Automation and Controls Engineering Senior Manager

Job Description

The Automation and Controls Engineering Senior Manager for product categories is responsible for managing, influencing and guiding product category specific initiatives to drive cohesive, scalable operational efficiency across US Operations. This leadership role serves as the primary product category level technical authority for automated plant floor systems, controls systems, and system engineering/development integration initiatives. A key liaison between corporate and plant resources, this role balances the needs of product category and plant priorities with scalable standardization at the "entire manufacturing network and corporate" level.

This position ensures the work within automation, controls, systems and IT teams align with corporate, category, and plant needs. Acting as a key connection to plant resource teams, the role will drive scalable process improvement, improving executional discipline and partner experience, which reflect reliable, controlled, and stable plant floor operations.

• Oversee the design, development, and implementation of advanced control systems, automation, and systems engineering. Own the program work within multiple product categories, across multiple manufacturing sites, to optimize operational efficiency, effectiveness and capability. Contribute to multiple large‑scale projects that standardize work across categories.
• Work closely with IT teams and corporate automation/controls/systems teams ensuring alignment of purpose and high‑level organizational goals. Drive company projects and initiatives with manufacturing, process, and project engineering as well as operational excellence teams. Engage appropriate IT, Maintenance, or other teams for support.
• Lead cross‑functional initiatives aimed at enhancing data collection and optimizing operational processes. Ensure measurable improvements in key performance indicators, resulting in greater control, asset performance, standardization, and partner effectiveness at US locations. Propose projects, initiate change, and influence leaders and stakeholders to align on improvements and new processes. Leverage data to perform analysis and maximize asset utilization.
• Spearhead operational strategy development for the product category. Help prioritize requests and opportunities by managing a backlog of opportunities through alignment with key stakeholders and leaders. Plan and manage projects and system implementations by considering impacts and risks to production processes, end users, and long‑term goals.
• With a viable level of credibility and plant floor experience, provide indirect and influential leadership within the plants. Acting as site governance, connecting to the large‑picture business objectives through a plant and category lens. Through plant and corporate relationships, bring a strong plant floor voice to the corporate team structure and a deeper bigger picture perspective to plant teams.
• Research best practices and understand industry trends to influence and develop documented best practices for system designs, architectures, AI and digitalization, and implementations. Influence and educate fellow Operations Systems/Controls partners on these best practices and standards.
• Together with the leadership team, ensures compliance with Food Safety and Food Quality Plans in addition to customer requirements. Interprets and communicates customer requirements to plant production and/or support groups. Establish and audit PCPs, CCPs and Standard Operating Procedures to define and monitor processes, to ensure customer requirements are met.
• May be required to perform other job‑related tasks.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related technical field required. Masters/MBA Automation or Controls preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in Operations Systems, Control Systems, Process/Manufacturing Engineering, Automation, Robotics, AI, Digitalization, Software Systems required.
• 7+ years of experience in Plant Operations Management, Project Management, Project Engineering or Maintenance required.
• Oversee long‑term goals aligned with company growth and impact plans to support a World…