Job Summary
The Autonomous Planning Manager leads and develops a team of engineers and planners responsible for translating North America's Autonomous Manufacturing and Logistics strategy into actionable roadmaps, execution frameworks, and data-driven recommendations. This role is accountable for team output, planning governance, and cross-functional alignment, ensuring consistent, high-quality decision support for senior leadership while building sustainable planning capability across North America manufacturing affiliates.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic Planning & Road-mapping
Lead and manage a team of engineers responsible for translating NA autonomous strategy into multi-year roadmaps, initiative concepts, and phased deployment options.
Direct and coach the planning team supporting Manufacturing Affiliates in developing and maintaining Autonomous Manufacturing & Logistics roadmaps aligned to the FY35 vision.
Oversee early-phase initiative definition performed by the team, including scope, rationale, assumptions, and dependency identification.
Governance Policy & Alignment
Ensure the planning team's work aligns with the autonomous governance model through the NAPIC Autonomous Center of Excellence.
Assign and oversee preparation of governance alignment materials and facilitation of cross-functional reviews.
Represent the planning team in escalation and decision-support discussions with Senior Manager and Director leadership.
Execution Planning & Deployment Readiness
Lead a team responsible for developing execution plans, rollout scenarios, and dependency analyses in coordination with affiliate and functional stakeholders.
Ensure the team delivers consistent, data-driven site and line recommendations to support leadership decisions, without holding execution authority.
Guide team recommendations on scale, pause, or revision actions based on system readiness, risk, and anticipated value.
Standards, Frameworks & System Integration
Manage and direct the team coordinating standards development across Manufacturing, Logistics, IT/Digital, and Data functions.
Accountable for the team's contributions to FY35 North Star Manufacturing System frameworks, including architecture definitions, autonomy levels, and deployment concepts.
Lead the cross-functional planning team contributing to the NA system-of-systems vision, ensuring coherence across strategy, standards, and system architectures.
Minimum Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing or related field
Experience: 8+ years in manufacturing, logistics, automation, or operations strategy with cross-functional leadership experience.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience as an individual contributor or leader of a team developing and leading regional/corporate-level technical direction initiatives in manufacturing environment
Familiarity with automation systems & Industry 4.0 methodologies
Knowledge of global manufacturing ecosystems and cross-cultural leadership.
Work Environment & Travel Requirements
Role is primarily based in an office environment working frequently with automation & development teams.
Travel required: ~10%, mostly within North America, some international travel required.
Physical requirements include standing, walking, occasional lifting, and navigating shop floor environments.