Sr Director, Implementation and Systems Integration at Americold Logistics, LLC. in Atlanta, Georgia

Job Description:

About Us

Americold is a global provider of temperature-controlled infrastructure. We partner with farmers and food producers to ensure their perishable and frozen product reaches foods suppliers, restaurants, and your local grocery store without spoilage. Our customers, which include some of the most respected brands in the food industry, rely on our expertise and commitment to safety in order to deliver on their commitments.

What You'll Do

The Sr. Director of Implementation and Systems Integration is responsible for delivering the technical solution for Americold's automated projects. This role will balance technical engineering oversight and expertise of equipment and systems with practical operations experience in managing workflow and volume ramp-up in an automated environment. The leader and his/her team will be the key contact with the Automation Contractor to drive commissioning and ramp-up plans, along with daily actions to resolve technical issues.

Additional responsibility includes oversight of racking and refrigeration solutions for both automated and conventional new builds and retrofits. This leader and their team of engineers will take approved projects from concept/solutions phase through detailed engineering and into implementation, supporting the program management team with technical expertise. This leader will drive clarity of requirements and hold the suppliers accountable for technical and functional delivery.

• Oversee department of 1-2 directors and 10-15 engineers to design, install, test and deliver the technical solution with several key implementation roles
  
  
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    Project Engineers - technical design and implementation oversight of quality of delivery and adherence to specifications including engineering for electrical, mechatronics, networks, auxiliary systems, maintenance-friendly design and system standardization
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    Systems Integration Managers - manage mechatronic systems to troubleshoot and correct outstanding items; function as subject matter expert on operational process flows across WMS, WES/WCS and PLC/controls to resolve issues with uptime, facility flow, and turn time
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    Commissioning Managers - lead functionality review of safety and critical controls systems; review topology of network setup to ensure all key faults/messages are interpreted and defined to maintenance for action
    
    
    • Validate all local PLC ladder logic, troubleshoot and ensure remote HMI and visualizers meet requirements
    
    
  
  
• After concept design approval, this leader's team will receive handoff from our design engineering team to lead Supplier Selection for the automated contractor (AC) - drive selection of the key lead and their main sub-contractors to scope, costs and schedule are met
• Lead Integrated Detailed Engineering (IDE) - after project preliminary approval, lead final scoping by progressing the design concept to a deeper level of engineering accuracy
  
  
  • Lead joint design workshops with primary contractors to ensure the physical design meets all customer requirements and business KPI's
  • Drive all racking, ASRS, cranes, layer picking, conveyor, and other subsystems to design completion to finalize scope and costs
  • Drive integrated schedule across GC and AC with key milestones for contractual needs
  
  
• Provide project engineering leadership throughout installation - lead the technical workstream under the program manager, after the detailed engineering phase through go-live
  
  
  • Manage execution of the project technical solution with the automation contractor; act as SME on all aspects of engineering questions that arise during installation
  • Work closely with the AC supplier's technical team to coordinate commissioning and testing, with Americold's IT Systems team
  • With the Commissioning team, review and signoff on all PLC ladder logic, e-stop diagrams and other controls-related items prior to commissioning and testing
  • Facilitate support training of Maintenance team through OEM suppliers, including Train the Trainer, documentation, vendor augmentation, and post go-live support
  • Lead and support rate/volume or burst testing with key suppliers to ensure automation systems are taxed with enough volume to emulate peak day
  
  
• Provide Operational & Ramp-up support in resolving ongoing roadblocks to customer confidence or systems stabilization
  
  
  • Identify automation bottlenecks and build a plan across workstreams to bring the site up to expectations
  • Diagnose issues in 3 categories
    
    
    • Equipment - Mechatronic faults/failure, replacement or other device settings that are incorrectly applied or installed
    • Systems - identify bugs, allocation issues or other parameters that inhibit flow
    • People - resolve and address human-induced errors that exacerbate downtime or prove as incorrect response; guide training teams to document
    
    
  • Manage AC supplier completion and final payout through Provisional and Final Acceptance of the system rates to include punchlist, drawing signoff, rate validation and software/PLC delivery resolution of bugs and fixes
  
  

• Bachelor's Degree in Industrial, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering, Mechatronics, Logistics, or related field
• 15+ years of demonstrated Implementation Management of Automated sites managing suppliers and responding to operational roadblocks
• Ideal mix for this individual would have 5+ years of design and 10+ years of implementation
• Operations management experience desired; proven experience inside a distribution center and leadership or other role through two or more go-lives
• Experience in "new builds/greenfields\