Job Description: Software & Automation Engineer – Global Service Growth Team (GSGT)
Position Summary
The Software & Automation Engineer on the Global Service Growth Team (GSGT) is a senior technical leader responsible for designing, developing, and implementing software tools, automation solutions, and digital workflows that elevate global service operations. This role requires a rare blend of direct service experience-ideally as a technician, metrologist, or calibration specialist-combined with advanced software engineering and automation expertise. By understanding the realities of service workflows, this individual delivers practical, scalable, and high-impact digital solutions that improve turnaround time, data integrity, efficiency, and standardization across global service sites.
The Software & Automation Engineer partners closely with service labs, metrology, manufacturing engineering, quality, and IT to ensure systems and automation are purpose-built for the needs of the business they once served.
Key Responsibilities
- Software Development & Digital Tool Creation
- Design, build, and maintain custom software applications, scripts, dashboards, and utilities supporting global service workflows (e.g., calibration automation, data processing, standardized reporting tools).
- Develop user-friendly solutions that streamline technician tasks, reduce manual steps, and eliminate waste.
- Collaborate with IT and business systems teams to integrate tools with enterprise systems (ERP, calibration platforms, databases, data lakes).
- Automation System Design & Optimization
- Develop automated and semiautomated workflows, including test automation, calibration automation, equipment interfacing, and advanced data capture automated workflows, including test automation, calibration automation, equipment interfacing, and advanced data capture.
- Evaluate existing automation solutions and improve cycle time, accuracy, reliability, or maintainability.
- Technical Leadership & Domain Expertise
- Serve as the senior technical authority for software and automation impacting global service operations.
- Mentor engineers, technicians, and cross-functional partners in automation concepts, data handling, scripting, and system integration.
- Use deep service domain knowledge to ensure solutions align with the realities of calibration, repair, diagnostics, and daily lab operations.
- Translating service pain points into system requirements and actionable engineering plans.
- FBS & Continuous Improvement
- Apply FBS principles to digital tool design-focusing on simplification, standardization, and scalability.
- Lead root cause investigations where system, software, or automation failures impact service performance.
- Drive digital transformation and modernization efforts across service labs, shaping long-term automation roadmaps.
- Cross-Functional Integration
- Partner with Metrology to ensure alignment with measurement standards, uncertainty requirements, and calibration of system.
- Work with Test Engineering to ensure automated software aligns with electrical/functional test logic and equipment capabilities.
- Collaborate with IT at the Fortive level on security, deployment, system health, and lifecycle management for custom applications.
- Support global lab transfers and integrations, new lab buildouts, and new service capability launches with automation and digital enablement.
- Global Deployment & Standardization (30-50% Travel)
- Develop clear documentation, version control practices, standard work, and training materials for all software and automation solutions.
- Deploy digital tools across global service locations, ensuring compatibility, scalability, and strong site readiness.
- Serve as a global technical owner for key automation platforms and custom-developed service software.
Qualifications
- 5–10+ years of experience in software development, automation engineering, test automation, or systems integration.
- Prior direct experience as a service technician, metrologist, calibration specialist, or similar service-based role strongly preferred.
- Experience with one or more programming/scripting languages (e.g., Python, C#, LabVIEW, VBA, JavaScript).
- Experience integrating with instrumentation, calibration equipment, test systems, or automated measurement platforms.
- Strong understanding of metrology fundamentals, measurement system behavior, and traceability concepts.
- Experience with APIs, databases (SQL/NoSQL), data pipelines, or cloud-based architectures is a plus.
- Demonstrated ability to lead technical initiatives and influence stakeholders at all levels.
- Strong communication and documentation skills, with the ability to translate service needs into actionable technical solutions.
Top Skills
What We Do
Fortive’s essential technology makes the world stronger, safer, and smarter. We accelerate transformation across a broad range of applications including environmental, health and safety compliance, industrial condition monitoring, next-generation product design, and healthcare safety solutions. We are a global industrial technology innovator with a startup spirit. Our forward-looking companies lead the way in software-powered workflow solutions, data-driven intelligence, AI-powered automation, and other disruptive technologies. We’re a force for progress, working alongside our customers and partners to solve challenges on a global scale, from workplace safety in the most demanding conditions to groundbreaking sustainability solutions. We are a diverse team 18,000 strong, united by a dynamic, inclusive culture and energized by limitless learning and growth. We use the proven Fortive Business System (FBS) to accelerate our positive impact. At Fortive, we believe in you. We believe in your potential—your ability to learn, grow, and make a difference. At Fortive, we believe in us. We believe in the power of people working together to solve problems no one could solve alone. At Fortive, we believe in growth. We’re honest about what’s working and what isn’t, and we never stop improving and innovating. Fortive: For you, for us, for growth.
