Automation Manager

About Lucid Motors Middle East

Lucid Motors is dedicated to creating advanced mobility experiences through innovation, driving the world forward. The company's vehicles are built on proprietary technology and a software-defined architecture, emphasizing a "Compromise Nothing™" approach that integrates performance, sustainability, design, and engineering. Lucid achieves this through deep vertical integration, with design, engineering, and production managed in-house across global offices and manufacturing facilities. This role is based in Saudi Arabia.

The Role of Automation Manager

The Automation Manager is a functional leader responsible for automation, controls, robotics, vision systems, SCADA/historian, OT cybersecurity, and MES-OT integration. This role covers the AMP-2 Drive Unit and HV Battery shops, from commissioning through stable high-volume operation. The primary objective is to deliver safe, capable, and sustainable Powertrain operations while accelerating local technical capability and launch readiness. This is a full-time position requiring 5-10 years of experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Define standards for PLC/HMI/SCADA/Ignition, safety-control, network, naming, code-library, backup, and version-control.
• Govern Siemens TIA Portal, Rockwell Studio 5000, and Beckhoff TwinCAT populations, establishing lifecycle and obsolescence roadmaps.
• Manage OT cybersecurity governance, including segmentation, secure remote access, privilege management, backup/recovery, and patch coordination.
• Oversee Robotics standards (*, FANUC, ABB), safety validation, uptime, recovery, program governance, and critical spares.
• Govern machine-vision applications (*, Cognex, Keyence), ensuring inspection integrity, recipe control, and traceability.
• Sponsor historian, IIoT, digital SPC, condition monitoring, and analytics use cases in collaboration with Data, IT/OT, and MES teams.
• Manage automation FAT/SAT, controls lists, production-release criteria, run-at-rate support, and safe launch escalation.
• Establish controls response models, escalation matrices, KPI cadences, and permanent-corrective-action governance.
• Lead functional safety compliance with ISO 13849, IEC 62061, IEC 60204, and robot-safety requirements.
• Recruit, organize, and develop engineers/technicians, defining on-call/shift coverage and technical progression.
• Manage Capex/Opex, service contracts, integrator performance, software licenses, training, and spare parts strategy.

Enterprise and Workforce Expectations

• Safety: Ensure adherence to LOTO, guarding, interlocks, HV controls, and approved work instructions.
• Quality: Protect product conformity, traceability, and calibrated-tool discipline; contain abnormalities and preserve objective evidence.
• Delivery: Support stable flow, takt/cycle achievement, and rapid, structured escalation of constraints.
• Cost: Reduce scrap, rework, downtime, energy, and consumable losses through data-based countermeasures.
• People: Build Saudi national capability through coaching, cross-training, on-the-job training, progression, and knowledge transfer.
• Continuous Improvement: Participate in tier meetings, 5S, Kaizen, and closed-loop corrective action processes.

Decision Rights and Interfaces

The Automation Manager operates within approved standards, competency authorization, and change-control boundaries, with the authority to stop work if safety, quality, or traceability is at risk. This role interfaces with Production, Quality, Manufacturing Engineering, EHS, Supply Chain, IT/OT, HR/L&D, and equipment suppliers.

Work Conditions

The position requires working around automated equipment and, where authorized, high-voltage Powertrain products.