Project Manager - Engineering/Robotics

Omron Automation; Pleasanton (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus program

Equal opportunity employer

Job summary

Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies in Pleasanton, CA is seeking an experienced Project Manager to lead the development of advanced industrial robots from concept to launch. You will coordinate cross-functional teams across Marketing, Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Field Service to ensure timely delivery while adhering to Omron processes and safety standards.

The role requires a BS in engineering, 5+ years in product development, and strong leadership with excellent communication.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical or Software Engineering from a four-year college or related technical school is required.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience managing the development of industrial products.
• Strong knowledge of electro-mechanical systems and working knowledge of software development.
• Demonstrated knowledge of both waterfall/phase-gate and Agile methodologies.
• Strong leadership with outstanding verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of new industrial robots from conception to product launch.
• Manage product development projects within a balanced matrix organization.
• Ensure compliance with Omron process guidelines and best practices.
• Lead regular stakeholder meetings to review status and escalate issues.
• Foster empowerment, collaboration, trust, and respect within the organization.
• Represent Omron professionally and ethically.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Agile & Waterfall

Communication

Analytical skills

MS Project

Jira & Confluence

MS Teams/SharePoint

Office 365

Travel

Education

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical, Electrical or Software Engineering

Master of Science in Mechanical, Electrical or Software Engineering

Tools

Jira

Confluence

MS Project

Smartsheet

Office365

MS Teams/SharePoint

Job description

Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies is a technology development company in the field of industrial robots. Our company is unique in that it develops new electronics, mechanics and software for an exceptionally broad spectrum of robots – including SCARA, articulated, parallel link, cobots, and autonomous mobile robots – for the global market. Omron is the leader in the field of industrial automation with operations in over 40 countries and 150 locations worldwide.

We are seeking to hire a talented Project Manager to join our team located in our Pleasanton, CA facility.

Primary Responsibility

• Lead the development of new industrial robots from conception to product launch.
• As a Project Manager operating within a balanced matrix organization, work closely with Functional Managers to initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close product development projects.
• Ensure product development activities follow Omron process guidelines and best practices.
• Hold regular meetings with stakeholders to review project status and escalates issues as necessary in an expedient manner to ensure project success.
• Foster a culture of empowerment, collaboration, trust, and respect-for-all within the organization.
• Represent Omron in a professional, ethical, and socially responsible manner.

Specific Duties

Lead cross‑functional teams composed of members from Marketing (Product Management, Marketing Communications), Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Embedded, Software, Systems, Compliance, Applications Development, Tech Pubs), Operations (Supply Chain, Advanced Manufacturing, Production), Quality, and Field Service and Support.

• Work with Product Management and Engineering to facilitate and manage preparation of Marketing Requirements Documents (MRD) for a variety of new industrial robots including fixed robots, collaborative robots or cobots, and autonomous mobile robots.
• Work with Engineering to facilitate and manage the decomposition of the MRD into engineering requirements, generation of design concepts, trade‑off analysis and down‑selection of concepts, development of proof‑of‑concept and prototype products, development of technical drawings and specifications, preparation of DFMEA and associated design countermeasures, planning/execution of verification and validation testing, development of technical user manuals, and safety and compliance certification.
• Work with Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, and Quality to facilitate and manage various make vs buy decisions, estimation and control of product cost‑of‑goods‑sold, selection of key global Suppliers, providing DfM feedback to Engineering, development of PFMEA, production control plan, and other quality assurance measures.
• Support the Omron global factories with the transfer of products manufactured overseas.
• Determine cross‑functional project scope, develop WBS, allocate resources in coordination with Functional Managers, develop and manage project schedules throughout complete product lifecycle, and manage project cost using accurate financial forecasts.
• Capture organizational lessons learned and drive continuous process improvements.

Job Level

• Senior -- Able to provide high‑level project management of complex projects with minimal supervision

Required

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical, Electrical or Software Engineering from a four‑year college or related technical school.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience managing the development of industrial products
• Strong knowledge of electro‑mechanical systems and working knowledge of software development.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience using both traditional waterfall/phase‑gate methodologies and contemporary Agile methodologies.
• Strong leader with outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills to enable data‑driven decisions.
• Proven ability to manage expectations and to resolve problems and conflicts within a balanced matrixed organization (multiple functional groups engaged in multiple concurrent projects)
• Working knowledge of software tools (Office365, MS Teams/SharePoint, Atlassian Confluence and JIRA, MS Project, Smartsheet).
• Occasional international travel to work with worldwide teams.
• Proven ability to serve as a change agent for continuous improvement

Preferred

• Master of Science in Mechanical, Electrical or Software Engineering
• Eight (8) or more years of experience developing industrial automation and robotic products with a strong working knowledge of software development.
• Breadth and depth of knowledge related to matrix organizations, specifically the processes, roles, and responsibilities of the various functional groups including Marketing (Product Management, Marketing Communications), Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Embedded, Software, Systems, Compliance, Applications Development), Operations (Supply Chain, Manufacturing Engineering, Production), Quality, and Field Service and Support.
• Strong working knowledge of advanced product development methodologies (Design for Six Sigma, DfX, INCOSE framework, APQP, Lean, Agile Scrum, etc.).
• Working knowledge of regulatory requirements, risk assessment and risk reduction when it comes to designing industrial products/systems.
• PMP and/or Agile Scrum certification

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Omron, we are dedicated to building an inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

The annual salary range for this role in California is $140,000 - $170,000 a year, however, base pay offered may vary depending on geographic region, internal equity, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. This position is also eligible for an annual performance‑based bonus program. Candidates will be assessed and provided offers against the minimum qualifications of this role and their individual experience.

Omron is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, we comply with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.