Solutions Engineer - Packaging Automation

Who We Are:

At Formic, we’re on a mission to revolutionize American manufacturing and create more abundance in the world. We believe in continuing the American legacy of innovation by making automation accessible to all manufacturers and increasing their factory productivity by 10x. 

Built upon deep expertise in robotics and manufacturing, our unique Pay-for-Productivity robotics solutions combine the best automation technology, tools, and uptime services for manufacturers, paving the way for a new era of supercharged efficiency and competitiveness. 

As the world faces growing pressure from rising costs and labor shortages, Formic is a uniquely powerful tool in overcoming these challenges. Fueled by our vision for a resurged “Made in America,” we’re growing fast - achieving 70% quarterly growth in customer count and ARR, with ~30% of our customers having already deployed multiple systems.

Supporting us in our mission, with investments thus far totaling over $60 million, are backers including Blackhorn Ventures, Mitsubishi HC Capital America, NEC, Lorimer Ventures, Translink Capital, Alumni Ventures, FJ Labs, Lux Capital, Initialized Capital and founders of multiple Fortune 50 companies. 

About the  Solutions Engineering team:

Solutions Engineering is dedicated to helping our customers address production challenges by developing automation solutions that deliver superb production outcomes. The team collaborates with prospective customers and the Formic sales team to scope out and understand challenges, identify the value drivers for the customer, and develop a fully managed Robotics as a Service solution with cost reductions and a positive ROI on Day 1.

As a Solutions Engineer - Packaging Automation, you will serve as our customers first pre-sale technical and applications point of contact, advocating for their success and navigating the requirements of their production operation and their key technical and operational value drivers.  You will establish credibility in both production and technical expertise with prospects and will rapidly develop an understanding of their production goals, challenges, and needs.  You will leverage that understanding to serve as a consultative partner, providing customers with a solution, context, and guidance on the best path forward to deliver their desired production outcome.

Additionally, you will partner with Formic’s Deployment team by completing successful project handoffs that facilitate rapid turnaround and enable us to cross-functionally deliver the value of the solution you developed. This position is highly impactful in Formic’s mission to be a valued partner in enabling customers’ adoption of automation, and you will be a key driver in our customers’ first steps along their automation journey.

As a Solutions Engineer, you will: 

• Partner with prospective customers, sales, and cross-functional internal teams to understand customer needs and develop an understanding of our prospects key production and manufacturing challenges
• Establish credibility with prospective customers as a trusted production and technical resource
• Conduct technical discovery calls in partnership with Sales team to understand customer production challenges and gather requirements
• Analyze production requirements, customer value drivers, project constraints, drawings, CAD data, parts lists, and other production and technical specifications to rapidly develop accurate and robust scopes of work and prospective solutions
• Scope and develop automation solutions from Formic’s portfolio of standard automation products that deliver a prospect’s desired production outcome
• Rapidly build and deliver automation solution proposals and pricing
• Participate in customer meetings and proposal reviews as needed throughout the pre-sales process
• Dynamically iterate solutions & proposals as needed to align with feedback from prospective customers, Formic sales team members, and Formic’s cross-disciplinary teams
• Meet with prospective customers’ senior and executive management teams to review proposals and drive sales opportunities to a successful close
• Facilitate smooth and successful project handoffs from Sales/Solutions to Deployment, ensuring all information is communicated for a successful design, build and deployment
• Effectively manage multiple projects/proposals in flight at a time
• Recommend changes in procedures, design, or equipment where necessary
• Leverage understanding of customers’ businesses and feedback to identify gaps in Formic’s technical, operational, and commercial offerings
• Communicate insights, perceived gaps, and feedback to Head of Solutions, Head of Sales, and Head of Deployment
• Visit customer sites in person as needed

What makes you a great fit:

• 3+ years of production or operational management responsibility in a consumer packaged goods (CPG), food production, manufacturing, or packing or packaging environment
• Minimum 3-5 years of production or operational management responsibility in a consumer packaged goods (CPG), food production, manufacturing, or packing or packaging environment
• 3+ years of responsibility overseeing end of line packing and packaging activities
• Technical or Engineering degree in a discipline that is relevant to manufacturing/packaging automation
• Familiarity with one or more segments of end of line packaging factory automation, preferably palletizing and/or case packing, with a firm understanding of the production and operational impacts of deploying turnkey automation systems
• Familiarity with a variety of end of line packing & packaging robotic automation applications and solutions
• Familiarity and experience with CAD drafting required
• Ability to organize, track, and manage deliverables across multiple concurrent projects
• Excellent problem solving and critical thinking skills
• Experience in a consulting, consultative sales, technical sales, or similar environment is a plus
• Experience supporting technology adoption in a production or manufacturing environment is a plus
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate cross functionally
• Previous solutions or applications experience is a plus
• Ability to travel up to 50%
• A current, valid driver’s license and access to a car

#LI-MB1

What we look for:

We’re building a company from the ground up, so every single person we hire has a massive impact on our team, culture, and ability to accomplish our mission. While each individual brings their own unique skills and perspectives to Formic, we look for people who share our vision and act in alignment with our Operating Principles. If this sounds like you, Formic could be the place for you:

• Fearless Optimism: You share our ambitious vision of what we can accomplish. You’re aware of the challenges we will face as a startup doing new things in an old space, but you’re energized by the incredible opportunity we have to drive change for our customers, and for the manufacturing industry at large.
• Factories First: You have a strong customer focus, no matter who your customer is. You seek to make things easier and better for our customers, even if it makes your job a little harder. 
• Today, Not Tomorrow: There are always plenty of projects to tackle in a startup, but you prioritize, take accountability for work, and have a bias toward action.
• Be Right Often: You don’t do things just because that’s how they’ve always been done. You keep looking for ways to improve, seek out feedback along the way, and back your decisions up with data. 
• Made of Rubber: Just like rubber, when you fall you bounce back up. You know there’s going to be a lot of challenge and change in our work ahead but you are adaptable, resilient, and ready to thrive through it all.
• Good Baton Passes: You work with a desire to make things easier and better for your team members. You use empathy to understand the needs and goals of others and support each other so Formic can be successful together. 

What We Offer:

Formic believes we do our best work when we are equipped to take care of ourselves and our loved ones. To support this Formic offers comprehensive benefits and perks for full-time US-based employees, including:

• Equity in Formic: your slice of ownership in a fast-growing Series A startup, backed by some of the best investors in the world
• 99% coverage on our base Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans (75% coverage for dependents) via Blue Cross Blue Shield and Guardian, with buy-up options, as well
• FSA & DCFSA
• Life insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Long-term Disability plans (covered at 100%) via Guardian
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid parental leave
• Company-sponsored 401k
• Home Office Stipend for remote and hybrid roles
• Monthly Phone/Internet Reimbursement
• Flexible time off policy and 10+ company holidays
• Opportunity to join a talented and diverse team united behind our mission to revolutionize American manufacturing

As our team grows, our benefit and perk offerings for employees based outside of the United States will vary. We are happy to discuss these options with you as part of our recruiting and interviewing process. Temporary or contract positions are not eligible for Formic employee benefits and perks, except where legally required.

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.