Sr. Automation Project Manager

INNOVATE without boundaries At Milwaukee Tool we firmly believe that our People and our Culture are the secrets to our success -- so we give you unlimited access to everything you need to provide…. Our Distribution Team is responsible for thinking strategically to anticipate and address current and future challenges. We work to ensure suggested improvements will be robust, scalable, and have lasting value. We're pushing the limits in innovation by investing in data driven solutions, developing leadership through integrity, and cross functional collaboration. Our team prioritizes waste elimination and process scalability that achieves measurable impacts on our internal and external customers.

Behind our doors you'll be empowered every day to own it, drive it, and do what it takes to support the biggest breakthroughs in the industry. Meanwhile, you'll have the support and resources of the fastest-growing brand in the construction industry to make it happen.

Your Role on Our Team:

The Automation Lead provides distribution automation leadership and guidance to our distribution center network. The focus of this position is to work closely with the business units and DCs to gain in-depth understanding of distribution strategy, processes, and services and provide innovative solutions that are best in class. This role will be key in helping our company meet and exceed future goals.

You'll be DISRUPTIVE through these duties and responsibilities: 

• Support and align efforts to meet customer and business needs.
• Identify problems that could benefit from automation and/or robotics.
• Work with the business to design future processes and DC's using automation and/robotics to create competitive advantages in distribution.
• Collaborate with integrators and manufacturers on automated solutions from concept to stabilization.
• Manage team relationships and expectations by developing a communication process to keep others up to date on project results.
• Stay current with customer needs and strategies; utilizing formal and informal written communication methods (for example, emails, newsletters, PowerPoint presentations, executive updates, task lists, updates) to communicate updates and findings; and facilitating project meetings and presentations to all types of diverse audiences (for example, senior management, Customers, technical staff)
• Lead or participate in multiple projects by completing and updating project documentation; managing project scope; adjusting schedules when necessary; determining daily priorities; ensuring efficient and on-time delivery of project tasks and milestones; following proper escalation paths; and managing customer and supplier relationships.
• Provide leadership to team members and peers by collaborating with others; articulating ideas and viewpoints to senior management, peers and others; identifying and initiating projects; managing resources; driving the resolution of issues; and holding self and team accountable for results.
• Identify, create and facilitate process design changes by conducting business and systems process analysis and design at a complex level; focusing on quality improvement and data management; ensuring data is reliable and valid; developing process improvements or re-engineering and recommending elimination; integrating new systems and processes with existing ones; and partnering with internal and external customers to ensure processes provided meet the long-term business strategies.
• Provide and support the implementation of business solutions by building relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders; identifying business needs; determining and carrying out necessary processes and practices; monitoring progress and results; recognizing and capitalizing on improvement opportunities; and adapting to competing demands, organizational changes and new responsibilities.
• Provide project level analysis – producing required project analysis documentation (business requirements, scope matrix, use cases, sequence diagrams, future state proposals)
  • Identify improvement opportunities (proactive and reactive)
  • Elicit and clearly document business and systems requirements.
  • Assess business process and system inefficiencies.
  • Demonstrated fluency in business processes and processes differentiation.
  • Ability to analyze and synthesize business requirements, including recognizing patterns and conceptualizing processes.
  • Create and maintain issue logs, meeting minutes, meeting schedules, project summaries and updates.

The TOOLS you'll bring with you:

• 10 or more years of distribution center experience (preferred)
• 6+ years of Automation and robotics experience
• Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering degree
• Understanding of distribution center flow and where automation provides advantages.
• Must have experience working on large scale projects as well as handling day-to-day operational requests from the business.
• Strong project management, ability to successfully manage multiple tasks at any given point, strong relationship building skills & communication skills.

Other TOOLS, we prefer you to have:

• Vast knowledge of robotics in distribution
• Managing vendors from RFP through implementation
• Ability to manage multiple high-level projects simultaneously.

Working Conditions: 

• Travel 10-20%
• Light lifting, bending, and stooping.
• Location: Olive Branch, MS

We provide these great perks and benefits: 

• Robust health, dental and vision insurance plans
• Generous 401 (K) savings plan
• Education assistance
• On-site wellness, fitness center, food, and coffee service