Sr. Project Manager, Automation

fairlife, LLC is a Chicago-based nutrition company that creates great-tasting, nutrition-rich and dairy products to nourish consumers.

With over $3B in annual retail sales, fairlife’s portfolio of delicious, lactose-free, real dairy products includes: fairlife® ultra-filtered milk; Core Power® High Protein Shakes, a sports nutrition drink to support post-workout recovery; fairlife® nutrition plan™, a nutrition shake to support the journey to better health.

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola company, fairlife, LLC has been recognized by both Fast Company and Nielsen for its industry leading innovation.

To learn more about fairlife and its complete line of products, please visit fairlife.com.

job purpose:  

 

The Automation Project Manager has accountability for leading efforts in the planning and delivery of large, complex, or multi-location capital projects including, but not limited to: Operational Technology (OT) Infrastructures, Manufacturing automation and Engineering. The role will be responsible for leading and managing complex projects involving the integration of engineering systems, automation technologies, construction activities, and programming solutions. This is a challenging and dynamic role that requires strong leadership, technical proficiency, and exceptional project management skills. 

 

responsibilities:  

• Develop automation project plans, define project scope, objectives, and deliverables, and create detailed schedules. 

• Coordinate with cross-functional teams to ensure successful execution of automation projects, adhering to timelines, budget constraints, and quality standards. 

• Oversee and monitor automation project progress, identify potential risks or roadblocks, and implement mitigation strategies. 

• Collaborate with stakeholders to gather requirements, establish automation project goals, and align expectations. 

• Utilize engineering knowledge and expertise to oversee the integration of various engineering systems and automation technologies. 

• Coordinate with Operations to ensure seamless integration of automation solutions into the overall project plan. 

• Provide technical guidance and support in the design, development, and implementation of engineering and automation solutions. 

• Coordinate with software development teams to design and deploy custom applications or automation scripts tailored to project requirements. 

• Perform code reviews, ensure adherence to coding standards, and oversee software testing and quality assurance processes. 

• Strategizes and proactively plans to identify schedule, cost, or field service expectation issues before they come to fruition and can develop action plans to meet project needs. 

• Builds and leverages external connections to technology, vendors, and equipment suppliers to identify new innovations and optimize current technologies. 

• Qualifies new Contractors for critical areas of the business. 

• Develops and manages forecasts and cost control to value engineer scope and compress/accelerate schedules. 

• Develops and promote strategies to maximize the organization’s ability to innovate, improve, and produce high quality results. 

• Defines commissioning, qualification, and validation requirements and ensures our OEMs are held accountable for adherence through Master Services Agreements, Purchasing Agreements, etc. 

skills/qualifications required:  

• 10+ years in the dairy or beverage industry, with a minimum of 7 years in an Automation project management role. 

• Exceptional project management capabilities. 

• Strong cost management and forecasting experience and knowledge. 

• Knowledge of installation and construction standards. 

• Ability to lead and develop others and build effective teams. 

• H