Sr. Manager, Robotics Engineering & AI Enablement

Newell Brands•Remo, VA

37d•Remote

About The Position

Newell Brands is a leading consumer products company with a portfolio of iconic brands like Graco®, Coleman®, Oster®, Rubbermaid®, Sharpie® and Yankee Candle® - and 24,000 talented teammates around the world. Our culture is built on values in action: Integrity, Teamwork, Passion for Winning, Ownership, and Leadership. We work together to win, grow, and make a real impact—supported by a high-performing, inclusive, and collaborative environment where you can be your best, every day. The Senior Manager, General Purpose Robotics Engineering & AI Enablement is responsible for leading the strategy, roadmap, and deployment of general-purpose and humanoid robotic solutions across the enterprise. This leader drives the identification, evaluation, and implementation of robotics use cases that enhance safety, productivity, quality, and cost efficiency in manufacturing, distribution, and corporate environments. While deep technical engineering and solution build will be heavily supported by external automation and technology partners, this role is accountable for owning the overall robotics portfolio, ensuring successful deployment at scale, and serving as the primary point of coordination across business, IT, and vendor teams.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Robotics, Mechatronics, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
8+ years of experience in industrial automation, robotics, advanced manufacturing, or related fields, with at least 3–5 years in a leadership or program ownership role.
Demonstrated experience leading deployment of robotics solutions (e.g., industrial robots, AMRs, AGVs, humanoid or general-purpose robots) in production or logistics environments.
Proven track record of managing complex, multi-site technology programs and working with external system integrators and technology partners.
Strong understanding of operational processes in manufacturing and/or distribution and how robotics can be applied to improve safety, quality, and productivity.
Ability to translate business needs into functional and technical requirements and to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and change management skills, including experience working with frontline and plant leadership teams.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.

Nice To Haves

Experience with humanoid robotics platforms, general-purpose robotic systems, or collaborative robots (cobots) in real-world use cases.
Familiarity with AI-enabled capabilities in robotics (e.g., computer vision, SLAM, task planning) delivered via partner solutions.
Experience in large, multi-site industrial or consumer goods environments, or other complex, asset-intensive operations.
Exposure to integration with enterprise systems (e.g., MES, WMS, ERP) and OT/IT environments.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain the multi-year roadmap for general-purpose and humanoid robotics solutions across plants, warehouses, and offices.
Translate business objectives into a prioritized portfolio of robotics initiatives, aligned to safety, operational excellence, and financial targets.
Continuously scan the robotics and automation landscape to identify emerging capabilities, platforms, and partners relevant to the enterprise.
Lead cross-functional workshops to identify, assess, and refine robotics use cases, with specific emphasis on humanoid and general-purpose robotic applications.
Define functional requirements, success criteria, and high-level solution architectures for robotics deployments in partnership with engineering, IT, safety, and operations.
Ensure solutions are designed with scalability, reliability, and maintainability in mind, leveraging modular platforms and standard practices where possible.
Own the end-to-end deployment lifecycle for robotics initiatives—from concept and pilot through scale-up and steady-state operations.
Coordinate site readiness, infrastructure, safety reviews, and change management activities required for successful robot deployment.
Establish clear KPIs and benefits tracking for each deployment; monitor performance and drive continuous improvement in collaboration with operations teams.
Serve as the primary owner for relationships with robotics OEMs, system integrators, and automation partners delivering technical solutions.
Oversee partner scopes of work, delivery milestones, and quality standards, ensuring alignment to internal requirements and timelines.
Collaborate with Procurement, Legal, and IT on vendor selection, contracting, performance management, and technology governance.
Work with data, IT, and analytics teams to ensure robotics solutions are integrated into enterprise systems (MES, WMS, ERP, safety systems, etc.).
Guide how AI-enabled capabilities—such as perception, navigation, and task orchestration—are applied through partner solutions to improve robot performance and autonomy.
Promote standardized data collection, monitoring, and reporting from robotic systems to support diagnostics, optimization, and strategic decision-making.
Engage plant leadership, frontline teams, and functional stakeholders to align on use cases, operating models, and ways of working with humanoid and general-purpose robots.
Develop training, communication, and adoption plans to ensure employees understand and effectively collaborate with robotic systems.
Champion a culture of safety and innovation, proactively addressing concerns and promoting the benefits of robotics to the workforce.
Define and enforce standards for robotics deployments, including safety, cybersecurity, interoperability, and lifecycle management.
Partner with EHS, Security, and IT to ensure humanoid and mobile robots meet all applicable regulatory and internal compliance requirements.
Manage risks associated with robotics deployments, including operational disruption, vendor dependencies, and technology obsolescence.
Lead and develop a small internal team of robotics program managers / engineers focused on requirements, integration, and deployment oversight.
Foster strong collaboration across engineering, IT, operations, and HR to support workforce transformation as robotics adoption scales.