Director of AI & Automation

Role Purpose

Own the end‑to‑end success of industrial automation and intelligence initiatives — from pre‑engineering and solution definition through delivery, value realization, and expansion.

This role partners closely with:

• Executive leadership
• Director of Business Development (Industrial)
• Delivery leads and their teams

The role owns outcomes, not task‑level delivery, and serves as the execution and architecture leader on complex customer programs (e.g., Igloo).

Key Responsibilities

1. Program & Outcome Ownership

• Own the overall success of automation initiatives from pre‑engineering through deployment and value realization
• Partner with assigned delivery leads for execution, resourcing, and day‑to‑day delivery
• Remain accountable for customer outcomes:

• ROI (e.g., 12‑month payback targets)
• Safety improvement
• Operational performance

• Ensure continuity from sold scope → delivered scope → expansion scope

2. Architecture & Solution Leadership

• Define the target automation and execution architecture, including:

• AMRs
• Autonomous forklifts
• Safety systems (AI cameras, zoning, traffic separation)
• Warehouse/Manufacturing Intelligence System (WIS/MIS)

• Ensure clean separation between:

• System of Execution (MIS/WIS)
• System of Record (ERP / MES such as Oracle, BC, etc)

• Decouple real‑time execution and decision‑making from ERP/MES while preserving data integrity
• Translate customer requirements into clear, executable delivery plans for engineering and delivery teams

3. Cross‑Team Coordination

• Act as the single technical and execution point of accountability across:

• Solutions engineering
• Delivery teams
• Partners and vendors

• Align sales commitments, delivery reality, and customer expectations
• Resolve cross‑functional issues quickly and decisively

4. Customer Leadership & Trust

• Run alongside executive leadership in strategic customer engagements
• Maintain credibility with customer leadership through:

• Clear architecture
• Honest scoping
• Consistent follow‑through

• Guide customers through phased automation roadmaps without over‑engineering or platform sprawl
• Serve as the long‑term execution owner customers trust

5. Sales & Business Development Partnership (Critical)

• Partner directly with executive leadership and the Director of Business Development (Industrial) throughout the sales cycle
• Act as the technical, architectural, and execution authority in complex deals
• Shape and qualify opportunities by:

• Framing the right automation scope
• Defining execution architecture (SOE vs SOR)
• Building phased roadmaps tied to ROI

• Increase deal size by ~30–50% on qualified industrial opportunities by attaching:

• Execution architecture (MIS as SOE)
• ERP/MES integration
• Safety systems (AI cameras, PTT, zoning)
• Multi‑phase expansion plans

• Ensure what is sold is:

• Deliverable
• ROI‑backed
• Expandable

This is a sales‑partnered role, not a quota‑carrying sales role.