Project Director — Manhattan Active Warehouse Management (AWM) Deployment
A national distributor in the animal health / veterinary products industry
- Department — Information Technology / Supply Chain Operations
- Reports To — VP, Global Product Technology & Commercial Solutions
- Location — Remote — strong preference for candidates based near one of our client's distribution centers (Dallas, Indianapolis, Atlanta, or the broader Midwest corridor); regular travel to Distribution Centers required
- Status — US Citizen or Green Card
- Engagement Type — Contract-to-hire — initial term 6–24 months, with strong intent to convert to a permanent role in the 12+ month range
- Compensation — Commensurate with Experience
Summary
Our client, a national distributor in the animal health industry, is modernizing its warehouse management technology — migrating its distribution center network from legacy Scale and PKMS/WMI systems onto Manhattan Active Warehouse Management (AWM). Foundational build work is underway now to close the remaining functionality gaps ahead of the client's own Manhattan contract and site-by-site deployment.
This role is the client-side project leader for that effort — the first hire building the client's own support and deployment capability. This person will oversee Manhattan Associates as the delivery vendor, drive business-process readiness across the client's distribution centers, and stand up the run-team structure needed to sustain the platform long after go-live.
Key Responsibilities
- Vendor Oversight — Serve as the client-side owner of the Manhattan Associates engagement; hold the vendor accountable to scope, timeline, and quality across the build and the site deployments that follow.
- Business Process Alignment — Learn and validate the client's day-to-day warehouse operations — receiving, pick/pack/ship, inventory control, replenishment, labor management — to surface DC-specific nuances before they become gaps in the new system.
- Design Validation — Participate in Manhattan's design validation sessions to confirm the AWM build reflects the client's actual workflows across both deployment archetypes (manual operations and auto-packer sites).
- Deployment Execution — Drive site-by-site rollout once the system is tech-ready, coordinating roughly four-month deployment cycles across the client's distribution network alongside Manhattan's delivery teams.
- Run-Team Buildout — Stand up the client's own post-go-live support model — labor management, help desk/support structure.
- Integration Coordination — Manage dependencies tied to an ongoing corporate integration (e.g., drop-ship process changes) so they don't collide with the AWM rollout timeline.
- Executive & Frontline Communication — Operate comfortably from the distribution center floor to the executive suite; provide regular status reporting to leadership.
Requirements
- Warehouse Management System Expertise — Hands-on warehouse management system experience is non-negotiable for this environment.
- Manhattan Associate Products — Direct experience with Manhattan's associate WMS products — PKMS, WMOS, and/or Scale.
- Leadership Across Levels — Demonstrated ability to lead in both the warehouse and the executive conference room — comfortable directing a vendor while managing up.
- Distribution Industry Background — Background in a high-volume, high-velocity distribution environment — automotive parts, liquor, or grocery distribution are all highly relevant comparables.
- Vendor Management — Track record managing a technical delivery vendor on a system implementation, not just being one.
- Adaptability — Fast learner who can absorb an unfamiliar business quickly and navigate ambiguity without a fully defined playbook.