Automation Project Manager Jobs in Illinois
Automation Project Manager jobs in Illinois are in steady demand, with the state serving as a major hub for manufacturing, logistics, and industrial technology automation across Chicago, Rockford, and the Quad Cities metro. Large employers with lasting footprints in Illinois, including Caterpillar, Abbott Laboratories, and Rockwell Collins, consistently hire automation project managers at levels from associate through senior principal. The most sought-after specialties in Illinois are PLC and SCADA systems integration, manufacturing execution system rollouts, and warehouse and distribution center automation. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 9+ Automation Project Manager jobs
Who we are:
Formic is on a mission to reshape American manufacturing by making automation accessible to every factory. As labor constraints rise, costs increase, and global competition intensifies, automation is no longer optional for manufacturers that want to stay competitive.
We deliver automation through a Robotics-as-a-Service model that combines industrial robotics, proprietary software, and full-service support into a single, integrated solution. By removing the traditional barriers of cost, complexity, and risk, we enable manufacturers to deploy automation quickly and realize measurable gains in throughput, safety, and operational efficiency without large upfront capital investment.
Backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Initialized Capital, Blackhorn Ventures, and Mitsubishi HC Capital North America, Formic is scaling rapidly and building the foundation for a new era of high-performance, Made in America production.
About the team:
The Project Engineering Team is a multidisciplinary engineering group within Automation Engineering Group, bringing mechanical, electrical, and controls engineering together under a single organization. The team serves as the engineering escalation path for the deployed fleet, taking on problems that exceed field-level troubleshooting and converting them into scoped, engineered, and standardized solutions.
The team's work spans three connected areas. The first is the troubleshooting of complex problems: diagnosing multi-discipline failures across deployed robotic systems and engineering permanent, root-cause fixes rather than repeat repairs. The second is continuous improvement: converting recurring issues and field data into reliability upgrades and fleet-wide standardization. The third is support for existing and new product development and enhancements, in partnership with teams across the organization, to improve equipment currently in the field and to bring new capability online.
Positioned at the intersection of design, commissioning, and field support, the team operates as a cross-functional unit, with engineers at the Bolingbrook hub working alongside field implementation resources across North America. The work is a deliberate blend of reactive support and proactive engineering, and each role on the team contributes to uptime, performance consistency, and long-term customer outcomes across the fleet.
About the role:
As a Robotics & Automation Project Engineer, you will apply advanced engineering principles to the design, analysis, optimization, reliability, and continuous improvement of deployed robotic systems. You will independently evaluate complex, multidisciplinary technical problems, develop engineered solutions, and exercise technical judgment in determining how those solutions are designed, validated, and implemented across Formic's fleet in demanding production environments.
This role blends reactive support with proactive engineering. You will diagnose complex issues, implement structured improvements, and partner cross-functionally to strengthen system stability across the fleet. Your work directly impacts uptime, performance consistency, and long-term customer outcomes.
In this role, you will:
- Diagnose and resolve complex automation failures to minimize production downtime
- Design and implement preventative and predictive strategies that improve system reliability
- Lead system-level continuous improvement initiatives, including hardware and software upgrades
- Analyze production data and diagnostic trends to identify systemic performance gaps
- Provide remote support by responding to service tickets, guiding troubleshooting efforts, and triaging to onsite teams when needed
- Partner with Product, Deployment, and Engineering teams to standardize equipment configurations and improve repeatability
- Own and maintain system documentation, including procedures, maintenance logs, and change-control records
- Serve as the escalation point for complex technical issues across the fleet
- Mentor field technicians and engineers on troubleshooting and system health best practices
- Ensure compliance with safety standards, internal quality requirements, and industry regulations
- Collaborate with vendors to improve parts availability, diagnostics capability, and technical support
What makes you a great fit:
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, controls engineering, mechatronics, robotics engineering, or another directly related engineering discipline
- 10+ years of experience in manufacturing automation or industrial robotics environments
- Strong proficiency in programming PLCs, robots, and industrial control systems
- Solid understanding of robotic systems, motion systems, and automated manufacturing equipment
- Hands-on experience diagnosing mechanical, electrical, and control system failures
- Ability to read electrical schematics and technical drawings
- Experience working in uptime-critical manufacturing environments
- Strong problem-solving skills and structured troubleshooting approach
- Clear written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work independently while collaborating cross-functionally
- Willingness to travel up to 50% based on business needs
- Valid driver's license and ability to support local travel
Bonus points if you have:
- Experience in high-volume manufacturing environments
- Experience standardizing equipment across multiple deployed sites\
- Exposure to data-driven maintenance or predictive monitoring tools
What we look for:
We're building this company from the ground up, and every person we hire has an outsized impact on our culture, performance, and trajectory. While each team member brings unique strengths and perspectives, we look for people who align with our Operating Principles and embody them in action. If this sounds like you, Formic may be the right place for you!
- Fearless Optimism: You make bold bets and default optimistic. You believe in the mission, aren't paralyzed by risk, and fear inaction more than failure. You see ambiguity as opportunity and bring energy to building what doesn't yet exist.
