Global Automation Technology Center Site Director

CHEP helps move more goods to more people, in more places than any other organization on earth via our 347 million pallets, crates and containers. We employ approximately 13,000 people and operate in 60 countries. Through our pioneering and sustainable share-and-reuse business model, the world’s biggest brands trust us to help them transport their goods more efficiently, safely and with less environmental impact.

What does that mean for you? You’ll join an international organization big enough to take you anywhere, and small enough to get you there sooner. You’ll help change how goods get to market and contribute to global sustainability. You’ll be empowered to bring your authentic self to work and be surrounded by diverse and driven professionals. And you can maximize your work-life balance and flexibility through our Hybrid Work Model.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities May Include:

• Lead the Automation Development team, providing strategic direction and technical expertise to deliver advanced automated solutions.
• Develop and implement global standards for supply chain automation, ensuring consistency and scalability across regions.
• Drive digital product innovation initiatives, collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to deliver impactful results.
• Manage a multi-million dollar annual budget, optimising resource allocation and investment in automation technologies.
• Communicate complex technical concepts across functions and regions, influencing behaviours and facilitating change in a new automated environment.
• Build and develop a high-performing team, fostering talent growth and ensuring effective leadership across global technical engineering resources.
• Provide analytical insights and data-driven recommendations to support decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Solve novel engineering challenges in a greenfield setting, proactively identifying opportunities for process optimisation and risk mitigation.

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Site Director to lead our Global Automation Technology Center (GATC), a critical hub responsible for the integration, testing, validation, and deployment readiness of next-generation automation technologies.

This role sits at the intersection of automation engineering, operations, innovation, and business transformation. The Site Director will establish and lead a multidisciplinary team responsible for bringing advanced technologies from concept to operational reality, ensuring solutions are safe, scalable, reliable, and capable of delivering measurable business value.

Success in this role requires a leader who can combine technical credibility with strategic leadership, influence across a global matrix organization, and the ability to connect innovation with practical operational outcomes.

Location: Grand Prairie, Texas

Key Accountabilities

Lead the Global Automation Technology Center

• Establish and lead a world-class automation technology center that serves as a global capability for innovation, testing, validation, and deployment readiness.
• Build and develop a high-performing, cross-functional team focused on engineering excellence, operational readiness, and continuous improvement.
• Create a culture grounded in safety, accountability, collaboration, and innovation.

Drive Automation Integration and Validation

• Oversee the integration, commissioning, testing, and validation of advanced automation technologies prior to operational deployment.
• Establish rigorous testing protocols, performance standards, and operational acceptance criteria.
• Ensure technologies are safe, reliable, maintainable, and scalable before deployment into live operations.

Deliver Business Value Through Innovation

• Translate technical innovation into measurable operational and financial outcomes.
• Support business cases, capital investment decisions, and value realization activities related to automation initiatives.
• Monitor performance, risks, budgets, timelines, and deployment readiness across multiple projects and initiatives.

Lead Enterprise and External Partnerships

• Collaborate with regional operations, engineering teams, suppliers, technology partners, and functional leaders globally.
• Build strong stakeholder relationships to align priorities, resolve challenges, and accelerate technology adoption.
• Represent the technology center with senior leadership, customers, and external partners as a trusted leader and subject matter expert.

Enable Global Deployment and Technology Transfer

• Develop repeatable processes, standards, and best practices that support global deployment of automation technologies.
• Lead technology transfer initiatives, ensuring successful adoption across multiple operating locations and regions.
• Capture and share lessons learned to strengthen organizational capability and future deployments.

About the Person

You are a proven leader who thrives at the intersection of technology, operations, and transformation. You have successfully led complex automation or manufacturing initiatives and understand how to balance technical innovation with business outcomes.

You are equally comfortable discussing automation architecture with engineers, operational readiness with site leaders, and investment strategy with executive stakeholders. You bring a disciplined approach to execution, strong commercial acumen, and a collaborative leadership style that enables results across a matrixed organization.

Experience and Qualifications

Required Experience

• Significant leadership experience within manufacturing, supply chain, engineering, automation, or related technical operations environments.
• Demonstrated success leading automation integration, commissioning, validation, and deployment activities.
• Experience managing complex capital projects and cross-functional technology initiatives.
• Proven ability to influence executive stakeholders and lead across matrix organizations.
• Experience developing teams and building organizational capability in technical environments.
• Strong understanding of operational readiness, reliability, safety, quality, and performance management.
• Experience translating technical programs into measurable business outcomes.

Preferred Experience

• Experience within advanced manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical, industrial automation, or similarly complex operational environments.
• Experience transferring technology, standards, or operational practices across multiple sites, regions, or business units.
• Exposure to Industry 4.0, digital manufacturing, robotics, controls systems, operational technology (OT), or advanced automation solutions.
• Experience engaging with suppliers, systems integrators, and technology partners.
• Experience supporting global operations and large-scale transformation initiatives.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Technology, or a related discipline.
• Advanced degree and/or relevant professional certifications preferred.

Remote Type

Not Remote

Skills to succeed in the role

Automation Strategy, Change Leadership, Coaching, Collaboration, Disruptive Thinking, Engineering Technology, Feedback, Inclusive Leadership, Innovative Leadership, Motivating Teams, Prioritization, Process Development (PD), Self-Awareness, Supply Chain Automation

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to developing a diverse workforce in which everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has the opportunity to contribute to business success while realizing his or her potential. This means harnessing the unique skills and experience that each individual brings and we do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Individuals fraudulently misrepresenting themselves as Brambles or CHEP representatives have scheduled interviews and offered fraudulent employment opportunities with the intent to commit identity theft or solicit money. Brambles and CHEP never conduct interviews via online chat or request money as a term of employment. If you have a question as to the legitimacy of an interview or job offer, please contact us at [email protected].