Sr Manager - Application Automation

DexCom • San Diego, CA

10h

About The Position

Dexcom’s Global Engineering Automation & Equipment Development team partners across Operations and engineering functions to design, develop, industrialize, and sustain automated manufacturing and assembly solutions for safe, compliant, high-throughput production. The team works with manufacturing, process development, quality, and site leadership to deliver scalable automation platforms and execute validation and transfers across manufacturing sites.

The Sr Manager leads, develops, and inspires an engineering team responsible for developing and deploying sensor manufacturing equipment. The role combines technical leadership and people management to support strong execution, employee engagement, and continuous team development. The manager oversees automation and equipment development for assembly and inspection processes across the equipment lifecycle, from concept and feasibility through design, build, validation, transfer, and sustained performance.

The role manages team capacity, resource allocation, and program priorities; translates process needs into equipment specifications and compliant documentation; and works cross-functionally to support equipment readiness and deployment across sites. It also provides technical leadership in troubleshooting and continuous improvement, with an emphasis on reliability, yield, throughput, efficiency, and cost reduction. Travel is required up to 15%, potentially varying by project phase and site support needs.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline.
• Typically 13+ years of industry experience.
• 5–8 years of previous people management experience.
• Proven success leading and developing engineering teams in a high-volume, regulated manufacturing environment.
• Track record leading end-to-end equipment lifecycle execution, including concept development, feasibility studies, URS development, design reviews, vendor selection, FAT/SAT, IQ/OQ/PQ, and transfer to manufacturing operations.
• Ability to balance technical leadership with people leadership and build engaged, high-performing teams.
• Experience in resource planning, prioritization, and execution across multiple concurrent programs.
• Deep knowledge of automation system design, integration, and validation in manufacturing settings.
• Strong decision-making skills and a structured, data-driven approach to risk management and problem-solving.
• Ability to lead through ambiguity while maintaining focus on delivery, compliance, and operational stability.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams spanning Automation Engineering, Process Development, Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Operations, and external equipment integrators.
• Expertise in automation systems including robotics, precision mechanics, fixtures and tooling, PLC-based control systems, vision systems, and machine safety architectures.
• Background in equipment qualification strategies, including statistical analysis, capability studies, risk management (pFMEA), and compliant documentation development.
• History of driving continuous improvement to enhance throughput, yield, OEE, reliability, and cost efficiency across manufacturing lines.

Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and develop an inclusive engineering team focused on automation and equipment excellence.
• Establish a team culture grounded in accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Coach and mentor engineers; provide performance feedback and support career growth, skill development, and succession planning.
• Set and reinforce expectations for technical rigor, documentation quality, and execution excellence.
• Foster open communication, psychological safety, employee engagement, and alignment with business goals.
• Identify capability gaps and develop training and hiring plans to strengthen team expertise across automation disciplines.
• Plan team capacity, resource allocation, and project priorities to align with business objectives and timelines.
• Balance workloads across internal teams and external partners to support utilization and delivery efficiency.
• Lead automation and equipment development and integration for assembly and inspection processes.
• Drive equipment lifecycle execution from concept and feasibility through design, build, validation, transfer, and sustained performance.
• Translate process requirements into equipment specifications, including URS, validation protocols, test plans, and compliant technical documentation.
• Manage project timelines, risks, and deliverables, and provide actionable stakeholder updates.
• Use data-driven decision-making to improve throughput, labor efficiency, process capability, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Partner with Manufacturing, R&D, Process Development, and Quality to support equipment readiness and deployment across sites.
• Drive cross-site alignment on standards, best practices, and scalable automation strategies.
• Lead change management to support adoption of new equipment and processes with minimal disruption.
• Influence stakeholders at multiple levels and align technical direction with business strategy.
• Provide technical leadership in troubleshooting and problem-solving for automated systems using structured, data-driven methods.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on reliability, yield, efficiency, and cost reduction.
• Support new product introductions, capacity expansion, and technology transitions while minimizing disruption to commercial manufacturing.

Benefits

• Full and comprehensive benefits program.
• Growth opportunities on a global scale.
• Career development through in-house learning programs and/or qualified tuition reimbursement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior