Engineering Group Manager - Material Automation Deployment

Location: Onsite in Kansas City, Kansas; Warren, Michigan; or Wentzville, Missouri. Full-time presence at the selected location is required, with frequent travel of at least 50%.

Company

Automotive manufacturing organization developing and deploying autonomous material-handling technologies across its global plant network.

What you will do

• Lead autonomous mobile equipment and collaborative application deployments from planning through full-scale production integration.
• Own the end-to-end deployment lifecycle and serve as the primary contact for plant leadership teams.
• Coordinate with manufacturing engineering, product, research and development, and engineering center teams to align priorities and remove execution barriers.
• Build, lead, and mentor a team of engineers responsible for material automation deployment.
• Report deployment status, risks, and strategic opportunities to senior executive leadership.
• Scale AMR, automated forklift, and vendor technology solutions across manufacturing plants.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience in manufacturing, automation, or engineering leadership with direct people management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and deliver complex projects on schedule.
• Experience building relationships with plant leadership and operational stakeholders.
• Executive-level communication skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• U.S. Person status is required due to export control restrictions, and existing U.S. work authorization must be held without company immigration sponsorship.

Nice to have

• 8 or more years of experience in automation, material handling, or manufacturing engineering with progressive leadership.
• Knowledge of robotics navigation, safety systems, fleet management, AMR/AGV technologies, and controls systems.
• Experience with PLCs, I/O panels, AMR fleet management systems, or simulation tools such as Siemens Plant Simulation, AnyLogic, or FlexSim.
• Knowledge of OSHA, ANSI/RIA, and FMEA safety standards.
• Lean Six Sigma certification and multi-site execution experience.

Culture & Benefits

• High-visibility leadership role with exposure to senior executive leadership.
• Opportunity to influence long-term material automation strategy and scale a new engineering function.
• Benefits and total rewards supporting employee well-being from the first day.
• Inclusive workplace focused on belonging, development, and non-discrimination.
• Relocation benefits may be available.

Hiring process

• Role-related assessments and pre-employment screening may be required where applicable.