IIoT Engineer

Who We Are:
Challenge Manufacturing’s mission is to manufacture with operational excellence by empowering our employee-owners. As a leading tier 1 supplier of complex metal assemblies for the global automotive industry, we drive innovative solutions for future mobility. We believe the best ideas come from individual unique perspectives. These ideas combined with the teamwork of industry leaders allow us to accomplish any challenge. Our team members take pride in the work we do and embody our core values of safety, ownership, and teamwork every day; they are the true driving force in our operations.

Challenge is proud to be one of the largest employee-owned automotive companies in North America. One of the many benefits of joining the Challenge team is the ESOP program. This program allows Challenge to give shares of the Company to all employee-owners annually. These shares are an additional retirement benefit that will continue to grow during your time at Challenge. Being part of an ESOP means our employee-owners share in Challenge’s success!

Challenge is #QualityDriven and #PeoplePowered!

Who We Want:
We are seeking a IIoT Engineer to design, deploy, and optimize IIoT solutions and industrial data analytics across multiple automotive plants. This role transforms operational and sensor data into actionable insights that enhance production efficiency, predictive maintenance, quality, and safety. The ideal candidate collaborates closely with Production, Engineering, OT, and IT teams to ensure standardized, scalable, and secure IIoT deployment across all sites.

What You'll Do:

• Design, deploy, and maintain IIoT sensors, edge devices, and industrial data collection systems across multiple plants.

• Collect, analyze, and interpret data from MES, SCADA, IIoT sensors, and automation systems to generate actionable insights.

• Develop and deploy predictive maintenance algorithms to minimize unplanned downtime and optimize equipment reliability.

• Build and maintain standardized dashboards, KPI tracking tools, and reporting systems to support operations and leadership across all plants.

• Integrate IIoT data into MES/SCADA and analytics platforms with a focus on consistent data structures, naming conventions, and reporting standards across sites.

• Collaborate with Production and Engineering teams to identify process optimization opportunities and implement cross-plant best practices.

• Conduct root cause analysis for production and quality issues using advanced analytics.

• Support new vehicle program launches and plant expansions by providing data-driven recommendations for consistent implementation.

• Implement AI/ML models for predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and production optimization across multiple facilities.

• Monitor operational KPIs, IIoT device performance, and data flow integrity to ensure reliable and scalable systems.

• Standardize IIoT deployment practices, data governance, and reporting methodologies across all plants to ensure cross-site consistency.

• Train plant personnel on analytics dashboards, IIoT devices, and interpretation of KPIs for operational decision-making.

• Troubleshoot IIoT connectivity, sensor, and data integration issues across multiple sites.

• Collaborate with OT Infrastructure and IT teams to ensure secure, resilient, and compliant IIoT data flow.

• Evaluate emerging IIoT, analytics, and industrial AI/ML technologies for potential adoption and standardization.

• Maintain device configurations, system documentation, SOPs, and cybersecurity compliance across all plants.

When and Where:
This will be a M-F position located at our Corporate Office in Walker, MI.

Occasionally, this may require you to arrive early, stay late, or work on weekends, outside of our regular hours, to ensure we successfully meet customer needs, deadlines, or urgent requests.

What You Need to Have:

• Associate degree in Data Science, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field required; Bachelor’s degree preferred.

• 3+ years of experience in industrial data analytics or IIoT deployment required; 5+ years preferred for senior-level roles.

• Practical experience with MES, SCADA, and IIoT sensor integration in manufacturing environments.

• Strong understanding of predictive maintenance strategies, industrial KPIs, and data-driven decision-making.

• Experience working in multi-plant automotive or other high-volume manufacturing operations.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex datasets, solve problems, and communicate findings effectively to cross-functional teams.

• Proven experience implementing AI/ML models in industrial use cases such as predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and process optimization.

• Hands-on experience with cloud-based analytics platforms (Azure, AWS) for IIoT and advanced monitoring.

• Background in standardizing MES/SCADA and IIoT integrations across multiple facilities.

• Familiarity with automotive manufacturing environments, including OEMs or Tier 1 suppliers.

• Experience in continuous improvement initiatives leveraging data insights to optimize production performance.

• Working knowledge of edge computing, digital twin technologies, and industrial data pipelines.

What We Offer:
We’re excited to offer a range of awesome benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a Health Savings Account with annual employer contributions, Flexible Spending Accounts, company-paid Short-Term Disability and Basic Life Insurance, Voluntary Life and Long-Term Disability options, an Employer 401k Match, ESOP shares, tuition reimbursement, a Referral Bonus Program, Challenge Incentive Program, and paid time off.

Please note, while these benefits are part of what we offer, they may not all apply to this specific role. The details shared in this job description are intended to give you a general idea, but duties and responsibilities may evolve over time, with or without notice. And of course, we’re happy to provide reasonable accommodations to help individuals with disabilities succeed in their role.