Senior Project Manager – Industrial Automation & Custom Machinery

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc.; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Paid holidays and paid time off

Performance bonus

Job summary

Liberty Personnel Services, Inc. is seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead customer projects involving industrial machinery, automation, and material handling equipment.

You will oversee projects from contract award through design, fabrication, installation, startup, and final customer acceptance, coordinating engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, and field service to ensure on-time, within-budget delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering or related field; equivalent experience considered.
• At least 4 years of project management experience in industrial automation, custom machinery, or material handling.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects, coordinate teams, and deliver customer-facing projects on time and within budget.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary customer contact from kickoff to final acceptance.
• Develop and maintain project schedules, milestones, and status reports.
• Manage budgets, monitor costs against estimates, and ensure profitability.
• Identify scope changes, prepare change orders, and obtain customer approval.
• Track risks and issues, develop mitigation plans, and keep projects on schedule.
• Prepare project estimates and quotes in support of sales activities.
• Coordinate closeout, final documentation, and billing milestones.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Customer relations

Communication

Problem solving

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering

PM certification (PMP)

Tools

AutoCAD

SolidWorks

Microsoft Project

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Approximately 25% Travel

Position Overview

An established industrial engineering and integration company is seeking a Senior Project Manager to lead customer projects involving industrial machinery, automation and control systems, and custom material handling equipment.

This position offers the opportunity to manage projects from contract award through design, fabrication, installation, startup, and final customer acceptance. The Senior Project Manager will coordinate engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, and field service resources to deliver projects on schedule, within budget, and to customer specifications.

The ideal candidate is an organized, dependable leader with strong project management, personnel leadership, and customer relationship skills, along with experience supporting industrial equipment or automation projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary customer contact from project kickoff through final acceptance.
• Develop and maintain project schedules, milestones, resource plans, and status reports.
• Manage project budgets, monitor costs against estimates, and maintain project profitability.
• Identify scope changes, prepare change orders, and obtain customer approval.
• Track project risks and issues, developing solutions to keep projects on schedule.
• Prepare project estimates and supplemental quotes in support of sales activities.
• Manage project closeout, final documentation, customer sign-off, and billing milestones.

Electrical & Automation Projects

• Review project requirements, deliverables, and schedules with customers.
• Support procurement of electrical components and materials.
• Coordinate the design, fabrication, and installation of electrical control panels.
• Oversee testing, debugging, startup, and commissioning activities through customer acceptance.

Mechanical Engineering & Equipment Projects

• Review mechanical designs for custom machinery, tooling, retrofits, and new equipment.
• Review mechanical assembly and detail drawings using SolidWorks and AutoCAD.
• Coordinate procurement of mechanical components and materials.
• Oversee shop testing and factory acceptance testing (FAT), installation, and field testing through final acceptance.
• Coordinate and support field service and installation personnel, including scheduling and project assignments.
• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, and sales to resolve issues and maintain project progress.
• Promote safe work practices in fabrication environments and at customer facilities in accordance with OSHA and customer-specific requirements.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a related field; equivalent education and experience will also be considered.
• At least 4 years of project management experience, preferably in industrial automation, custom machinery, or material handling.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, coordinate personnel, and deliver customer‑facing projects successfully.

Required Skills

• Strong organizational, leadership, problem‑solving, and time‑management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and customer service abilities.
• Ability to coordinate multiple teams, tasks, and project deadlines.
• Experience with AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word; experience with Microsoft Project and PowerPoint.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel, including overnight stays.

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of industrial automation controls, including PLCs, HMIs, drives, and robotics.
• Mechanical or electrical experience with the design, fabrication, installation, or support of custom machinery and material handling systems.
• Experience with project quoting, estimating, and cost control.

Location & Travel

• In‑office position with travel to company facilities, fabrication operations, and customer sites as needed.
• Approximately 25% travel, primarily within the United States.
• Overnight travel is required periodically.

Working Conditions

• Work may involve remote office work, fabrication shops, and customer manufacturing facilities.
• Must comply with site safety requirements and wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
• Occasional standing, walking, climbing ladders, and lifting up to 50 pounds may be required.
• Competitive salary with a performance‑based bonus program tied to company and individual results.
• Medical insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Paid holidays and paid time off.