Contract | 6–12 months | Day rate + expenses | Travel M–F, CONUS
The mandateA narrow, technical, hands-on engagement: put connected technology onto production lines that were built before anyone used the phrase Industry 4.0, and make it produce a measurable operating result rather than a dashboard nobody opens.
What you'll own- IoT sensor deployment and machine connectivity on legacy equipment, including retrofit approaches for assets without native connectivity
- Predictive and condition-based maintenance implementation, and the data pipeline behind it
- Robotic and automation integration onto existing lines — cobots, pick and place, palletizing, vision inspection
- OEE data capture that reflects reality rather than the number the plant would like to report
- MES and shop floor data system implementation or integration to the ERP layer
- OT/IT convergence and the network and security architecture it requires
- Business case development and post-implementation benefit validation
- Operator and maintenance training on everything you install
- 10+ years in manufacturing automation, controls, industrial engineering, or smart factory implementation
- Hands-on capability with PLCs, SCADA, historians, and industrial networking
- Practical retrofit experience — connecting equipment that was never designed to be connected
- Automation integration project delivery, including safety, validation, and commissioning
- Ability to build and defend a business case, then prove the benefit landed
- Comfort working on the floor in an active production environment
Strong plus: predictive maintenance analytics; machine vision; robotics integration; OT cybersecurity; experience across multiple sites or a smart factory program.
Skills Required
- 10+ years of experience in manufacturing automation, controls, industrial engineering, or smart factory implementation
- Hands-on experience with PLCs, SCADA, historians, and industrial networking
- Practical experience retrofitting and connecting legacy equipment without native connectivity
- Experience delivering automation integration projects, including safety, validation, and commissioning
- Ability to build and defend a business case and validate realized benefits
- Comfort working on the floor in an active production environment
- Predictive maintenance analytics experience
- Machine vision experience
- Robotics integration experience
- OT cybersecurity experience
- Experience across multiple sites or within a smart factory program
What We Do
Value Driven Solutions (VDS) is an operational-excellence consulting firm serving middle-market companies, private-equity firms, and portfolio companies. It improves operational and financial performance through supply-chain optimization, operations, finance, technology, procurement, strategic consulting, and vetted interim executives. VDS also applies Lean Six Sigma, automation, robotics, AI, and analytics to strengthen efficiency, margins, capital efficiency, and enterprise value, with measurable, lasting results.
