Chief Warehouse Automation & Innovation Lead

Ashley Furniture Industries; Advance (NC); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Ashley Furniture Industries is seeking a Director of Warehouse Automation, Implementation & Innovation to lead the enterprise strategy for automation across distribution centers. The role bridges Innovation, Engineering, IT, Operations, and external partners to deliver measurable value and sustained performance.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience directing large-scale automation programs, robotics integration, and international collaboration in high-volume environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, or related field.
• 10+ years in warehouse automation, distribution ops, or material handling systems.
• Strong knowledge of robotics, ASRS, conveyors, WMS, WCS, and related software.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing external vendors, integrators, and partners.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute enterprise warehouse automation roadmap across facilities.
• Establish automation standards, governance, and implementation methodologies.
• Lead collaborations with international teams and external partners.
• Own deployment strategy and execution for automation projects.
• Ensure site readiness, IT integration, training, and handoff processes.
• Drive continuous improvement and optimize throughput, labor, and reliability.

Skills

Warehouse automation

Robotics integration

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Financial analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Operations

Master's degree preferred

Tools

WMS/WCS systems

ROI modeling

ERP integration

Job description

Ashley Furniture Industries is seeking a Director of Warehouse Automation, Implementation & Innovation to lead the enterprise strategy for automation across distribution centers. The role bridges Innovation, Engineering, IT, Operations, and external partners to deliver measurable value and sustained performance.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience directing large-scale automation programs, robotics integration, and international collaboration in high-volume environments.