Director – Supply Chain Automation
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Job Description
Director leading automation design and deployment across ALO’s distribution network. Managing complex fulfillment technology projects, vendors, budgets, and engineering teams.
Responsibilities:
- Lead the design, deployment, and performance of automation programs across ALO's distribution network
- Report to the Vice President, Distribution Center Automation
- Partner with the VP to shape ALO's multi-year automation roadmap
- Translate the roadmap into prioritized programs, project plans, and resource needs across ALO-operated and 3PL facilities
- Evaluate emerging automation technologies through research, site visits, and pilots
- Benchmark automation performance against leading retail, e-commerce, and apparel distribution operations
- Lead automated DC design from conceptual design and process flow through detailed engineering
- Assess and recommend AS/RS, goods-to-person, AMRs, robotics, sortation, conveyance, automated packaging, and vision systems
- Develop capacity models, layouts, and simulations supporting growth and peak-volume requirements
- Integrate automation with WMS, WCS/WES, labor management, and other distribution platforms
- Own end-to-end delivery of automation projects, including scope, schedule, budget, quality, and risk
- Develop requirements, technical specifications, RFPs, project plans, and budgets; lead vendor evaluations
- Lead testing, commissioning, integration, cutover, go-live, and post-go-live stabilization
- Ensure operational readiness through testing, SOPs, training, maintenance plans, spare parts, and contingency plans
- Build repeatable deployment playbooks and track KPIs including throughput, uptime, accuracy, safety, and cost per unit
- Implement preventive and predictive maintenance programs and lead root-cause analysis and continuous improvement
- Support lifecycle planning for automation assets
- Manage automation providers, integrators, OEMs, and engineering partners; hold them accountable to commitments and milestones
- Build capital business cases with ROI, payback, and total-cost-of-ownership analysis
- Lead, coach, and grow automation engineers, controls specialists, and project managers
- Build team capability and foster technical excellence, urgency, collaboration, and continuous improvement
- Manage project budgets and track realized benefits against approved business cases
- Travel 30%-40% of the time
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Industrial, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, or a related field
- Master's degree or MBA a plus
- 10+ years of progressive experience in distribution, fulfillment engineering, automation, or material handling systems
- 5+ years leading distribution center automation projects and engineering or project teams
- Hands-on experience taking automation projects from concept and business case through design, commissioning, go-live, and stabilization
- Experience in DTC, e-commerce, retail, or apparel distribution strongly preferred
- Experience managing automation vendors and integrators on complex, multi-million-dollar capital projects
- Experience in high-growth environments where capacity, speed, and scalability are critical
- Strong expertise in DC automation and material handling technologies, including AS/RS, goods-to-person, AMRs, robotics, sortation, and conveyance
- Working knowledge of WMS, WES, WCS, PLC/control systems, and physical-to-software integration
- Strong understanding of DC process design, capacity modeling, labor productivity, and operational flow
- Proven program and project management skills, with a record of delivering on time and within budget
- Financial acumen in capital business cases, ROI, and total-cost-of-ownership analysis
- Analytical and data-driven, able to explain complex engineering topics clearly to operations and leadership audiences
- Strong leadership, communication, and cross-functional influence skills
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