travel to Scotts Miracle-Gro manufacturing sites. There are approximately 50 sites across the US and Canada. The Automation Engineering Manager is responsible for building the strategy, identifying opportunities to improve production/quality/safety, communicating the vision and leading the implementation of advanced automation within Scotts. They will be the subject matter expert for automation and work with stakeholders across the organization to understand the needs of initiatives that involve automation and align to an optimal solution based on time to implement, fit, and cost. This role will be an integral, high visibility position within the Global Supply Chain function helping to propel Scotts Miracle-Gro into the future.
The role currently has one direct report, the corporate operational technology manager. Being successful in this role requires experience and understanding of operational technology within the disciplines of cybersecurity, integration of IT and OT, and operational technology as it relates to controls systems and advanced automation.
The candidate will also need the ability to develop external resources, such as contractors and machine OEMs, to become part of their team. Having established contacts that can be utilized in this area will greatly aid in achieving success in this role.
