Director - Distribution Center Engineering

Nordstrom, Inc.; Seattle, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 275,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Vision/Dental

Retirement program

Paid Time Away

Life Insurance & Disability

Merchandise Discount

Job summary

Nordstrom, Inc. seeks a Director of Distribution Center Engineering to shape the automation strategy across its DC network in Seattle. You will lead technology roadmaps, vendor partnerships, and ROI-driven investments to transform operations and customer experience.

You will build and mentor a high-performing team, drive end-to-end deployment from pilot to full rollout, and collaborate with Operations, Product, and Technology to ensure safety, quality, and efficiency gains.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate/graduate degree in engineering, supply chain, or related field.
• Experience leading automation, robotics, or supply chain tech initiatives at scale.
• Ability to build enterprise-grade technology roadmaps.
• Proven ROI models and business case development for capital investments.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and executive communication skills.
• Travel up to 25–50%.

Responsibilities

• Define automation strategy and technology roadmap for 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 across safety, quality, and productivity.
• Set governance, readiness criteria, and deployment processes.
• Mentor and develop a world-class team of technical leaders.

Skills

Automation leadership

Robotics integration

Vendor management

Tech roadmaps

Executive communication

Lean methods

Cross-functional leadership

Team development

Education

Engineering degree

Supply chain degree

Job description

## Director - Distribution Center EngineeringApply: Seattle, WA: Full time: Posted Today: R-870718## **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**We’ve got you covered...**Our employees are our most important asset and that’s reflected in our benefits. Nordstrom is proud to offer a variety of benefits to support employees and their families, including:* Medical/Vision, Dental, Retirement and Paid Time Away* Life Insurance and Disability* Merchandise Discount and EAP ResourcesThis 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