Construction & Forestry Automation Strategy & Execution Lead

Construction & Forestry Automation Strategy & Execution Lead

As a Construction & Forestry Automation Strategy & Execution Lead for John Deere Construction & Forestry located in Davenport, IA, Dubuque, IA, or Kernersvile, NC you will provide divisional leadership for automation strategy, execution governance, standards, capability development, and supplier engagement across the C&F manufacturing network.

Additionally you will:

• Lead the C&F divisional automation strategy and multi-year roadmap across the manufacturing network, aligning automation priorities to business transformation goals and future factory capability needs
• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize high-value automation opportunities based on business value, scalability, readiness, risk, investment need, and strategic alignment
• Maintain and govern a divisional backlog of automation use cases through structured factory demand intake, stakeholder engagement, and prioritization processes
• Establish governance processes for automation portfolio management, including prioritization, risk management, funding discipline, transparency, execution accountability, and outcome tracking
• Partner with factory leadership and cross-functional teams to understand operational challenges, define future-state capabilities, and align automation investments to site and divisional priorities
• Demonstrate strong technical understanding of industrial automation, including robotics, controls, machine connectivity, data integration, OT/IT architecture, smart manufacturing, and emerging automation technologies
• Develop and maintain scalable automation standards, reference architectures, deployment playbooks, and reusable solution patterns to enable consistent execution across multiple factories
• Engage suppliers, integrators, and technology partners to evaluate solutions, define integration approaches, ensure technical alignment, and support deployment at scale
• Partner closely with the China Technical Automation Lead to accelerate execution of priority automation projects and deliver business transformation outcomes through aligned technical direction, supplier coordination, and external integrator engagement
• Build organizational automation capability through coaching, competency development, communities of practice, factory engagement, and knowledge sharing
• Track and communicate business outcomes to ensure automation investments deliver measurable value in safety, quality, productivity, cost, delivery, capacity, and operational performance

• Experience leading automation strategy, roadmap development, or transformation initiatives in a manufacturing or production environment
• Demonstrated ability to translate business priorities into automation initiatives with clear scope, value drivers, execution plans, and measurable outcomes
• Strong understanding of industrial automation technologies, robotics, machine connectivity, controls, data integration, and emerging smart manufacturing capabilities
• Experience developing standards, solution architectures, deployment playbooks, or repeatable methods that support scalable automation implementation across multiple sites
• Proven ability to build organizational capability through coaching, competency development, communities of practice, and knowledge sharing with factory and technical teams
• Monitor industry trends, benchmark peer organizations, and evaluate emerging technologies to inform future automation strategy, supplier partnerships, and capability development

• Experience leading multi-site automation programs or enterprise-level manufacturing transformation initiatives
• Proven ability to scout, evaluate, pilot, and scale new automation technologies across diverse applications such as material handling, assembly, welding, machining, dispensing, and inspection
• Experience building supplier ecosystems, preferred integrator models, technology partner relationships, or strategic sourcing approaches for automation delivery
• Experience developing competency frameworks, training plans, communities of practice, or technical governance structures for automation and smart manufacturing capabilities
• Knowledge of collaborative automation, autonomous mobile robots, machine vision, perception technologies, industrial connectivity, IoT, data platforms, and Industry 4.0 solution architectures
• Ability to connect automation strategy to business case development, capital planning, ROI, cost reduction, capacity improvement, and operational performance outcomes

Ideally you will have a degree or equivalent related work experience in the following:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or equivalent experience in a related career field

What You'll Get

At John Deere, you are empowered to create a career that will take you to where you want to go while working in an inclusive team environment. Here, you'll enjoy the freedom to explore new projects, the support to think outside the box and the advanced tools and technology that foster innovation and…