Automation Technology Manager

Abacus Solutions Group is currently recruiting for an Automation Technology Manager to be based out of a facility in Northeast, MD area. Bilingual in English and Spanish is required!

Summary: Own the strategy, deployment, and day-to-day performance of all automation technologies across the fulfillment center — spanning robotics, conveyor and sortation systems, auto-bagging equipment, RFID/print infrastructure, and warehouse execution software. Lead a team of automation technicians and engineers, partner with operations and IT, and ensure maximum system uptime during both steady-state and peak-season operations.

Responsibilities:

Own SLA for system uptime across all automated equipment — robotics, conveyors, sorters, baggers, RFID, and print-and-apply

Establish and manage preventive maintenance (PM) programs via CMMS for all MHE and automation assets

Lead escalation bridge during critical outages; coordinate with OEM field service and internal technicians for rapid recovery

Monitor Locus Origin fleet health (bot charging, job completion rates, obstacle avoidance alerts) and tune dispatch rules

Oversee RFID read-rate performance at inbound, outbound, and cross-dock portals; troubleshoot interference, antenna placement, and label quality issues

Lead a team of 5–15 automation technicians (mechanical, electrical, software) across multiple shifts; hire, develop, and performance-manage

Build technician skill matrices for robotics, PLC/SCADA, RFID, and conveyor systems; create structured training and certification paths

Partner with operations managers to align automation staffing with production schedules and peak surge plans

Champion a safety-first culture including LOTO, robot exclusion zone protocols, and electrical safety compliance

Manage WES/WCS configuration changes and release management in coordination with IT and WMS teams

Own integration testing for new equipment onboarding — from API handshakes and PLC programs to end-to-end throughput validation

Lead capital projects for automation expansion or technology refresh: scope, RFP, vendor selection, installation, UAT, and go-live

Evaluate emerging technologies (AI-driven picking vision, autonomous packing cells, RFID-on-conveyor) and build business cases for adoption

Track and report weekly OEE, MTBF, MTTR, and throughput by system; publish to operations leadership and engineering

Drive root cause analysis on repeat failures — conveyor jams, bagger film breaks, RFID read errors, and robot charging faults

Partner with process engineers on slotting, wave design, and bot path changes to maximize picks-per-bot-hour

Reduce automation-driven defects: mis-sorts, unsealed bags, unlabeled cartons, and lost RFID reads

Requirements:

Bachelor degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Computer Science, or Industrial Engineering

Masters degree preferred.

Bilingual in English and Spanish required.

5–8+ years in automation, MHE, or systems engineering in a DC or FC environment; 2+ years in a people-management role required.

Hands on experience with AMR fleet management, horizontal bagger operations and changeovers, RFID system tuning, WES/WCS configuration, and conveyor PLC troubleshooting.

Locus Robotics certified operator/admin, Six Sigma Green Belt, PLC programming (Allen-Bradley / Siemens), CMRT or CPMM preferred.