- Create the Magic: You absorb complexity so customers don't have to. Whether your customer is external or internal, you focus on delivering experiences that are clear, fast, value-added, and outcome-driven. You don't say "not my job." You make things work.
- Today, Not Tomorrow: You have a bias to action. You close the loop. You take extreme ownership. You understand that speed compounds, and you don't confuse activity with results.
- Seek Truth: You think from first principles. You value data over ego and strong opinions loosely held. You're willing to challenge assumptions, including your own, in pursuit of the best answer.
- Made of Rubber: You are resolute and adaptable. When things break or priorities shift, you rebound stronger. You treat setbacks as learning moments and move forward with grit.
- One Formic: You operate without silos. You practice radical helpfulness, document clearly, and make clean handoffs. You assume positive intent and prioritize team success over individual credit.
Equal Opportunity Employment:
Formic is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, family or parental status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. All employment decisions are based on a person's merit, business needs, and role requirements. If you require further accommodations or have questions regarding accessibility of our roles, please reach out to careers@formic.co.
AI Use:
At Formic, fairness and transparency are at the heart of our hiring process. We use AI-powered tools in some interviews to help our teams evaluate candidate responses, but all final hiring decisions are made by humans. You can learn more about how AI is used in our recruitment process by reviewing our AI Hiring Disclosure linked here.
Who we are:
Formic is on a mission to reshape American manufacturing by making automation accessible to every factory. As labor constraints rise, costs increase, and global competition intensifies, automation is no longer optional for manufacturers that want to stay competitive.
We deliver automation through a Robotics-as-a-Service model that combines industrial robotics, proprietary software, and full-service support into a single, integrated solution. By removing the traditional barriers of cost, complexity, and risk, we enable manufacturers to deploy automation quickly and realize measurable gains in throughput, safety, and operational efficiency without large upfront capital investment.
Backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Initialized Capital, Blackhorn Ventures, and Mitsubishi HC Capital North America, Formic is scaling rapidly and building the foundation for a new era of high-performance, Made in America production.
About the team:
The Project Engineering Team is a multidisciplinary engineering group within Automation Engineering Group, bringing mechanical, electrical, and controls engineering together under a single organization. The team serves as the engineering escalation path for the deployed fleet, taking on problems that exceed field-level troubleshooting and converting them into scoped, engineered, and standardized solutions.
The team's work spans three connected areas. The first is the troubleshooting of complex problems: diagnosing multi-discipline failures across deployed robotic systems and engineering permanent, root-cause fixes rather than repeat repairs. The second is continuous improvement: converting recurring issues and field data into reliability upgrades and fleet-wide standardization. The third is support for existing and new product development and enhancements, in partnership with teams across the organization, to improve equipment currently in the field and to bring new capability online.
Positioned at the intersection of design, commissioning, and field support, the team operates as a cross-functional unit, with engineers at the Bolingbrook hub working alongside field implementation resources across North America. The work is a deliberate blend of reactive support and proactive engineering, and each role on the team contributes to uptime, performance consistency, and long-term customer outcomes across the fleet.
About the role:
As a Robotics & Automation Project Engineer, you will apply advanced engineering principles to the design, analysis, optimization, reliability, and continuous improvement of deployed robotic systems. You will independently evaluate complex, multidisciplinary technical problems, develop engineered solutions, and exercise technical judgment in determining how those solutions are designed, validated, and implemented across Formic's fleet in demanding production environments.
This role blends reactive support with proactive engineering. You will diagnose complex issues, implement structured improvements, and partner cross-functionally to strengthen system stability across the fleet. Your work directly impacts uptime, performance consistency, and long-term customer outcomes.
In this role, you will:
- Diagnose and resolve complex automation failures to minimize production downtime
- Design and implement preventative and predictive strategies that improve system reliability
- Lead system-level continuous improvement initiatives, including hardware and software upgrades
- Analyze production data and diagnostic trends to identify systemic performance gaps
- Provide remote support by responding to service tickets, guiding troubleshooting efforts, and triaging to onsite teams when needed
- Partner with Product, Deployment, and Engineering teams to standardize equipment configurations and improve repeatability
- Own and maintain system documentation, including procedures, maintenance logs, and change-control records
- Serve as the escalation point for complex technical issues across the fleet
- Mentor field technicians and engineers on troubleshooting and system health best practices
- Ensure compliance with safety standards, internal quality requirements, and industry regulations
- Collaborate with vendors to improve parts availability, diagnostics capability, and technical support
What makes you a great fit:
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, controls engineering, mechatronics, robotics engineering, or another directly related engineering discipline
- 10+ years of experience in manufacturing automation or industrial robotics environments
- Strong proficiency in programming PLCs, robots, and industrial control systems
- Solid understanding of robotic systems, motion systems, and automated manufacturing equipment
- Hands-on experience diagnosing mechanical, electrical, and control system failures
- Ability to read electrical schematics and technical drawings
- Experience working in uptime-critical manufacturing environments
- Strong problem-solving skills and structured troubleshooting approach
- Clear written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work independently while collaborating cross-functionally
- Willingness to travel up to 50% based on business needs
- Valid driver's license and ability to support local travel
Bonus points if you have:
- Experience in high-volume manufacturing environments
- Experience standardizing equipment across multiple deployed sites\
- Exposure to data-driven maintenance or predictive monitoring tools
What we look for:
We're building this company from the ground up, and every person we hire has an outsized impact on our culture, performance, and trajectory. While each team member brings unique strengths and perspectives, we look for people who align with our Operating Principles and embody them in action. If this sounds like you, Formic may be the right place for you!
