Project Management Team Lead (Manufacturing)

The Project Management Team Lead (PMTL) will report to the Manager of Manufacturing Project Operations and will directly manage a team of approximately 5 - 7 project managers (PMs). Additionally, the PMTL is expected to assist their project teams as needed during critical phases of their team’s projects. This position is considered a “working manager” role at Toyota Automated Logistics.

 

The ideal candidate will be a Project Management Professional (PMP) experienced in the material handling industry, manufacturing, warehouse management and/or control systems (WMS, WCS), and possess direct experience and expertise in one or more of the technical specialties used in our projects. Additionally, the ideal candidate will be a strong, growing leader with a passion for process improvement and mentorship.

 

Job Functions:

• Leadership
  • Provide appropriate guidance and coaching to project managers, with varying levels of experience and skill sets
  • Work with project managers to successfully overcome project and customer challenges, both technical and logistical in nature
  • Demonstrate strong attention to detail and technical credibility to earn trust, identify gaps early, and provide effective guidance
  • Proactively review team member projects to anticipate future risks, conflicts, or execution challenges before they impact scope, schedule, cost, or customer confidence
  • Use lessons learned, technical insight, and forecasting to coach project managers on how to prepare for upcoming challenges and make informed decisions
  • Foster a culture of ownership, preparation, continuous improvement, and proactive problem‑solving
  • Communicate expectations, feedback, and direction clearly and effectively to team members at all experience levels
  • Coach project managers on proactive risk management, change management, and contingency planning
  • Escalate risks, constraints, and execution concerns to leadership with professionalism, clarity, and recommended paths forward
  • Mentorship to project managers, including leading by example
  • Cascade critical corporate communications from Toyota Automated Logistics leadership to team members
  • Teach team members the reasons why their job is important for the success of Toyota Automated Logistics and ensure that each team member is embodying the core values of our company
  • Initiate and participate in process improvement and tool development for project management tasks and deliverables
  • Guide the development of the project management department annual strategic goals and ensure their successful completion
• Resource Management
  • Work with Manager of Manufacturing Project Operations to manage workload of team members based on project complexity, team capacity, individual skill sets, and business priorities
  • Monitor team bandwidth and project demands to identify resource constraints or capability gaps early
  • Provide team members with opportunities for training and improving skill sets for career development
  • Work cross-functionally with other managers and team leads within other Toyota Automated Logistics and Bastian Automation departments to address individual project needs within an assigned portfolio
  • Participate in hiring process of new project managers
  • Review and approval of expense reports
  • Review and approval of vacation and personal time off requests
  • Create, update, and review incentive plans with team members
  • Conduct annual performance reviews and set personal goals with team members
  • Develop career path plans with project managers on the team
  • Recommend team members to management for annual awards and promotions
  • Provide a quality control review for key deliverables developed by your team members
  • Work with other Toyota Automated Logistics and Bastian Automation leaders and employees to help develop a strong safety culture and understand how to work safely each day in various environments
• Project Management
  • Provide technical project oversight across the full project lifecycle, ensuring disciplined planning, execution, monitoring, and close‑out
  • Maintain a strong working knowledge of manufacturing, engineering, and integration processes suf