Remote Senior Automation Program Director

Material Handling Systems, Inc.; Prospect (KY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Fortna is seeking a Project Director to lead senior delivery for high-value automation programs across multiple U.S. sites.

The role involves executive stakeholder engagement, cross-functional team leadership, and end-to-end project execution from design through go-live and closeout. The successful candidate will manage projects typically exceeding $60M, coordinate engineering, software, controls, and installation workstreams, and drive safety, quality, and customer value.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated project leadership experience managing large, complex customer implementations, preferably exceeding $60M in project value.
• Proven ability to lead major site-based project execution in a high-pressure, customer-facing environment.
• Strong experience managing project scope, budget, schedule, risks, resources, contractual obligations, and customer expectations.
• Financial and business acumen, including forecasting, cost control, margin management, change management, and risk mitigation.
• Ability to lead cross-functional, matrixed teams and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong customer relationship skills with the ability to communicate clearly, manage escalations, and maintain customer confidence.
• Experience coordinating engineering, installation, software, controls, supply chain, manufacturing, commissioning, and project management workstreams.
• Excellent communication skills, including project reporting, stakeholder updates, executive-level summaries, and customer presentations.
• Ability to mentor project managers and site-level leaders while reinforcing accountability and execution discipline.
• Highly proficient in project management tools and Microsoft Office Suite.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary customer-facing leader for a major, high-value project site, ensuring alignment on execution priorities, expectations, risks, and outcomes.
• Own end-to-end execution of a large, complex customer project site, typically exceeding $60M in value.
• Coordinate across project managers, engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, installation, software, controls, safety, and commissioning teams to ensure integrated execution.
• Drive project financial performance through disciplined forecasting, cost management, margin protection, change management, and risk mitigation.
• Promote a culture of safety, urgency, transparency, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Mentor and support project managers and site-level leaders to strengthen execution discipline, ownership, and issue resolution.

Skills

Project leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder management

Forecasting & budgeting

Risk management

Executive communication

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Fortna is seeking a Project Director to lead senior delivery for high-value automation programs across multiple U.S. sites.

The role involves executive stakeholder engagement, cross-functional team leadership, and end-to-end project execution from design through go-live and closeout. The successful candidate will manage projects typically exceeding $60M, coordinate engineering, software, controls, and installation workstreams, and drive safety, quality, and customer value.