Automation General Manager

What we need 

The Automation General Manager is a hands-on technical leader responsible for ensuring the performance, reliability, and uptime of Symbotic’s highly automated warehouse system—including but not limited to automated adapters, vertical lifts, robotic vehicles (“bots”), conveyors, controls, and supporting infrastructure. This role combines advanced electro-mechanical troubleshooting with strong people leadership, ownership of preventive and corrective maintenance programs, continuous improvement initiatives, and close cross-functional alignment with Operations, Engineering, SRTE, and customer teams. 

This leader monitors the health of Symbotic’s automation ecosystem, leads root-cause problem solving, and ensures long-term corrective actions to strengthen system stability. The Automation General Manager develops and empowers a high-performing maintenance team while sustaining a strong culture of safety, technical excellence, and system reliability within a high-volume distribution environment. 

What you’ll do 

• Serve as the primary Symbotic leader on-site, ensuring exceptional service delivery and maintaining strong relationships with customer counterparts. 

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing operations and technical team—including automation technicians, system operators, and support staff. 

• Foster a collaborative, positive work environment that encourages innovation, cross-functional partnership, and continuous learning through coaching, training, and development opportunities that strengthen technical and leadership capability. 

• Drive a culture of continuous improvement focused on safety, quality, reliability, and system throughput. 

• Oversee daily operations of Symbotic’s automated system, including robotics, electrical and mechanical subsystems, and integrated software platforms. 

• Conduct system performance assessments, analyze cause-and-effect relationships across automation workflows, and drive corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives. 

• Monitor performance metrics across safety, quality, throughput, uptime, and cost, providing clear reporting to customers and internal teams. 

• Communicate operating plan targets, action plans, and progress updates to the site team according to the plan of record. 

• Lead the execution of the site’s operating plan, ensuring alignment to financial commitments, KPIs, and reliability targets. 

• Lead root-cause analysis, corrective action planning, and reliability improvements across electrical, mechanical, and software-based automation components. 

• Partner with engineering, technical support, and R&D to escalate, diagnose, and resolve complex automation, controls, electrical, or mechanical issues. 

• Systems thinking including high-level control architecture (PLC → WES → WMS → customer systems) and how disruptions in one layer affect overall system flow. 

• Interpret automation system telemetry and translate performance insights into operational strategies and staffing decisions. 

• SQL, Linux, Python data analytic report building experience. 

• Maintenance and facility management experience. 

• Ensure compliance with all safety regulations and company policies; uphold a culture where automation and system safety are foundational. 

What you’ll need 

• Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Industrial Automation, Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Robotics), Business Administration, or equivalent work experience required. 

• Minimum of 7 years of functional management and direct supervisory experience within a technology-driven or automated operations environment. 

• Minimum of 5 years of direct leadership experience in operations, maintenance, automation, robotics, or system reliability. 

• Strong knowledge of logistics, material handling systems, inventory control, and automated manufacturing or distribution environments. 

• Demonstrated ability to lead change, drive process improvements, and manage complex technical operations. 

• Strong understanding of operational metrics, system performance management, and continuous improvement methodologies. 

• Experience working with automated systems, controls, electrical & mechanical systems, PLCs, robotics, and integrated software platforms are strongly preferred. 

• Budget preparation and control experience. 

• Business English fluent. 

Our Environment 

• Up to 10% of travel may be required; travel during onboarding/training will be up to 60%. Employees must have a valid driver’s license and the ability to drive and/or fly to client and other customer locations. 

• The employee is responsible for owning a credit card and managing expenses personally to be reimbursed bi-weekly. 

• Ability to climb stairs and work in heights. 

• You will regularly be near railings that are high off the ground.  

• Subject to environmental conditions, protection from weather conditions but not necessarily temperature changes. Must be capable of working in temperatures ranging from 105° to 32° Fahrenheit.  

• The employee is routinely required to work at heights of up to 45 feet and within restrictive areas of 24 inches. Where you may need to be able to stand, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. 

• Must comply with all safety requirements and protocols, including without limitation Lock out tag out safety protocols and fall protection safety protocols. 

• Perform additional duties as required by leadership.