Automation Project Manager-Manufacturing Automation

About us

Since 1942, SkyChefs has taken culinary excellence to new heights. As a trusted partner to the nation’s leading airlines and retailers, we proudly deliver millions of meals and exceptional service experiences every year across 43 sites throughout the United States. Built on a legacy of operational excellence, culinary expertise, and continuous innovation, we are committed to setting the industry standard in aviation culinary, airline services, last-mile logistics, and retail commerce. From the kitchen to the runway, our teams work together to deliver quality, reliability, and service at every altitude. Our people are the heart of everything we do. At SkyChefs, a career is more than a job – it’s an opportunity to grow, lead, and make an impact in a fast-paced, team-driven environment. Join America’s first, foremost, and finest and take your career to new heights.

Role Purpose Statement

SkyChefs is investing in automation to transform operations across our network of 35 production facilities, driving efficiency, scalability, and sustainable cost savings. This newly created Automation Project Manager role will be instrumental in identifying, evaluating, and delivering automation solutions that improve operational performance and support business growth.

The Automation Project Manager will partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Finance, and external vendors to develop automation opportunities from concept through implementation. This includes building business cases, validating proof-of-concepts, leading project execution, and measuring realized benefits after deployment. The ideal candidate combines strong project management capabilities with operational acumen, financial analysis skills, and a passion for continuous improvement and innovation. Success in this role will directly contribute to operational transformation, productivity improvements, and measurable financial results across the organization.

Location: at our US Headquarters in Irving, TX

Main Accountabilities

Project Lifecycle:

• Identify and qualify automation opportunities with Ops (value case, constraints, risks, ROI).
• Lead cross-functional delivery (Ops, Maintenance, Quality, EHS, IT/OT, suppliers/integrators).
• Manage scope, timeline, budget, change requests, commissioning plans, training, and handover.
• Drive change management on the floor: work instructions, training, adoption, and standard work.
• Track benefits realization for 3–12 months post-implementation.

Financial and Scope Management:

• Manage automation project scope, schedules, budgets, risks, and stakeholder communications across regional deployments.

Vendor and Stakeholder Management

• Work with site leadership and local teams to leverage improvements and impact
• Manage relationships and coordination activities with automation vendors, contractors, and systems integrators.
• Monitor vendor performance, procurement schedules, and technical deliverables.
• Coordinate and participate in technical reviews, design workshops, and project status meetings.
• Provide executive-level reporting regarding automation project health, schedule risks, and mitigation plans.

Continuous Improvement:

• Streamlining operations and driving digital transformation using standard tools and ROI metrics.
• Pilot emerging technologies (Robotics, AI/ML, intelligent document processing, workflow orchestration) leading to 20–50% cycle time improvements.
• Introduce innovative automation solutions that reduced manual effort by 30–70% across key processes.
• Support and contribute to Value Stream Mapping activities to analyze current processes, identify inefficiencies, and help design improved future workflows, identify automation opportunities, and prioritize use cases with clear ROI.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Education:
• A Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, or Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
Certifications:
• PMP (Project Management Professional) is highly preferred
Experience:
• 3–5 years experience leading operations or industrial projects (automation, packaging lines, intralogistics, or production improvements)
• Proven record delivering projects in live operations with measurable KPIs
• Strong stakeholder management and on-floor presence; comfortable in noisy, fast-moving environments
• Familiar with CAPEX governance and vendor/integrator management
• Good communication and presentation skills, ability to interact at senior levels
• Travel: 25–50% (variable), with occasional peaks up to ~75% during deployments/POCs