Automation Project Manager Jobs in Springboro, OH

The Software Project Manager is responsible for the planning, execution, and delivery of the software scope on Kardex automation projects. The role carries a software project from handover at the point of sale through solution definition, configuration, testing, customer training, and final acceptance, keeping schedule, scope, and customer expectations aligned throughout.
The Software Project Manager owns the software workstream end to end. On multi-discipline installations the General Construction Project Manager (GCPM) leads overall project execution and the Software Project Manager works in tandem with them, accountable for the software side of the operation; on software-only projects the role carries the project outright. The role reports to the Manager of Software Solutions & Delivery and directs the day-to-day project work of the Solution Architects and Software Implementation Engineers assigned to it.
Your tasks
Job Purpose
Plan and execute the software scope of Kardex automation projects so that deliverables, milestones, and customer commitments are met on schedule and within the agreed scope.
Direct the project activities of assigned Solution Architects and Software Implementation Engineers, sequencing work and setting deliverable dates so that solution design, configuration, testing, training, and acceptance progress predictably.
Hold customer expectations in line with what was sold and what the Description of Operation (DOO) defines, identifying scope changes early and initiating the change order process before the work is performed.
Surface schedule, resource, and technical risk early enough to be acted on, raising it with the GCPM and escalating to the Manager of Software Solutions & Delivery when it is not being resolved.
Job Requirements
Training/Education:
Bachelor's degree in Project Management, Engineering, Information Technology, Business, or a related field preferred.
Equivalent combination of education and industry experience considered. PMP or equivalent project management certification preferred.
Professional Experience:
Minimum 5 years of project management experience, preferably delivering software, systems integration, or automation projects in an industrial or warehouse environment.
Experience managing project schedule, scope, hours, and change orders across concurrent projects.
Experience coordinating technical resources in a matrix environment where those resources report elsewhere, including third-party integration partners.
Experience working directly with customers through design review, testing, training, go-live, and acceptance.
Familiarity with WMS, WCS, ERP, or automation software implementation preferred; working knowledge of Kardex software solutions, AutoStore, and integration middleware such as SVT SoftBot, or the ability to develop it quickly.
Other Experiences:
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to raise a difficult topic with a customer early rather than late.
Well organized, able to track many open items across concurrent projects without losing detail, and sound judgment about which issues to resolve directly and which to escalate.
Self-driven, accountable, and focused on quality and customer success.
Travel:
Travel to customer sites is expected to average 25 percent, driven by presence at critical project moments such as go-live, cutover, and customer acceptance, and by support of at-risk projects. Project kickoff, design review, and recurring status meetings are typically conducted remotely.
Your profile
Main Accountabilities
Software Project Planning & Execution

• Own the software scope, schedule, and deliverables for assigned projects from handover at sale through final acceptance.
• Build and maintain the software project schedule, aligning software milestones with installation, commissioning, and customer go-live dates.
• Track progress against plan, maintain project documentation and status reporting, and keep project data current in Kardex project management systems.
• Participate in the overall project kickoff led by the GCPM, and run software kickoff, design review, recurring status, and handover sessions for the software scope.

Resource Direction & Team Coordination

• Direct the day-to-day project work of assigned Solution Architects and Software Implementation Engineers, setting priorities, sequencing, and deliverable dates.
• Define project resource needs and request allocation from the Manager of Software Solutions & Delivery, raising resource conflicts and capacity constraints early enough to be resolved.
• Ensure the Description of Operation (DOO) is completed and approved before configuration begins, and that implementation follows it.
• Responsible for maintaining monthly project hours tracking for all assigned software projects. This includes tracking actual hours expended, reporting the current software percent complete (POC), and forecasting the remaining hours required to complete the project.
• Provide a monthly report to the GCPM to support project execution, resource planning, and forecasting of the remaining software effort.

Scope, Change & Commercial Management

• Manage the software scope against the DOO and the sold scope of work.
• Identify out-of-scope requests as they arise and initiate the change order process before the work is performed.
• Confirm software milestones are complete and approve them for invoicing.

Customer Expectation Management

• Serve as the customer's point of contact for software delivery, coordinating with the GCPM so project communication stays consistent on multi-discipline installations.
• Keep customer expectations aligned with the sold scope, the DOO, and the committed schedule, addressing gaps directly and early.
• Communicate schedule changes, risks, and their impact to the customer clearly and without delay.
• Lead customer status meetings and acceptance conversations for the software scope.

Risk & Escalation

• Identify software delivery risks early, drive them to resolution, and contribute to recovery planning on at-risk projects.
• Escalate to the Manager of Software Solutions & Delivery when a risk cannot be resolved at the project level.
• Raise software risk to the GCPM so it is visible in overall project governance, and escalate to the Manager of Software Solutions & Delivery when it is not being resolved.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work in tandem with the GCPM on multi-discipline installations, owning the software side of the operation within the project they lead.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Installation, and Commissioning so software activities align with site readiness and installation milestones.
• Coordinate with third-party integration partners deploying conveyor and other subsystems, aligning interface definitions, testing, and commissioning through the integration middleware layer (currently SVT SoftBot).
• Coordinate with Sales during handover from sale to delivery so commitments and assumptions are understood before execution begins.
• Work with Life Cycle Service (LCS) on transition of the site following final acceptance.

Additional Accountabilities

• Maintain working knowledge of Kardex software solutions, AutoStore, the integration middleware layer, and warehouse automation processes sufficient to manage technical delivery and to challenge plans and estimates.
• Contribute to the improvement of software delivery standards, templates, and project management practices.
• Support lessons learned and post-project review so that recurring issues reach the Manager of Software Solutions & Delivery, Product Management, and Software Development.
• Support customer satisfaction through effective communication, quality execution, and timely issue resolution.

Leadership

• Leads without direct authority, earning cooperation from technical resources who report elsewhere.
• Clear and direct communicator who raises problems early rather than managing them quietly.
• Organized, accountable, and reliable in following through on commitments.
• Sound judgment about when to decide, when to consult, and when to escalate.
• Customer-focused, professional, and steady under pressure.
• Committed to continuous improvement of both personal practice and team delivery process.

Decision Authority
Holds direct authority over the software project schedule and sequencing for assigned projects; day-to-day direction of assigned Solution Architects and Software Implementation Engineers; identification of out-of-scope work and initiation of the change order process; approval of software milestone completion for invoicing; and escalation of software delivery risk.
Decides collaboratively with the Manager of Software Solutions & Delivery on resource allocation, recovery plans, and escalation beyond the project; with the General Construction Project Manager on overall project schedule, milestone alignment, and third-party partner coordination; with Sales on scope interpretation and change order pricing; and with Solution Architects and Software Implementation Engineers on technical approach and effort estimates.