Automation Engineer

Company Background:

Made up of two business units, Troester Machinery, Ltd and Spadone Machine, LLC are each focused on designing and building quality machinery for the tire and rubber industries. Founded in 1896 and headquartered in Hannover Germany, Troester GmbH is the premier manufacturer of extrusion and calendering systems for tire and rubber applications. Our Ohio facility, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025, is dedicated to the sales and service support of equipment and spare parts for our customers in North America. Founded in 1917, Spadone Machine LLC pioneered numerous technologies for the tire and rubber industries and became one of the most well-known custom machinery suppliers in our respective markets. These include Bias Cutting, Tread Skiver, Bale Cutting, Sidewall Grinding, and Vent Trimming Systems as well as material handling Trucks, Cassettes and Carts. Now headquartered in Ohio alongside Troester, we design and supply new machinery, parts and services primarily to the North American market, though we do have a global reach. In March 2026 Troester Machinery, Ltd and Spadone Machinery, LLC were brought together in formal partnership. This partnership creates unified business with like customers and a more well-rounded product offering that promotes collaboration for future customer solutions.

Position Description:

This key position has two primary roles that encompass both Troester and Spadone businesses. The position will be hired through Troester but perform work for both.

Troester:

Support new and existing Troester equipment installations primarily in North America. The focus of this service support is electrical and PLC work. This includes new equipment commissioning support, ongoing troubleshooting and customer support, and preventive maintenance activities.

Spadone:

Primary responsibilities encompass software and electrical engineering and design functions. This includes the creation of electrical schematics as well as PLC and HMI programs for new machines. Once built, the machines need to be powered up, tested, debugged, and followed into the field for commissioning.

Major Areas of Responsibility:

Troester... Travel to customers' sites for the purpose of assisting with electrical and software related support issues. Remote customer support, via phone or remote connection to a machine, to assist in troubleshooting. Commissioning supervision for the power up, I/O and safety circuit checks, test and debug of new machinery. Spadone... Electrical layout and design using CAD software. PLC and HMI programming primarily with Rockwell / Allen Bradley products. Assistance with wiring machines during assembly as needed, machine power up, I/O checks, software debugging, and factory acceptance test to validate the machine functions. Follow any new equipment into the field for commissioning support. Perform machinery audits, support, troubleshooting, maintenance and repair at a customer's site or remotely as needed Provide on-site training at a customer's site as needed.

Required Knowledge & Skills:

Detail knowledge of electrical engineering and design principles... Component selection and sizing. Panel layout and design. Wiring diagrams. PLC logic including documentation. Configuration of HMI and SCADA systems, variable frequency and servo drives, sensor and other I/O, etc. Ethernet/IP and Modbus. Ability to design and troubleshoot relay logic. Proficient in the following software... Rockwell PLC Studio5000. Rockwell FactoryTalk and Optix. AutoCAD, AutoCAD Electrical and/or PTC Creo. MS Office products (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Other Requirements... Ability to read electrical schematics, pneumatic and hydraulic schematics, mechanical drawings and bills of material. Ability to work and interface with internal project managers as well as external customers. Knowledge and compliance with safety standards and industry regulations. Strong troubleshooting and diagnostic skills. Organized and a good communicator. Not required, but a plus would be experience in any of the following... Siemens TIA Portal and WinCC Omron CX-Programmer software. Fanuc and/or ABB robotic simulation and programming software.

Experience & Education:

BS or better in Electrical Engineering or commensurate experience. Five (5) or more years' experience in controls for industrial machinery, preferably in the tire and rubber industry, but this is not a must. Proficient in electrical controls and panel design. Understanding of mechanical, electro-mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic machine design elements.

Physical Demands:

Travel average of 25% (range of 15% to 35%) depending on need in aid of sales support, project kickoff meetings, supplier meetings, and machine installation and commissioning. Majority of required travel is in North America, but there will be potential need for travel to Europe and Asia. Assistance with machine assembly and factory acceptance testing as needed.

Work Environment:

Typical office setting with individual office space. Production space is clean, well-lit and heated. Industry factories ranging from tire manufacturing to pharmaceuticals. We are a professional team who are highly customer-focused and use a flexible approach to the working environment that is based on the trust of everyone working in the business. We are collaborative but never micromanaging and always allow freedom for each person to work in a manner that facilitates their best performance.

Geographic Location:

Our office is located near Akron OH in the city of Cuyahoga Falls. There is a requirement for this position to be local and work from the office on a weekly basis.

Pay:

$90,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Health insurance Health savings account Life insurance Paid time off Vision insurance

Experience:

Electrical design and Rockwell programming: 5 years (Preferred)

Location:

Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221 (Preferred) Willingness to travel: 25% (Preferred)

Work Location:

Hybrid remote in Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221