Director of Engineering, Automation

Sensaria is a leader in the Wall Decor and Print-On-Demand industry. We operate eight e-commerce storefronts, two business-to-business brands, in-house art creation, and coast-to-coast production facilities.  Sensaria brings moments and art to life. We are proud to be a leading innovator in our industry, enabling more for customers - more products, more quality and speed. We are enthusiastic, we think bigger and work hard to unlock opportunity and achieve incredible results.

Where most see a blank canvas, Sensaria sees infinite possibility. The chance to impact the senses and shape a moment in time, realizing a vision of design and decor that can reinvent, renew, and revive. With equal parts, passion and operational excellence, Sensaria creates new ways to bring art and memories to life in any space and through innovation, quality and speed, the company empowers unlimited growth potential for clientele. Enabling more for customers - more efficiency, more creativity, and more moments of inspiration, Sensaria thinks bigger and bolder to unlock opportunity and achieve incredible results together.

What you will do:

The Director of Engineering Automation is responsible for leading the engineering function with a strong emphasis on automation, controls, and technology-driven process improvement. This role provides strategic and technical leadership to ensure engineering solutions support business objectives, operational efficiency, safety, and scalability.

The Director will oversee engineering teams, manage capital projects, and drive automation initiatives across facilities and systems by transforming manual processes into automated ones. The Director of Engineering, Automation is 5 days per week in-office: you’ll be based at our corporate HQ office & production facility in Morrisville NC near RDU International Airport. At this time, we are unable to provide work visa/sponsorship. Come join our team and help innovate!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversee the design, implementation, and optimization of manufacturing automation systems,
• excellence initiatives across multiple sites.
• Lead manufacturing including PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, robotics, vision systems, conveyors, and material handling.
• Develop and execute an engineering and automation strategy aligned with production goals, growth plans, and operational capital projects from concept, justification, and design through installation, commissioning, and handoff to operations through identifying and executing significant flow processes.
• Support and foster robust communication and coordination with Continuous Improvement/Lean Manager regarding plant processes, maximizing line design efficiency and uptime while minimizing waste.
• Work in partnership with site leaders such as line designs and system rollouts are comprehensively implemented, adhered to, and yield chartered rates and efficiencies on a sustained basis.
• Support site leadership with the optimization of direct and indirect labor.

Additional Responsibilities

• Ensuring manufacturing processes are robust, repeatable, and capable of meeting quality and regulatory requirements.
• Provide technical leadership for root cause analysis, corrective actions, and long-term process improvements.
• Oversee engineering support for new product introductions (NPI), including design for manufacturability and automation readiness.
• Oversee the quality function, ensuring compliance with applicable standards and regulations.
• Collaborate with maintenance to improve equipment reliability and preventive maintenance process and strategies.

Professional Experience and Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or related field).
• 10+ years of progressive engineering experience in a multi-site manufacturing environment.
• 5+ years of engineering leadership experience managing teams and complex projects.
• Previous experience with engineering production lines and systems in an on-demand / engineered-order environment.
• Strong background in manufacturing automation, controls, and industrial systems, including design, execution, and completion of 3 to 5 fully executed automation projects.
• Proven experience leading large-scale capital projects.
• Lean Six Sigma certification or equivalent continuous improvement experience preferred.

Specific Skills and Competencies

• Ensuring manufacturing processes are robust, repeatable, and capable of meeting quality and regulatory requirements.
• Provide technical leadership for root cause analysis, corrective actions, and long-term process improvements.
• Own the strategy for manufacturing automation, including PLCs, robotics, vision systems, MES integration, and industrial data systems.
• Identify, justify, and implement automation solutions to improve safety, quality, throughput, and labor efficiency.
• Oversee controls architecture, system standardization, cybersecurity considerations, and lifecycle management.
• Partner with IT/OT teams to ensure reliable, scalable, and secure automation systems.
• Experience with capital expenditures, meeting business plan objectives and executing business per the plan.

Benefits: Sensaria + Circle Graphics offers a competitive compensation package, which includes vacation days, sick days, paid holidays, a paid floating holiday of your choice, paid maternity & paternity leave, along with Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, STD, LTD, Optional Life insurance, and opportunities for professional development. We are dedicated to creating an inclusive and collaborative workplace where every team member can thrive.

EEO Statement:

Sensaria + Circle Graphics and it's subsidiaries and acquired companies, (The Company) is an equal employment opportunity employer. The Company’s policy is to not unlawfully discriminate against any applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state, or local laws. The Company also prohibits harassment of applicants and employees based on any protected category, characteristic or status. It is also the Company’s policy to comply with all applicable state, federal and local laws respecting consideration of unemployment status in making hiring decisions.

The Company complies with the ADA, the ADAAA and applicable state law and considers reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for qualified applicants/employees to perform the essential functions of the job. Hire may be contingent upon a post-offer medical examination, and skill and agility tests, as appropriate for the position. Assistance For the Disabled Alternative formats of this Privacy Policy are available to individuals with a disability. Please contact [email protected] or [email protected] for assistance.

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