Director of Installation & Field Operations

W3Global; Livonia (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with employer matching

Health insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Paid Time Off (PTO)

Cell phone reimbursement

Fuel card

Career advancement opportunities

Job summary

W3Global is seeking a hands-on Director of Installation & Field Operations in Livonia, MI to lead mechanical and field teams responsible for rigging, installation, welding oversight, and commissioning of automated equipment at customer facilities.

You will coordinate projects with shop and field personnel, align with design and controls engineering, manage staffing and safety, and drive execution from quoting to customer sign-off while partnering with ownership to improve performance.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading installation or field service teams working with automated equipment, robotic cells, or industrial machinery.
• Strong knowledge of weldments and fabrication; read engineering drawings and welding symbols.
• Understanding of installation fundamentals: floor conditions, anchoring, leveling, grouting, machine guarding, LOTO.
• Experience coordinating with millwrights, electricians, fabrication shops, and plant maintenance teams.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Hands-on in shop and customer plant environments.
• Excellent communication and customer relationship management skills.
• Experience with industrial robotics (FANUC, ABB, Yaskawa, or KUKA) preferred.
• AWS welding certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage installation crews responsible for rigging, setting, anchoring, leveling, and commissioning automated equipment at customer facilities.
• Plan and coordinate installations around plant shutdown schedules, site conditions, and safety requirements.
• Ensure projects are completed successfully, with proper documentation and customer sign-off.
• Review and oversee weldments, including fixtures, risers, bases, and tooling.
• Interpret engineering drawings and weld symbols, with understanding distortion control, stress relief, and post-weld machining.
• Collaborate with design and controls engineering teams to ensure equipment is designed for effective installation, operation, and maintenance.
• Recruit, hire, train, and manage shop and field personnel.
• Participate in project quoting, customer meetings, and operational decision-making.
• Work closely with company ownership to improve project execution, staffing, and overall business performance.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Communication

Customer relations

Hands-on operations

Education

AWS welding certification

Tools

FANUC robotics

Job description

Company Overview

One of our clients is a growing automation engineering company that designs and builds

Location: Livonia, MI

Salary: DOE

Work Arrangement: On-site

Company Overview

One of our clients is a growing automation engineering company that designs and builds automated electrical and mechanical testing systems for automotive assembly plants, primarily within the vehicle seating industry.

The company manages the entire process, from system design and fabrication to installation, commissioning, and ongoing customer support. They are seeking an experienced Director of Installation & Field Operations to lead mechanical and field operations while playing an active role in overall business execution and growth.

This is a hands-on leadership position that combines field operations, technical oversight, team management, customer interaction, and business decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage installation crews responsible for rigging, setting, anchoring, leveling, and commissioning automated equipment at customer facilities.
• Plan and coordinate installations around plant shutdown schedules, site conditions, and safety requirements.
• Ensure projects are completed successfully, with proper documentation and customer sign-off.
• Review and oversee weldments, including fixtures, risers, bases, and tooling.
• Interpret engineering drawings and weld symbols, with an understanding of distortion control, stress relief, and post-weld machining.
• Collaborate with design and controls engineering teams to ensure equipment is designed for effective installation, operation, and maintenance.
• Recruit, hire, train, and manage shop and field personnel.
• Participate in project quoting, customer meetings, and operational decision-making.
• Work closely with company ownership to improve project execution, staffing, and overall business performance.

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience leading installation or field service teams working with automated equipment, robotic cells, or industrial machinery.
• Strong knowledge of weldments and fabrication, including the ability to read engineering drawings and welding symbols.
• Understanding of equipment installation fundamentals, including:
• Floor conditions and site preparation
• Equipment anchoring and leveling
• Grouting
• Machine guarding
• Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures
• Experience coordinating with millwrights, electricians, fabrication shops, and plant maintenance teams.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work hands-on in both shop and customer plant environments.
• Strong communication and customer relationship management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with industrial robotics, including FANUC, ABB, Yaskawa, or KUKA.
• AWS welding certification.
• Millwright background.
• Experience with fixture design, fabrication, and build processes.

Compensation & Benefits

Base Salary: depending on experience.

An additional performance-based bonus opportunity is available, tied to overall company performance.

Benefits Include

• 401(k) with employer matching
• Health insurance
• Dental and vision insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Cell phone reimbursement
• Fuel card
• Career advancement opportunities

Work Location

Livonia, Michigan - On-site. Most projects are local to the Metro Detroit area.

Ideal Candidate Profile

A hands-on operations leader with a strong background in industrial automation installation, mechanical systems, fabrication, and field team management. The ideal candidate should be comfortable leading crews, understanding technical drawings and weldments, coordinating complex installations, and contributing to business-level decisions.