Director, PM and Production Planning

iAutomation, a full-service automation company, developing robotic solutions and offering design, engineering, and integration (DE&I) services, product support, and production services, has an immediate opening for a Director, Project Management & Production Planning in Franklin, Massachusetts.

The Director of Project Management & Production Planning leads enterprise-wide project execution and integrated production planning across a multi-site, ISO-certified manufacturing environment. This role ensures customer commitments, operational capacity, quality objectives, and compliance requirements are met through disciplined project governance, optimized production schedules, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Serving as a key strategic partner to Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and Sales, the Director translates business objectives into executable plans while ensuring alignment with customer expectations, ISO standards, operational capacities, and internal quality systems.

Key Responsibilities

Project Management Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Manager, MSG Project Management to consistently ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and in compliance with quality and customer requirements.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks.
• Monitor project performance using KPIs, dashboards, and executive reporting.
• Ensure the Project Management team effectively support the iAutomation Sales organization by acting as the primary interface between Customers and Operations.
• Ensure clear, timely, and accurate communication of customer expectations, requirements, and changes to internal operational teams.
• Review and guide the development and execution of project plans related to ECOs, new product introductions, and quality-driven initiatives.
• Drive continuous cross-functional coordination across Engineering, Purchasing, Quality, and Production to ensure customer commitments, schedules, and technical requirements are met.
• Ensure significant project milestones, risks, or schedule changes are proactively communicated to stakeholders.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives by analyzing project performance, identifying systemic gaps, and implementing process and governance enhancements.

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Direct the development and execution of master production schedules (MPS) and capacity plans aligned with demand forecasts, customer delivery commitments, and operational constraints.
• Balance near-term execution priorities with long-term capacity planning and resource optimization.
• Partner with Supply Chain and Procurement to ensure material availability, inventory optimization, and risk mitigation.
• Drive alignment between production planning, project management, sales, and financial objectives.
• Monitor and improve key performance indicators including on-time delivery, schedule adherence, throughput, and capacity utilization.

ISO Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure project management and production planning processes comply with ISO 9001 and other applicable regulatory or customer standards.
• Support internal and external audits through accurate documentation, corrective actions, and process discipline.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies to improve efficiency, quality, and delivery performance.
• Proactively identify and mitigate operational risks related to scheduling, capacity constraints, and project execution.

Strategic & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Engineering to ensure manufacturability, realistic timelines, and smooth production ramp-ups.
• Collaborate closely with Quality to ensure project execution and production plans meet internal and customer quality requirements.
• Provide executive-level reporting on project status, production performance, risks, and mitigation strategies.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Operations Management, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing operations, and production planning.
• 5+ years of leadership experience at the manager or director level.
• Strong working knowledge of ISO 9001 quality management systems and audit requirements.
• Demonstrated success implementing structured project management and production planning processes.
• Proficiency with ERP/MRP systems and project management tools.
• Ability to travel between facilities, up to 10%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree (MBA or MS in Engineering, Operations, or Supply Chain).
• PMP or equivalent project management certification.
• Lean certification.
• Experience in regulated, high-mix/low-volume, or engineered-to-order manufacturing environments.

Salary Range: $125,000 – $165,000 annually.
This range reflects the expected base pay for this position in Massachusetts and is based on internal equity. Actual compensation may vary based on experience, qualifications, and performance.

• Principals ONLY – No Third-Party Recruiters

iAutomation Supports Equal Opportunity Employment & Diversity.