Find & Apply For Robotics Engineer Jobs in Centralia, Illinois

Description Position Summary The Manufacturing Engineer - Robotic Weld Programming develops, programs, and optimizes robotic welding cells and designs the custom fixtures and tooling that support them. This is a hands-on, floor-based role on 2nd shift: the majority of the shift is spent at the cell — programming, proving out, troubleshooting, and supporting operators — with design and documentation work built around that presence. The position also mentors the design team and serves as a reporting link to project management. 2nd Shift - 3:00pm to 11:30pm Essential Duties and Responsibilities Shop Floor Presence & Production Support

• Maintain an active, visible presence on the manufacturing floor throughout the shift; serve as the primary engineering resource for weld cell issues on 2nd shift.
• Troubleshoot and resolve robot faults, weld defects (porosity, burn-through, undercut, lack of fusion, spatter), TCP drift, and fixture interference at the cell; drive root cause analysis and permanent corrective action.
• Coach and train operators, welders, and maintenance technicians on cell operation, basic program edits, fault recovery, and safe work practices.
• Lead commissioning, run-off, and buy-off of new robotic weld cells, including first-article production and customer acceptance.
• Drive continuous improvement at the cell to reduce cycle time, scrap, rework, and changeover time. Robotic Weld Programming & Process Development
• Develop, write, test, and optimize robot programs using both teach-pendant and offline programming and simulation methods on major robotic platforms (Fanuc, ABB, Yaskawa/Motoman, KUKA, or similar).
• Establish, tune, and document weld schedules and parameters — voltage, wire feed speed, travel speed, gas flow, torch angle, and stick-out — for GMAW/MIG, flux-cored, and resistance welding processes.
• Perform cell layout studies, reach and collision analysis, and cycle-time optimization; validate programs offline prior to installation to minimize floor downtime.
• Maintain weld procedure specifications, operator work instructions, and detailed Work Sheets; define preventive maintenance, calibration, and TCP verification routines for robots, torches, wire feeders, and positioners. Fixture & Tooling Design
• Design custom fixture solutions to customer requirements, from concept through detailed design release, using 3D CAD and applying GD&T.
• Assess mechanical specifications, tolerance stack-up, locating and clamping strategy, thermal distortion, and torch accessibility to ensure the fixture supports a repeatable weld process.
• Verify design quality and provide detailed Work Sheets to manufacturing, assembly, and quality.
• Participate in product testing and validation, including first-article inspection, dimensional layout, and validation against customer criteria. Technical Leadership & Project Support
• Teach the fundamentals and customer requirements to the design team, mentoring designers on engineering standards and fixture design best practices.
• Update the status of the design projects to project management, escalating risks, scope changes, and schedule impacts early.
• Collaborate with sales, project management, manufacturing, quality, and customers to translate requirements into manufacturable, cost-effective solutions. Requirements
• Bachelor's degree in Mechatronics, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Welding Engineering, or Robotics/Automation; an equivalent combination of technical education and directly relevant experience will be considered. A Mechatronics degree is particularly well suited to this role given the mix of mechanical design, controls integration, and robotic programming.
• 1-3 years of hands-on robotic weld programming experience in a manufacturing, custom tooling, or automation environment preferred.
• Experience programming at least one major robotic platform (Fanuc, ABB, Yaskawa/Motoman, KUKA, or similar); offline programming and simulation software (Roboguide, RobotStudio, MotoSim, DELMIA, or similar) strongly preferred.
• Experience designing weld fixtures, checking fixtures, or assembly tooling in a 3D CAD environment (SolidWorks, NX, CATIA, or similar). Knowledge & Skills
• Working knowledge of welding processes, weld symbols, and basic metallurgy; familiarity with applicable AWS standards (D1.1, D1.3, D8.x, or equivalent). CWI or CWE certification is a plus.
• Proficiency in GD&T per ASME Y14.5, blueprint reading, and tolerance stack-up analysis.
• Familiarity with PLC/HMI integration, safety circuits, light curtains, and robot safety standards (ANSI/RIA R15.06).
• Willingness and ability to work 2nd shift with sustained time on the manufacturing floor.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to teach technical fundamentals to designers and present clearly to customers.
• Bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred.