Senior Automation Project Manager

Company / Location Information

A.O. Smith is a global leader applying innovative technologies and energy-efficient solutions to products manufactured and marketed worldwide. The company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water treatment products for residential and light commercial applications. A. O. Smith is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with approximately 12,000 employees at operations in the United States, Canada, China, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Primary Function

The Senior Automation Project Manager will work with Director of Global Manufacturing Engineering, Global Manufacturing Engineering team, Director of Digital Operations, and A.O. Smith facilities to provide process automation subject matter expertise (SME) and project management support for various strategic projects as business needs require.  This position will focus on improving upon EH&S challenges, manufacturing and assembly process capabilities, cost & labor productivity goals, and 4M process standardization initiatives in a way that ensures compliance with process automation standards and alignment with digital operations strategy.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate and lead multi-site, cross-functional teams establishing relationships, understanding and resolving business unit and site-specific challenges, and work with local plant experts (LPE) to assess existing manufacturing processes for automation opportunities, identify proposed solution concepts, and implement scalable & sustainable solutions
• Facilitate multi-site, multi-functional collaborative efforts in generating proposed solution concepts, ensuring compliance with automation process standardization policies, digital operations strategy, and alignment between need, technology & application
• Develop and facilitate project team charter(s) and project plan(s) providing clarity of project scope, assumptions, cost estimates, resource requirements, key milestones & support activities
• Coordinate project team activities, daily huddles, communication protocols, Andon, knowledge gap & risk management, team dynamic alignment, project timeline & key milestone compliance ensuring timely status updates, issue escalation and overall project deliverables are completed on time and are of high quality
• Provide process automation SME oversight in developing process automation standards, ensuring documentation and training are in place, and providing process automation engineering support for various process improvement initiatives, monitoring key performance metrics and implementing corrective actions to achieve performance targets
• Perform other activities as needed or as directed. 

Qualifications

• Bachelor’ Degree in engineering or a related field from a 4-year college or university (manufacturing, mechanical, process automation preferred).  Professional Project Management (PMP) certification is also preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, with strong process automation project management skills and proven ability to influence without authority in meeting defined goals, objectives & deadlines working with manufacturing, product engineering & supply chain work environments
• Knowledge of process automation technologies (eg, RPA tools like UiPath, Blue Prism, or industrial automation platforms such as PLC/SCADA systems), robotics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence
• Highly motivated, self-starter who can prioritize based on overall business goals and objectives
• Strong leadership & coaching skills and able to plan, develop, and execute tactical and strategic manufacturing initiatives, and must carry out duties with utmost integrity
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate multi-site, cross-functional collaborative efforts, and build relationships that promote cooperation and consensus between project team members
• Must be able to travel (upwards of 50% as business needs require)

We Offer

Competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits plans which include medical and dental insurance, company-sponsored life insurance, retirement security savings plan, short- and long-term disability programs and tuition assistance.

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ADA Statement & EEO Statement

In developing this job description care was taken to include all competencies needed to successfully perform in this position. However, for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) purposes, the essential functions of the job may or may not have been described for purposes of ADA reasonable accommodation. All reasonable accommodation requests will be reviewed and evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

We consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity and expression, marital or military status. We also provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and applicable state and local law.