Automation Project Engineer - Mechanical Systems

📣 Join ViCentra (home of Kaleido) – Empower Bold Change in MedTech

📍 Location: Utrecht | 💼 Hybrid

🌍 Making Every Move Matter

At ViCentra, home of Kaleido, we’re on a mission to redefine what’s possible in diabetes care. We combine technological innovation with human-centered design to empower people with more freedom, confidence, and life on their terms. Our values; Be Bold, Build Trust, Focus on the Customer and Deliver Excellence drive everything we create and every decision we make.

We believe that when ambition meets purpose, remarkable things happen. If you thrive in a space where ideas accelerate, challenges spark growth, and making a difference is the goal, ViCentra is your next great adventure. 🚀

🚀 Your impact

You will be the technical linchpin between our internal teams and external automation partners. You will directly influence the success of our 5-year automation roadmap by ensuring that each automated system is robust, validated, and fully integrated into our production environment.

Your work will enable us to achieve:

• Significant improvements in production efficiency and throughput.

• Enhanced product quality and consistency through reduced human variability.

• Scalable manufacturing capacity to meet growing global demand.

• Long-term operational cost savings and improved workplace safety.

You will not just oversee projects—you will help build the automated foundation of our future factory.

🔧 What you’ll take on

In this role, you will:

• Author comprehensive User Requirement Specifications (URS) with detailed mechanical performance criteria.

• Define mechanical interfaces between automated stations: part transfer mechanisms, fixturing tolerances, and thermal management requirements.

• Review and technically challenge machine-builder designs for nests, grippers, fixtures, tooling, feeding mechanisms, and the automated handling and assembly of small components.

• Specify machine safety systems per international standards.

• Conduct critical design reviews of machine builders’ mechanical designs.

• Review and approve GD&T drawings, ensuring proper application of standards for manufacturability and assembly.

• Evaluate mechanical designs for manufacturability and automated assembly.

• Develop and execute mechanical test protocols for Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT).

• Work closely with Contract Manufacturer to conduct equipment Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) and Validation Testing.

• Establish preventive maintenance schedules based on mechanical wear analysis and lubrication requirements.

• Create mechanical system.

• Develop mechanical acceptance criteria for Contract Manufacturers.

• Maintain machine performance dashboards tracking OEE, MTTR, and relevant mechanical performance indicators.

📌 What you bring

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automation Engineering, or a closely related field.

• Minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience in industrial automation, preferably within high-volume manufacturing environments (medical devices, pharmaceuticals, consumer packaged goods).

• Direct mechanical design and analysis experience with high-speed automation equipment.

• Demonstrated experience in the design or assessment of:

  • Nests and precision fixtures.

  • Grippers and end-of-arm tooling.

  • Feeding and orientation mechanisms.

  • Pick-and-place and transfer systems.

  • Tooling for automated assembly, inspection, testing or joining processes.

  • Pneumatic and servo-driven mechanisms.

• Experience with the automated handling and assembly of small, sensitive or tolerance-critical components.

• Ability to review and critique CAD models, mechanical drawings, tolerance stack-ups, datum strategies and GD&T application.

• Experience with CAD platforms such as SolidWorks, Inventor, Creo or equivalent. Full-time CAD design ownership is not required, but the candidate must be capable of critically reviewing and challenging mechanical designs.

• Solid understanding of automated assembly machinery, robotics, pneumatics, vision systems, and PLC-based controls.

• Direct experience with URS drafting, FAT/SAT execution, and validation in a regulated industry is a strong advantage.

• Excellent technical communication skills – able to translate between operational needs and supplier technical language.

• Strong mechanical aptitude and ability to review and critique mechanical designs and drawings.

• Project management discipline – capable of managing timelines, budgets, and risks without direct design ownership.

• Familiarity with GMP, GDP, and medical device quality systems is a significant plus.

• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally to supplier sites (~20%).

💡 Life at ViCentra

Working at ViCentra, home of Kaleido, means joining a team defined by:

• Courage to create: We experiment, challenge norms, and learn fast.

• Trust above all: Integrity, honesty, and openness shape our relationships.

• Customer-first mindset: Every idea is measured by the impact on those we serve.

• A drive for excellence: We hold ourselves to the highest standard because lives depend on it.

• Our days move fast, fueled by curiosity, diverse perspectives, and a love for collaboration. Here, you can shape and be shaped by groundbreaking work in MedTech.

🌱 Grow With Purpose

• Harness your talent for a mission that truly matters.

• Enjoy creative freedom, supportive teamwork, and room to lead initiatives.

• Make a direct impact on people’s lives, today and into the future.

• Be surrounded by innovators who challenge and cheer you on.

🌏 Every Journey Starts Somewhere — Make Yours Count Here

We believe a powerful team is built on unique backgrounds and points of view. If this opportunity excites you but you’re unsure if you fit every bullet, we want to hear your story. At ViCentra, it’s your potential and passion that catch our eye.