- Fearless Optimism: You make bold bets and default optimistic. You believe in the mission, aren't paralyzed by risk, and fear inaction more than failure. You see ambiguity as opportunity and bring energy to building what doesn't yet exist.
- Create the Magic: You absorb complexity so customers don't have to. Whether your customer is external or internal, you focus on delivering experiences that are clear, fast, value-added, and outcome-driven. You don't say "not my job." You make things work.
- Today, Not Tomorrow: You have a bias to action. You close the loop. You take extreme ownership. You understand that speed compounds, and you don't confuse activity with results.
- Seek Truth: You think from first principles. You value data over ego and strong opinions loosely held. You're willing to challenge assumptions, including your own, in pursuit of the best answer.
- Made of Rubber: You are resolute and adaptable. When things break or priorities shift, you rebound stronger. You treat setbacks as learning moments and move forward with grit.
- One Formic: You operate without silos. You practice radical helpfulness, document clearly, and make clean handoffs. You assume positive intent and prioritize team success over individual credit.
Equal Opportunity Employment:
Formic is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or religious creed, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, family or parental status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. All employment decisions are based on a person's merit, business needs, and role requirements. If you require further accommodations or have questions regarding accessibility of our roles, please reach out to careers@formic.co.
AI Use:
At Formic, fairness and transparency are at the heart of our hiring process. We use AI-powered tools in some interviews to help our teams evaluate candidate responses, but all final hiring decisions are made by humans. You can learn more about how AI is used in our recruitment process by reviewing our AI Hiring Disclosure linked here.
See All 9 Automation Project Manager Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsAutomation Project Manager Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Automation Project Manager Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Law & Legal Services
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in automation project manager jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, industrial technology, or a related technical field required
- PMP or CAPM certification strongly preferred by Illinois industrial and manufacturing employers
- Hands-on experience with PLC programming, SCADA systems, or industrial automation platforms
- Proven ability to manage cross-functional project teams from design through commissioning
- Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies used in Illinois manufacturing
- Strong communication skills for coordinating with engineering, operations, and executive stakeholders
Automation Project Manager Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become an automation project manager in Illinois?
The most direct path is a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, or a closely related field, combined with hands-on experience in automation systems. Illinois does not require a state-issued license specifically for automation project managers, but obtaining a PMP certification through the Project Management Institute strengthens your candidacy significantly with Illinois manufacturers and system integrators. Many candidates build their background by starting in automation engineering or controls roles at Illinois industrial employers before moving into project management.
How much do automation project managers make in Illinois?
Automation project managers in Illinois earn a median of about $103,470 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $65,300 for the lowest 10% to over $163,910 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire automation project managers in Illinois?
Employers hiring automation project managers in Illinois right now include ENFRA, Formic, and DMG MORI, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Illinois's dense concentration of manufacturing, food processing, pharmaceutical, and logistics companies means demand for this role is distributed well beyond Chicago and includes major industrial corridors in Rockford, Peoria, and the Quad Cities.
Which Illinois cities have the most automation project manager jobs?
Chicago, Westmont, and Hebron have the most automation project manager openings in Illinois. Chicago and its suburbs account for the largest share, driven by corporate headquarters, large distribution centers, and systems integrators based in the metro, while Rockford and Peoria reflect Illinois's strong traditional manufacturing and heavy equipment industries that rely heavily on industrial automation talent.
Are there remote automation project manager jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they are less common than in purely desk-based fields, since automation project managers frequently need to be on-site during system installation, commissioning, and testing phases. About 0% of automation project manager openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those roles tend to concentrate in the planning, vendor management, and documentation phases of large automation programs rather than hands-on deployment work.
How can I get hired as an automation project manager in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is starting as an automation engineer, controls technician, or junior project coordinator at an Illinois manufacturer or systems integrator, then moving into project management as you gain field experience. Large Illinois employers in food manufacturing, pharmaceutical production, and material handling regularly hire new engineers into rotational or associate programs that include project exposure. Earning a CAPM certification and building a portfolio of any automation or process improvement projects, even academic ones, gives you a concrete edge when applying to these associate-level openings.
Where can I find and apply to automation project manager jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to automation project manager jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings updated regularly. Find the roles that fit your experience and location, then apply directly through each listing without needing to create a profile or sign up first.
See All 9 Automation Project Manager Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Jobs