Automation Program Manager — Lead Plant-Wide Deployments

HBD Industries; Asheville (NC); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

HBD Industries is seeking an Automation Project Manager to define, develop, and execute the company’s automation roadmap across multiple sites. You will collaborate with business leaders to identify the best initial projects and drive them through to measurable safety, quality, and productivity improvements.

This role requires travel up to two weeks per month, home base in southern California, North Carolina, or Georgia, and a base salary of $130,000–$150,000.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related discipline.
• At least 3 years of manufacturing experience in automation, robotics, manufacturing engineering, operations engineering, or advanced manufacturing.
• Proven experience leading automation projects from concept through implementation.
• Experience developing capital project justifications, ROI analyses, and business cases.
• Proven success managing external suppliers, system integrators, and technical contractors.
• Experience commissioning, troubleshooting, and stabilizing manufacturing equipment.
• Strong project management and cross-functional leadership experience.
• Experience leading organizational change and technology adoption initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead shop-floor assessments to identify, validate, and prioritize automation opportunities.
• Facilitate feasibility studies including technical, operational, safety, quality, and financial evaluations.
• Quantify expected improvements in safety, quality, productivity, throughput, or operating costs.
• Evaluate alternative technologies, concepts, and implementation approaches.
• Present recommendations and investment proposals to plant and senior leadership teams for approval.
• Lead automation projects from initial concept through production stabilization.
• Develop project charters, schedules, budgets, risk assessments, and implementation plans.
• Coordinate cross-functional implementation teams including operations, maintenance, quality, safety, supply chain, IT, finance, and external integration partners.
• Manage equipment suppliers, system integrators, contractors, and technical consultants.
• Track project performance against scope, schedule, budget, and expected benefits.Identify and mitigate technical and operational risks throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensure successful startup, commissioning, validation, and throughput achievement.

Skills

Robotics

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Automation experience

Contractor management

Troubleshooting

Safety risk assessment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field

Job description

HBD Industries is seeking an Automation Project Manager to define, develop, and execute the company’s automation roadmap across multiple sites. You will collaborate with business leaders to identify the best initial projects and drive them through to measurable safety, quality, and productivity improvements.

This role requires travel up to two weeks per month, home base in southern California, North Carolina, or Georgia, and a base salary of $130,000–$150,000.