Director, Manufacturing Technology and Automation

Director, Manufacturing Technology and Automation About Re:Build At Re:Build , our mission is to ensure the next generation of important products are made, at scale, in America. We are laying the foundation for a better future for our customers, employees, and communities by revitalizing America's manufacturing base and creating meaningful jobs across the country, including in historically deindustrialized regions. We operate an advanced, end-to-end manufacturing platform that partners with industrial companies and innovators to take products from first concept to full-scale production in critical verticals including aerospace and defense, electrification, medical, energy and environment, and robotics and automation. The way we operate is as important as the work we do. It's guided by The Re:Build Way, 16 principles that shape how we collaborate with each other, partner with our customers and vendors, and contribute to the communities where we operate. (link to The Re:Build Way principles ) As AI rapidly reshapes industrial markets, Re:Build is expanding its advanced computing, automation, and intelligence capabilities to deliver meaningful transformation across both digital and physical environments. Who we are looking for We are seeking an experienced manufacturing technology leader who can architect and drive Re:Build’s automation journey across three layers: data infrastructure, software automation, and physical robotics. This is an individual contributor role with strategic scope — the person who identifies high-value automation opportunities, designs the on-site deployment strategy, selects and evaluates platforms and tools, builds internal and external technology partner relationships, and creates the playbooks that make every deployment repeatable across our manufacturing network. The ideal candidate has lived at the intersection of manufacturing operations and digital technology. They have personally deployed both digital systems and physical automation in discrete manufacturing environments. They understand the economics of automation across the full production spectrum — from high-mix, low-volume work to higher-volume production runs. They know when a cobot machine tender pencils out and when it doesn’t, and they won’t try to automate things that shouldn’t be automated. They can present to the CEO and be credible with a machinist in the same afternoon. What you get to do Design and own the multi-site digital and automation deployment strategy across Re:Build’s manufacturing sites Identify and prioritize specific automation projects – define the problem, scope the solution, estimate the ROI and get stakeholder commitment Own end-to-end project delivery with the help from internal resources — from platform selection through integration, operator training, and sustained adoption Create documented, repeatable deployment playbooks so that projects can be replicated across different operations and each subsequent site deployment is faster and more predictable than the last Work with the AI Director to move AI applications to factory deployment Define the production data schema and quality requirements that enable AI model training — ensuring the data infrastructure supports the company’s broader AI and analytics strategy What you bring to the team Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, or related field required; advanced degree preferred but not required if experience is strong 8+ years of experience spanning manufacturing/industrial engineering and automation, with hands-on deployment of both digital systems (MES, IoT, digital twins, data infrastructure) and physical automation (robotics cells, machine tending, automated inspection) in discrete manufacturing environments Deep understanding of manufacturing economics – both high-rate and high-mix, low-volume – you know why automation strategies that work in one production environment often fail in another, and you…