Senior Project Manager, Automation

The Project Manager, Automation is responsible for leading the execution of automation projects that support manufacturing process improvements, capacity expansion, quality improvement, labor optimization, and new product introductions.

This role owns the project management discipline for assigned automation initiatives, including project schedule, day-to-day coordination, risk, assumptions, issues and dependencies management, budget tracking, stakeholder communication, and execution from concept through production handoff.

The position partners closely with facility leaders, Operations, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Finance, EHS, and external automation integrators without direct authority to ensure projects are properly scoped, planned, resourced, executed, validated, and transferred into production; and ensures assigned projects follow Global Operations PMO methodology, governance, reporting, and Smartsheet requirements

The ideal candidate combines strong project management capability with solid technical knowledge of automation systems and manufacturing technologies, enabling effective coordination of core teams, integrators, and facility resources to deliver safe, reliable, compliant, and sustainable automation solutions.

1. Manages assigned automation projects from concept development through design, build, factory acceptance testing, site acceptance testing, installation, validation, production transfer, and project closure.
2. Develops, maintains, and communicates detailed project schedules, including milestones, deliverables, dependencies, critical path items, resource needs, decision points, and recovery plans.
3. Coordinates day-to-day project execution with facility teams, cross-functional core teams, external automation integrators, equipment suppliers, and internal stakeholders to maintain project momentum and accountability.
4. Owns and manages the project RAID process, including risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies; drives timely mitigation, escalation, decision making, and resolution.
5. Partners with facilities to define project scope, operational requirements, process readiness, layout needs, utilities, tooling, staffing impacts, equipment interfaces, training needs, and production handoff requirements.
6. Supports development and refinement of user requirement specifications, project charters, business cases, implementation plans, validation strategies, technical documentation, and change control activities.
7. Works with the assigned Automation Director, integrators, and technical stakeholders to ensure automation solutions follow approved standards, domain architecture, safety expectations, quality requirements, and business objectives.
8. Tracks project budget, purchase orders, capital spending, forecast updates, cost risks, scope changes, and financial performance in partnership with Finance, Procurement, and facility leadership.
9. Coordinates design reviews, safety reviews, equipment reviews, factory acceptance testing, site acceptance testing, commissioning, troubleshooting, punch list closure, and ramp-up readiness activities.
10. Leads project reporting and closure activities, including status updates, action item tracking, lessons learned, benefit realization tracking, final documentation, and transition to sustaining ownership.

1. 7-10 years of experience with a bachelor's degree
2. Manufacturing engineering, automation engineering, capital project execution, technical project management, or related industrial experience.
3. Managing technical projects, including schedule development, budget tracking, action item management, risk management, stakeholder communication, and project reporting.
4. Leading cross-functional project teams involving Operations, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Facilities, EHS, Supply Chain, Finance, and external suppliers.
5. Supporting automation projects involving robotics, machine vision, material handling, assembly automation, packaging equipment, filling systems, cleanroom equipment, distribution automation, or related technologies.
6. Working with external automation integrators, equipment OEMs, engineering consultants, and technical service providers.
7. Coordinating FAT, SAT, commissioning, installation, troubleshooting, validation support, and production handoff activities.
8. Developing or supporting project documentation such as user requirements, schedules, risk registers, validation plans, test protocols, equipment specifications, and status reports.
9. Supporting capital projects, including scope definition, budget tracking, purchase order coordination, cost forecasting, and capital project reporting.
10. Experience in regulated manufacturing environments with quality systems, validation expectations, documentation requirements, FDA, ISO, or GMP exposure.
11. Experience working across multiple facilities or with distributed project teams.
12. Project Management Professional, Lean/Six Sigma, or equivalent certification preferred.