Automotive Manufacturing Engineer

Position is open to US permanent residents only!

The Opportunity

StaffRight Associates is recruiting for an Automotive Manufacturing Engineer on behalf of a premier global automotive manufacturer. The client is a multi-billion-dollar organization located a short drive north of Lexington, Kentucky. This is a full-time, direct-hire, on-site position.

The engineer will report directly to the Engineering Manager and sit within the client’s advanced technology group, which explores and validates breakthrough technologies for vehicle production. The core mandate is to conceive and roll out new initiatives that sharpen manufacturing competitiveness and cut fixed costs across North American operations. The client is known for long-term stability and seldom reduces headcount. The role offers a rare chance to take physical AI from lab concept onto the plant floor.

What You’ll Do

• Deploy AI-driven robotic systems that expand plant capability, flexibility, and throughput.
• Engineer machine learning, computer vision, and multi-sensor fusion applications for live production challenges such as inspection, bin picking, and part handling.
• Optimize AI models to run dependably on industrial hardware, weighing trade-offs among latency, reliability, and available compute.
• Connect modern Python-based AI code with conventional industrial automation platforms.
• Leverage simulation environments such as Isaac Sim or MuJoCo to validate concepts, generate synthetic data, and enable sim-to-real transfer.
• Spearhead equipment trials, troubleshooting, and performance validation, from early proof-of-concept to full production rollout and horizontal deployment across sites.
• Partner with robotics engineers, controls engineers, and plant-floor manufacturing staff to embed AI into live production systems.
• Scout, assess, and adopt emerging physical AI technologies via benchmarking, supplier relationships, and industry events.
• Safeguard reliability, safety, and manufacturability by conforming to relevant industry standards and the client’s internal risk reviews.
• Communicate technical concepts, findings, and recommendations to stakeholders at every level, including senior executives.
• Direct outside contractors in the design and build-out of testing cells.
• Document work in clear, thorough detail to enable future scale-up and empower internal customers.

What You Bring

• A bachelor’s degree or master’s in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Data Science, or a comparable technical discipline, or equivalent hands-on experience.
• A proven track record deploying Manufacturing Automation in real production settings.
• Development experience across Advanced Automation, Robotics, or AI/ML.
• A Full-Stack mindset: you thrive on teams that deliver complete, end-to-end solutions rather than standalone algorithms, demos, or experiments.
• Deep hands-on strength in two or more of the following:
  • Computer Vision (3D Perception, Object Detection, Segmentation)
  • Machine Learning / Deep Learning
  • Robotics
• Fluency in C++, Python, and ROS-based systems, backed by solid Software Engineering fundamentals.
• Thorough knowledge of sensor technologies such as LiDAR, RGB-D Cameras, and Time-Of-Flight (ToF) Sensors, plus the ability to calibrate them for accuracy, image fidelity, and performance.
• Authorization to work in the U.S. without employer sponsorship.
• Ability to work fully on site in the greater Lexington, KY region. This role is not remote.

Compensation & Total Rewards

• Annual base salary of $100,000–$140,000 (USD)
• Full benefits package
• Relocation assistance provided
• Full-time, direct-hire employment

Joining StaffRight Associates

When you partner with StaffRight Associates in your search for your next role, you’re doing more than pursuing a job, you’re aligning yourself with a team of experts committed to placing top-tier talent in truly impactful positions. We take pride in fostering professional growth and connecting forward-thinking individuals with organizations that value innovation and excellence. We look forward to showcasing your expertise in a way that resonates with our clients and opens the door to meaningful opportunities.