Director Warehouse Automation

Build Your Career with Ashley Furniture- Where Innovation Meets Comfort

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At Ashley, inspiring the love of home is at the heart of everything we do. As the world’s largest manufacturer of home furnishings, we’re more than a business — we’re a family driven by innovation, competitiveness, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. We persevere through challenges, push beyond the status quo, and constantly seek better ways to deliver an exceptional customer experience. Our solutions-first mindset and dedication to growth are why Ashley remains #1 in our industry.

If you’re ready to grow, you’ve come to the right place. With a true “Growth Mindset,” Ashley Furniture invests in developing future leaders and helps every team member learn from the best in the business.

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Summary: The Director of Warehouse Automation is responsible for developing and executing the automation strategy across warehouse and distribution center operations. This role leads the evaluation, design, implementation, and optimization of automation solutions that improve efficiency, productivity, safety, quality, and scalability. Partnering closely with operations, engineering, technology, and finance leaders, the Director will identify opportunities to leverage automation technologies, robotics, and advanced material handling systems to drive operational excellence across the distribution network.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute a long-term warehouse automation roadmap aligned with organizational growth and operational objectives.
• Identify, evaluate, and implement automation technologies, including robotics, automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), conveyor systems, sortation equipment, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and warehouse control systems.
• Partner with business leaders to develop business cases, financial analyses, ROI models, and capital investment recommendations for automation initiatives.
• Lead end-to-end automation projects, including vendor selection, system design, implementation, testing, startup, and optimization.
• Collaborate with warehouse operations teams to identify process improvement opportunities and translate operational challenges into scalable automation solutions.
• Establish standard methodologies and automation frameworks that can be replicated across multiple distribution centers.
• Manage relationships with automation vendors, integrators, consultants, and equipment manufacturers.
• Monitor key performance indicators and operational metrics to measure the effectiveness of automation investments and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure automation solutions support safety, quality, service, and productivity goals while minimizing operational disruption.
• Work closely with Information Technology, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Operations teams to integrate automation systems with existing business platforms and processes.
• Provide leadership and guidance to cross-functional project teams throughout the planning and execution of automation initiatives.
• Stay current on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices related to warehouse automation and distribution operations.
• Support change management efforts, operational readiness planning, and training programs to ensure successful adoption of new technologies.

 Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations Management, Industrial Engineering, Logistics, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience within warehouse, distribution, fulfillment, or supply chain operations.
• Proven experience leading the implementation of automation solutions within high-volume distribution or fulfillment environments.
• Strong understanding of warehouse operations, material handling systems, distribution processes, and labor productivity metrics.
• Experience developing business cases, capital investment proposals, and ROI analyses for large-scale operational initiatives.
• Demonstrated success managing complex, cross-functional projects from concept through implementation.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Experience working with warehouse management systems (WMS), warehouse control systems (WCS), and automation technologies.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to travel as needed to support multiple distribution center locations.