AI & Workforce Transformation Lead

David Aplin Recruiting; City of Rochester (NY); Hybrid; USD 108,000 - 132,000; Full time

Job summary

David Aplin Recruiting is seeking an experienced AI & Workforce Transformation Lead to drive practical AI adoption across a manufacturing environment. You’ll develop the AI/automation roadmap, deliver high-value initiatives, and lead governance, change management, and workforce reskilling efforts.

You will collaborate with executive leadership, Production, Quality, Maintenance, IT, Engineering, and HR to ensure technology delivers measurable business value while supporting employees through

Qualifications

• 5+ years applying AI, analytics, or automation within a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Hands-on experience delivering technology or automation initiatives with measurable business results.
• Experience working with plant-floor data, including PLC/SCADA, historians, MES/MOM, OEE, quality, and downtime data.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the organization’s AI and automation roadmap.
• Identify, prioritize, and deliver AI and automation initiatives based on measurable business value.
• Build business cases, establish success metrics, and track operational and financial results.
• Identify opportunities across manufacturing, quality, planning, back-office, and people operations.
• Lead the data foundation required for AI, including machine connectivity, MES/ERP integration, data quality, and data labelling.
• Partner with IT and Engineering on plant-floor data, IT/OT architecture, and infrastructure requirements.
• Manage external vendors, integrators, and technology partners against defined outcomes.
• Work closely with Production, Quality, and Maintenance to ensure solutions are practical and adopted.
• Establish AI governance covering acceptable use, data handling, confidentiality, vendor risk, and procurement.
• Assess workforce impacts, including changing roles, automated tasks, required skills, and job quality.
• Partner with HR and Learning & Development on reskilling, upskilling, training, and change management.
• Build trust and adoption among frontline employees and communicate technology changes clearly.
• Provide guidance to executive leadership on AI opportunities, limitations, risks, and investments.

Skills

AI/Automation in manufacturing

Change management

Data governance

Cross-functional leadership

Tools

PLC/SCADA

MES/MOM

Job description

If you are an experienced and AI & Workforce Transformation professional Aplin has an exciting opportunity for you. Our client, a recognized leader in their industry, has partnered with Aplin to add to their team.

About the Role

Our client is seeking an AI & Workforce TransformationLead to drive the practical application of AI and automation across a manufacturing environment. This role will develop and execute the AI and automation roadmap, identify high-value opportunities, and deliver measurable improvements in areas such as scrap reduction, downtime, changeovers, quality, and manual processes.

The role also focuses heavily on the people side of transformation, including workforce impact, job redesign, skills development, change management, and frontline adoption. The successful candidate will work closely with executive leadership, Production, Quality, Maintenance, IT, Engineering, and HR to ensure technology delivers measurable business value while supporting employees through change.

Compensation

• Expected salary is role is $120,000 per annum, commensurate with experience

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the organization’s AI and automation roadmap.
• Identify, prioritize, and deliver AI and automation initiatives based on measurable business value.
• Build business cases, establish success metrics, and track operational and financial results.
• Identify opportunities across manufacturing, quality, planning, back-office, and people operations.
• Lead the data foundation required for AI, including machine connectivity, MES/ERP integration, data quality, and data labelling.
• Partner with IT and Engineering on plant-floor data, IT/OT architecture, and infrastructure requirements.
• Manage external vendors, integrators, and technology partners against defined outcomes.
• Work closely with Production, Quality, and Maintenance to ensure solutions are practical and adopted.
• Establish AI governance covering acceptable use, data handling, confidentiality, vendor risk, and procurement.
• Assess workforce impacts, including changing roles, automated tasks, required skills, and job quality.
• Partner with HR and Learning & Development on reskilling, upskilling, training, and change management.
• Build trust and adoption among frontline employees and communicate technology changes clearly.
• Provide guidance to executive leadership on AI opportunities, limitations, risks, and investments.

Qualifications & Experience

• 5+ years of experience applying AI, analytics, or automation within a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Hands-on experience delivering technology or automation initiatives with measurable business results.
• Experience working with plant-floor data, including PLC/SCADA, historians, MES/MOM, OEE, quality, and downtime data.
• Understanding of IT/OT architecture and industrial cybersecurity.
• Experience leading the people side of technology transformation, including training, job redesign, communication, and frontline adoption.
• Experience managing external vendors, integrators, and technology partners.
• Strong ability to translate technical capabilities into practical business outcomes.
• Comfortable working directly with both executive leadership and frontline manufacturing employees.
• Strong analytical, communication, and change-management skills.
• Genuine comfort spending significant time on the manufacturing floor.

Assets

• Lean or Six Sigma / continuous improvement experience.
• Experience establishing AI or data governance.
• Experience building AI, data, or automation capabilities from an early stage.
• Familiarity with emerging AI regulations related to employment and workforce decisions.
• Experience working across multiple manufacturing sites or Canada/U.S. operations.

What You'll Bring

• Practical understanding of where AI can-and cannot-create value in manufacturing.
• An evidence-driven approach focused on measurable results rather than technology for its own sake.
• Strong business judgment and the confidence to challenge ideas that don’t demonstrate sufficient value.
• A collaborative, hands-on approach to working with both technical teams and frontline employees.
• The ability to balance technology, business performance, and workforce impact.

Working Conditions

• Combination of office-based work and regular presence on the manufacturing floor.
• Exposure to typical fabrication-shop conditions, including noise, dust, welding operations, and moving equipment.
• Travel between company facilities, vendors, integrators, and industry events as required.
• Occasional off-shift or extended hours may be required to support production, deployments, or training.

At Aplin - together with our brands CompuStaff, Impact Recruitment, and Vantix Systems - we connect great people with great organizations across North America. We believe diverse teams build stronger companies, and we welcome applicants from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We use AI tools to assist in a fair and efficient matching process, helping our recruiters connect the right people with the right opportunities. To be considered, applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada, including holding any required permits. Our recruitment services are always free for job seekers.Accommodation is available upon request throughout all stages of the recruitment process.