Senior Automation Program Manager
About The Position
HBD Industries is an integrated operating company of middle market manufacturing businesses. HBD operates four business platforms, each of which designs and manufactures highly-engineered industrial products for mission-critical applications. HBD operates eleven (11) manufacturing sites across the United States. HBD is embarking on a new initiative to surgically deploy automation into select sites. The Automation Project Manager is responsible for defining, developing, and executing the company’s automation roadmap. Collaboration with business leaders on selecting the best “first” projects will be a critical first milestone for this role. It will follow with responsibility to actively manage the selected projects across the finish line to measurably improve safety, quality, delivery, or productivity. This role will partner with another new role, Automation Project Engineer, to get the projects done.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Robotics Engineering, or related technical discipline.
- Three (3) years of manufacturing experience with increasing responsibility in automation, robotics, manufacturing engineering, operations engineering, or advanced manufacturing.
- Demonstrated experience leading automation projects from concept through implementation.
- Experience developing capital project justifications, ROI analyses, and business cases.
- Proven success managing external suppliers, system integrators, and technical contractors.
- Experience commissioning, troubleshooting, and stabilizing manufacturing equipment.
- Strong project management and cross-functional leadership experience.
- Experience leading organizational change and technology adoption initiatives.
- Deep understanding of industrial robotics, automation systems, controls, sensors, and manufacturing processes.
- Ability to perform automation feasibility studies and financial evaluations.
- Experience developing technical specifications for both the internal and external resources required for an automation project.
- Skilled at developing statements of work with external contractors, locking down on formal contracts with them, then managing the contractor to successfully deliver on their commitments.
- Understanding of robot integration, machine controls, PLCs, HMI systems, and industrial networking.
- Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis capabilities.
- Understanding of machine safety standards and risk assessment methodologies.
- Proficiency with project management tools and engineering documentation systems.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and decision-making skills.
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
Nice To Haves
- Experience leading automation deployments in factories with limited prior automation exposure, and limited manufacturing engineering resources.
- Experience in forging, machining, metal fabrication, industrial manufacturing, or heavy manufacturing environments.
- Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, TPM, and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
Responsibilities
- Lead shop-floor assessments to identify, validate, and prioritize automation opportunities.
- Facilitate feasibility studies including technical, operational, safety, quality, and financial evaluations.
- Quantify expected improvements in safety, quality, productivity, throughput, or operating costs.
- Evaluate alternative technologies, concepts, and implementation approaches.
- Present recommendations and investment proposals to plant and senior leadership teams for approval.
- Lead automation projects from initial concept through production stabilization.
- Develop project charters, schedules, budgets, risk assessments, and implementation plans.
- Coordinate cross-functional implementation teams including operations, maintenance, quality, safety, supply chain, IT, finance, and external integration partners.
- Manage equipment suppliers, system integrators, contractors, and technical consultants.
- Track project performance against scope, schedule, budget, and expected benefits.
- Identify and mitigate technical and operational risks throughout the project lifecycle.
- Ensure successful startup, commissioning, validation, and throughput achievement.
Benefits
- The role can work from home when not in an HBD factory.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
