Senior Innovation Project Engineer - Automation

Key responsibilities

Innovation project scoping and assessment

• Identify, scope and assess automation opportunities across fabric handling, sewing, stuffing, finishing and packing, with the sewing line as the primary focus, for example, automated fabric handling, eye attachment, pull testing and machine vision inspection

• Evaluate investment proposals and make clear recommendations

Local project leadership

• Manage factory-side aspects of the agreed innovation plan, timeline, budget and risks for multiple concurrent projects

• Drive progress across partner factories, vendors and research partners, chasing actions and decisions

• Flag issues and decisions early to the Operations Director

Supplier and technology evaluation

• Lead the technical aspects of supplier calls, and compare suppliers, technical specifications and options, bringing factory-floor knowledge

• Define technical and operational requirements, translating factory challenges into clear use cases for vendors, universities and research institutes

• Support technical discussions with universities and research institutes

Trials and samples

• Support the set-up of trials and pilot projects, including at the R&D test area

• Arrange samples and production information for testing

• Document results, issues and next steps

Data and ROI

• Help build a detailed, repeatable set of factory KPI data to inform automation and investment decisions

• Gather and analyse data for ROI cases: task times, labour savings, reduced material handling and storage space, product safety and more consistent, objective quality

• Assess the impact on SMV/AMV and current factory operations where a new project affects them

Deployment and integration

• Track partner factories' near-term automation projects using proven technology (for example AGVs and CTUs), including progress, issues and delivered ROI against plan

• Identify where innovation research, such as late-stage fabric handling, can be integrated into these projects or into existing lines

• Support the move from successful trials to production deployment, working with factory engineering and system integrators

Collaboration

• Work closely with the Vietnam Production Transformation team, and with partner factories' Process Improvement & Innovation teams (IE, SOP, IT) and engineering and maintenance departments

• Build strong relationships with partner factories and understand their priorities and constraints

• Report findings clearly to the Operations Director and international team

• 8+ years in industrial, manufacturing or automation engineering, with a proven record of leading innovation, continuous improvement or automation projects from scoping to delivery

• Self-starter who drives projects with limited supervision in a small, remote team

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial, Manufacturing, Mechanical, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Mechatronics or a related discipline

• Essential: sewn-product/soft-goods experience, including hands-on industrial sewing or automation equipment trials

• Proven experience evaluating, specifying or implementing automation, machinery or production technology projects

• Strong data skills: building ROI/investment cases from factory data (time studies, SMV, Excel/Power BI or similar)

• Factory-floor credibility with operators and factory technical teams

• Fluent Vietnamese; strong spoken and written English for technical discussions and reporting

• Willing to travel regularly to partner factory sites (Central Area)

Preferred

• Familiarity with robotics, machine vision, sensors, PLCs, AGVs or conveyors

• Experience with AI/machine learning projects

• Experience working with automation vendors, universities, research institutes or innovation teams

• Experience in garment, textile, footwear, soft goods or other high-volume sewn-product manufacturing

• Experience with factory trials, pilot projects or technology assessments

• Project management training or certification (e.g. PMP, PRINCE2) or Agile experience

• Knowledge of Lean or Six Sigma

Regular performance reviews and professional training

Cơ hội du lịch

Hands-on innovation projects with UK, European and Asian research and technology partners

A small international innovation team with real influence and autonomy