Automation R&D Manager

Power the Future with us!
At SolarEdge (NASDAQ: SEDG), we're a global leader in smart energy technology, with over 3,000 employees, offices in 34 countries, and millions of installations worldwide.
Our innovative solutions include solar inverters, battery storage, backup systems, EV charging, and AI-based energy management. We're committed to making clean, green energy the primary power source for homes, businesses, and beyond.
With the growing demand for electricity, the need for smart, clean energy sources is constantly rising. SolarEdge offers amazing opportunities to develop your skills in a multidisciplinary environment, covering everything from research and development to production and customer supply. Work with talented colleagues, tackle exciting challenges, and help create a sustainable future in an industry that's always evolving and innovating.
Join us and be part of a company that values creativity, agility, and impactful work.
We are establishing a new automation competency center in Vietnam, and we are looking for an experienced Automation R&D Manager to lead it.
This is a founding role. You will be our first hire on site: you will build the engineering team from the ground up, and then lead the design, build, and deployment of automated machines that support our mass production lines. You will manage a multidisciplinary team, own the delivery of multiple automation projects in parallel, and work day to day with our R&D and engineering teams at headquarters in Israel.
This is a hands-on leadership position for someone who has grown from the engineering floor into management, who is comfortable building something new, and who takes full ownership of outcomes.
Key Responsibilities:
Build the Vietnam automation team from the ground up - recruit, onboard and develop approximately 8 engineers and technicians during the first months of operation.
Establish team culture, ways of working, and engineering standards on site.
Manage local supplier and machine-builder relationships.
Work day to day with the R&D and engineering teams at headquarters in Israel. Technical architecture and design direction are set jointly with HQ; delivery and local execution are owned by you.
Lead a multidisciplinary team covering mechanical, electrical, control and software engineering, with procurement and assembly support.
Manage the full lifecycle of automated machine projects - from concept and design through build, commissioning, and hand-off to production.
Plan, prioritize, and deliver multiple automation projects simultaneously, balancing timelines, budgets, and resources.
Ensure automated machines meet the throughput, quality, reliability, and safety requirements of mass production lines.
Define technical specifications, review designs, and oversee integration of mechanical, electrical, control and software systems.
Collaborate closely with manufacturing, quality, R&D, and procurement teams.
Track project progress and report status, risks, and results to management.
Why This Role?
Build a new engineering center from the ground up, with the backing of an established global company.
Direct ownership of the site's technical capability, team, and standards.
Work on automation for high-volume production of products sold worldwide.
Requirements:
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Control/Automation Engineering, or a related field.
Over 5 years of experience managing a team that designs and builds automated machines for mass production lines.
Solid understanding of automated machine design, control systems, and production-line integration.
Proven ability to manage multiple projects at once and deliver on schedule.
Fluent English, written and spoken - daily collaboration with headquarters in Israel.
Strong problem-solving skills and a structured, results-oriented approach
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience building or scaling an engineering team, including recruiting and onboarding engineers.
Experience working with, or reporting to, an overseas parent company or customer.
Prior hands-on experience working directly on automated machines (design, build, or commissioning) before moving into a management role.
Experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment.
Familiarity with PLCs, robotics, vision systems, and/or motion control.
What We're Looking For
Takes ownership and full responsibility for team results and project outcomes.
Comfortable and effective managing several projects in parallel under competing priorities.
Strong leadership presence, with the ability to build, guide and grow an engineering team.
Self-starting and independent - able to make progress and make decisions without close day-to-day supervision.
Proactive, dependable, and solution-focused.