Director of Automation Engineering - Program Execution

Company & Position Overview:
J.B.

Poindexter & Co., Inc.

(JBPCO) is a privately held, diversified manufacturing company forecasting over $2.5B in annual revenues and employing over 8,000 team members.

The six operating subsidiaries, covering 60 locations, are engaged in the production of commercial truck bodies, step-vans, utility trucks, ambulances, electric and alternative fuel vehicles, and expandable foam plastic packaging.

For more information, visit https://www.jbpoindexter.com.

The Director, Automation Engineering - Program Execution will help create and execute the defined Automation Project portfolio within the JBPCO business units.

The successful candidate will be an Advanced Manufacturing Leader with a proven track record of delivering Automation projects across multiple facilities.

The Director will help create and lead an internal team of engineers capable of delivering automation projects through production launch either leveraging internal capabilities or outside automation suppliers.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:


* Build and lead a team of Automation Program Leads and Engineers capable of delivering the defined automation project portfolio across all the JBPCO sites.


* Work in collaboration with the business units (BU's) and Corporate central functions to design, build, install and launch the new equipment at the sites.


* Support the development of the automation roadmap and concept developments with the BU's.


* Develop strategies and initiatives to quickly leverage improvements across the enterprise through the strategic design and deployment of equipment and procedures to aid the successful rollout of automation in the plants.


* Work cross-functionally, at all levels in the organization, to gain buy-in and ensure successful implementation of the project portfolio both at the BU and Corporate level.


* Help with the evaluation of current production processes and identification of opportunities to improve safety, quality, productivity, and cost structure.


* Conduct studies to uncover and address production efficiency issues and propose/test solutions while ensuring volume and mix flexibility.


* Identify and qualify external design and build automation vendors.


* Lead and develop a system acquisition process starting with vendor evaluation and request for proposal through the system build, acceptance testing, and ramp to rate.


* Prepare concept layouts and drawings and document design processes and solutions.


* Lead complex system tests and prepare reports.


* Improve labor and space efficiency and cost effectiveness while continually addressing safety, including ergonomics.


* Identify opportunities to standardize common processes across business units to achieve and benefit from economies of scale.


* Develop Automation organizational skill requirements and gap analysis with the BU's manufacturing sites.

Support gap closure initiatives through leverag...