Program Manager

KellyMitchell Group; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 96,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance

Employee-Owned Profit Sharing (ESOP)

401K offered

Job summary

KellyMitchell is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead operational readiness for a major warehouse automation implementation within a distribution center. You will coordinate process changes, testing, training, and change management to ensure successful integration with the WMS and day-to-day operations.

Strong DC and warehouse operations experience is essential, including receiving, replenishment, put-away, and picking, with hands-on automation/robotics exposure.

Qualifications

• Program or project management experience leading complex operational implementations.
• Strong hands-on knowledge of distribution center operations, including receiving, replenishment, put-away, and picking.
• Experience implementing warehouse automation, robotics, automated material handling, or comparable technologies.
• Ability to translate warehouse operating requirements into practical workflows, testing plans, and operational readiness activities.
• Experience coordinating internal stakeholders and external implementation vendors or partners.
• Strong communication, change management, risk management, and issue-resolution skills.
• Ability to work onsite in Illinois five days per week.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage the operational implementation plan with milestones, dependencies, risks, and readiness activities
• Partner with leadership, IT, stakeholders, and partners to align tech deployment with warehouse processes
• Define and document future-state workflows for receiving, replenishment, put-away, and picking
• Coordinate change management, SOPs, training, and adoption activities
• Develop and coordinate operational testing including inventory loading, end-to-end workflows, exceptions, and launch readiness
• Address will-call/customer pickup needs, prioritizing urgent requests within automated inventory
• Establish contingency procedures for equipment failures and outages
• Coordinate go-live prep and post-launch stabilization with clear ownership
• Serve as liaison between warehouse ops, technology teams, stakeholders, and external partners

Skills

Program management

Operations leadership

Change management

Stakeholder coordination

Warehouse operations

Tools

WMS integrations

ERP integrations

Automation platforms

Job description

Job Summary

Our client is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead operational readiness for a major warehouse automation implementation within a distribution center. This person will coordinate the process changes, testing, training, and change management needed to successfully introduce automated storage and retrieval technology into day-to-day warehouse operations. The implementation partner will be responsible for installing the automation technology and integrating it with the organization’s warehouse management system. The Program Manager will oversee the broader operational work required to prepare the distribution center for launch and ensure the solution effectively supports real-world business needs. Strong distribution center and warehouse operations experience is essential. Candidates should have a strong understanding of receiving, replenishment, put-away, and picking, along with experience introducing automation, robotics, or automated material handling technology into an operational environment.

Core Responsibilities

• Build and manage the operational implementation plan, including milestones, dependencies, risks, and readiness activities
• Partner with warehouse leadership, IT, business stakeholders, and implementation partners to align technology deployment with warehouse processes
• Define and document future-state workflows for receiving, replenishment, put-away, and picking
• Coordinate change management, standard operating procedures, employee training, and adoption activities
• Develop and coordinate operational testing, including initial inventory loading, end-to-end workflows, exception scenarios, and launch readiness
• Address the needs of a significant will-call/customer pickup operation, including how urgent customer requests will be prioritized and fulfilled when inventory is stored within an automated system
• Establish contingency procedures for equipment failures, system outages, and other operational disruptions
• Coordinate go-live preparation and post-launch stabilization, ensuring issues have clear owners and are resolved promptly
• Serve as a key liaison between warehouse operations, technology teams, business stakeholders, and external implementation partners

Required Skills/Experience (Must-Haves)

• Program or project management experience leading complex operational implementations
• Strong, hands‑on knowledge of distribution center operations, including receiving, replenishment, put‑away, and picking
• Experience implementing warehouse automation, robotics, automated material handling, or comparable technologies
• Ability to translate warehouse operating requirements into practical workflows, testing plans, and operational readiness activities
• Experience coordinating internal stakeholders and external implementation vendors or partners
• Strong communication, change management, risk management, and issue-resolution skills
• Ability to work onsite in Illinois five days per week

Preferred Skills/Experience (Nice-to-Haves)

• Experience with automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) or similar warehouse automation technologies
• Experience with warehouse management systems (WMS)
• Experience with WMS/ERP integrations
• Experience supporting distribution environments with substantial will‑call, customer pickup, or urgent fulfillment activity
• Experience leading warehouse automation implementations from planning through go‑live and stabilization

Work Environment

Location: Chicago, IL

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Range: The approximate pay range for this position is between $70.00 and $100.00. Please note that the pay range provided is a good faith estimate. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to background, knowledge, skills, and location. We comply with local wage minimums.

• Medical, Dental, & Vision Insurance Plans
• Employee-Owned Profit Sharing (ESOP)
• 401K offered

About KellyMitchell

At KellyMitchell, our culture is world class. We’re movers and shakers! We don’t mind a bit of friendly competition, and we reward hard work with unlimited potential for growth. This is an exciting opportunity to join a company known for innovative solutions and unsurpassed customer service. We're passionate about helping companies solve their biggest IT staffing & project solutions challenges. As an employee-owned, women‑led organization serving Fortune 500 companies nationwide, we deliver expert service at a moment's notice.

Marketing Disclosure

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