Director, Supply Chain Automation - DC

OVERVIEW

The Director, Supply Chain Automation leads the design, deployment, and performance of automation programs across ALO's distribution network. Reporting to the Vice President, Distribution Center Automation, this leader turns ALO's automation strategy into results by taking projects from business case and design through implementation, go-live, stabilization, and ongoing optimization. 

This role is hands-on and execution-focused. The Director leads a team of automation engineers and project leaders, manages integrator and vendor partners day to day, and works closely with DC Operations to make sure automation runs as part of daily operations rather than as standalone technology. The ideal candidate brings strong distribution and automation engineering expertise, a track record of delivering complex automation projects in high-volume environments, and the leadership skills to build a growing team. 

RESPONSIBILITIES  

• Partner with the VP to shape ALO's multi-year automation roadmap, contributing technical assessments, capacity models, and investment recommendations. 
• Translate the roadmap into prioritized programs, project plans, and resource needs across ALO-operated and 3PL facilities. 
• Evaluate emerging automation technologies through research, site visits, and pilots, and recommend where they can create operational and financial value. 
• Benchmark automation performance against leading retail, e-commerce, and apparel distribution operations. 
• Lead automated DC design for assigned programs, from conceptual design and process flow through detailed engineering. 
• Assess and recommend technologies including AS/RS, goods-to-person, AMRs, robotics, sortation, conveyance, automated packaging, and vision systems. 
• Develop capacity models, layouts, and simulations that support growth and peak-volume requirements. 
• Partner with Technology to integrate automation with WMS, WCS/WES, labor management, and other distribution platforms. 
• Own end-to-end delivery of automation projects, accountable for scope, schedule, budget, quality, and risk. 
• Develop requirements, technical specifications, RFPs, project plans, and budgets, and lead vendor evaluations in partnership with the VP and Procurement. 
• Lead testing, commissioning, integration, cutover, go-live, and post-go-live stabilization. 
• Ensure operational readiness through system and volume testing, SOPs, training, maintenance plans, spare parts, and contingency plans. 
• Build and continually improve repeatable deployment playbooks to speed up implementation across the network. 
• Set and track KPIs for deployed automation, including throughput, uptime, accuracy, safety, and cost per unit. 
• Implement preventive and predictive maintenance programs, spare parts standards, and escalation processes in line with the reliability strategy set by the VP. 
• Lead root-cause analysis on system issues and drive continuous improvement of automated operations.
• Support lifecycle planning for automation assets, including upgrades, obsolescence, and replacement needs. 
• Manage day-to-day relationships with automation providers, integrators, OEMs, and engineering partners. 
• Hold partners accountable to contractual commitments, performance standards, and project milestones. 
• Assess vendor solutions on capability, scalability, reliability, implementation risk, and total cost of ownership.
• Manage day-to-day relationships with automation providers, integrators, OEMs, and engineering partners.  
• Build capital business cases with ROI, payback, and total-cost-of-ownership analysis for VP and executive review. 
• Lead, coach, and grow a team of automation engineers, controls specialists, and project managers. 
• Build team capability across automation engineering, systems integration, reliability, and project execution. 
• Create clear ownership and accountability for project delivery and system performance. 
• Foster a culture of technical excellence, urgency, collaboration, and continuous improvement. 
• Manage project budgets and track realized benefits against approved business cases.
• 30%-40% of this role will involve traveling 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Industrial, Mechanical, or Electrical Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, or a related field. 
• Master's degree or MBA a plus. 
• 10+ years of progressive experience in distribution, fulfillment engineering, automation, or material handling systems. 
• 5+ years leading distribution center automation projects and engineering or project teams. 
• Hands-on experience taking automation projects from concept and business case through design, commissioning, go-live, and stabilization. 
• Experience in DTC, e-commerce, retail, or apparel distribution strongly preferred. 
• Experience managing automation vendors and integrators on complex, multi-million-dollar capital projects. 
• Experience in high-growth environments where capacity, speed, and scalability are critical
• Strong expertise in DC automation and material handling technologies, including AS/RS, goods-to-person, AMRs, robotics, sortation, and conveyance. 
• Working knowledge of WMS, WES, WCS, PLC/control systems, and physical-to-software integration. 
• Strong understanding of DC process design, capacity modeling, labor productivity, and operational flow. 
• Working knowledge of WMS, WES, WCS, PLC/control systems, and physical-to-software integration. 
• Strong understanding of DC process design, capacity modeling, labor productivity, and operational flow. 
• Proven program and project management skills, with a record of delivering on time and within budget. 
• Financial acumen in capital business cases, ROI, and total-cost-of-ownership analysis. 
• Analytical and data-driven, able to explain complex engineering topics clearly to operations and leadership audiences. 
• Strong leadership, communication, and cross-functional influence skills.