Director - Distribution Center Engineering

Nordstrom; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 275,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Vision/Dental

401k and retirement benefits

Paid Time Away

Job summary

Nordstrom seeks a Director of Distribution Center Engineering to own the automation transformation across the network, from strategy to deployment. You will partner with Operations, Product, and Technology to deliver measurable business value and an improved customer and team member experience.

The role requires 8+ years in engineering, automation, or supply chain leadership, expertise in warehouse automation, and strong executive communication. Willingness to travel 25–50% is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's in engineering, supply chain, or related field.
• 8+ years of engineering, automation, or supply chain leadership experience.
• Experience leading automation initiatives at scale with vendor management.
• Ability to build enterprise-level technology roadmaps and ROI models.

Responsibilities

• Define automation strategy and roadmap for Nordstrom's distribution center network.
• Lead evaluation, selection, and management of automation technologies and vendors.
• Build business cases and ROI models to prioritize investments.
• Drive continuous improvement and process optimization across end-to-end workflows.
• Set readiness criteria and governance for deployment of initiatives.
• Mentor and develop a world-class team of technical leaders.
• Partner with Operations, Product, and Software Engineering to ensure automation is connected.
• Negotiate vendor contracts and manage external technology partnerships.

Skills

Automation leadership

Vendor management

Roadmap planning

ROI/business case

Cross-functional leadership

Executive communication

Team development

Continuous improvement

Travel readiness

Education

Engineering degree

Supply chain degree

Tools

Warehouse automation systems

Job description

At Nordstrom, we embrace “One Good Way” as a path to efficiency, scaling, and speed of implementation. This is a rare opportunity to reimagine how Nordstrom flows product, replacing legacy systems with a modern, automated distribution network built to power decades of growth. The Director of Distribution Center Engineering will own that transformation end to end: setting the automation strategy for our entire distribution center network, from technology roadmap through vendor selection, governance, deployment and optimization. This role resides in the Engineering & Systems organization and partners closely with Supply Chain Operations, Product, and Technology leaders to turn bold ideas into reality, leveraging automation and process optimization to deliver results. Success means investments that hold up operationally, build a stronger team member experience and elevate customer experience for years to come.

A day in the life…

• Define the automation strategy and technology roadmap for Nordstrom’s distribution center network.
• Lead the evaluation, selection, and ongoing management of automation technologies, vendors, and strategic partners.
• Build the business case and ROI model behind each investment to drive prioritization of the most impactful initiatives
• Drive continuous improvement and process optimization across end to end workflows to raise the bar across safety, quality, cycle time, productivity, and team member experience.
• Set readiness criteria, success metrics, and governance processes that move initiatives from concept to deployment in a disciplined way
• Ensure investments deliver measurable business value while improving safety, productivity, and the team member experience
• Translate technical and operational findings into strategic recommendations.
• Champion the customer in every automation decision, ensuring speed, accuracy, and reliability in the distribution network translate into a better experience for the people who shop with us.
• Partner with Operations, Product, and Software Engineering so automation runs as a connected capability rather than a standalone system
• Negotiate vendor contracts and manage external technology partnerships.
• Build, mentor, and develop a world class team of technical leaders and subject matter experts.

You own this if you have…

• Undergraduate and/or graduate degree in engineering, supply chain, or a related field
• Experience leading automation, robotics, or supply chain technology initiatives at scale
• Experience evaluating new technologies, conducting due diligence, and managing vendor relationships and contract negotiations
• Ability to build technology roadmaps that hold up at the enterprise level
• Experience developing business cases and ROI models for capital investments
• A track record of taking technology from pilot through full network deployment
• Working knowledge of warehouse automation, material handling systems, and robotics integration
• Strong cross-functional leadership across engineering, operations, product, and technology stakeholders
• Executive communication skills, including the ability to make complex technical tradeoffs clear to non-technical audiences
• Experience building and developing high-performing technical teams
• Working knowledge of continuous improvement and lean methodologies applied to process optimization
• 8+ years of engineering, automation, or supply chain leadership experience
• Ability to travel 25-50%

Pay Range Details

The pay range(s) below has been provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different for other locations.
Pay offers are dependent on the location, as well as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
$175,000.00 - $275,000.00 Annual

Benefits

• Medical/Vision, Dental, Retirement and Paid Time Away
• Life Insurance and Disability
• Merchandise Discount and EAP Resources

This position may be eligible for performance-based incentives/bonuses. Benefits include 401k, medical/vision/dental/life/disability insurance options, PTO accruals, Holidays, and more. Eligibility requirements may apply based on location, job level, classification, and length of employment. Learn more in the Nordstrom Benefits Overview by copying and pasting the following URL into your browser: https://careers.nordstrom.com/pdfs/Ben_Overview_20-21.pdf

A few more important points...

The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive. There may be additional duties, responsibilities and qualifications for this job.

For Los Angeles or San Francisco applicants: Nordstrom is required to inform you that we conduct background checks after conditional offer and consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with legal requirements per Los Angeles, Cal. Muni. Code 189.04 and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. For additional state and location specific notices, please refer to the Legal Notices document within the FAQ section of the Nordstrom Careers site.

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