Manager, Software Project Management

Overview

Company

Daifuku Intralogistics America Corporation is a leading provider of intelligent material handling systems. With hundreds of engineers in-house, the company designs, manufactures, integrates, and installs a full spectrum of intralogistics solutions to meet the evolving needs of our clients. Our solutions include advanced conveyor and sortation systems, voice- and light-directed order fulfillment equipment, warehouse controls and execution software, robotics, Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), mezzanines, and structures—all supported by critical round-the-clock service and technical support.

Position Overview

The Manager, Software Project Management is responsible for leading the Software Project Management team responsible for the successful delivery of warehouse automation software implementation projects. This position provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, coaching, and resource management while ensuring projects are delivered on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with company quality standards.

The Manager partners with Engineering, Controls, Product Management, Operations, Sales, Corporate Services, and Executive Leadership to establish project management best practices, optimize resource utilization, improve project execution, and drive customer satisfaction across the software portfolio. In addition to managing the team, this role serves as executive escalation for complex customer engagements and oversees

the software project portfolio from project initiation through customer acceptance and transition to support.

Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, coach, and develop a team of Software Project Managers.

• Establish performance expectations, conduct performance reviews, and create employee development plans.

• Recruit, onboard, and retain high-performing project management talent.

• Provide technical and project management guidance throughout the software implementation lifecycle.

• Assign project managers based on project complexity, customer requirements, and resource availability.

• Foster collaboration across Software Engineering, Controls Engineering, Field Engineering, Product Management, Sales, and Operations.

• Lead department meetings, establish team objectives, and promote continuous improvement.

• Develop succession planning and career development opportunities within the Software Project Management organization.

• Promote a culture focused on accountability, customer satisfaction, quality, and operational excellence.

Project Portfolio Management

• Own the Software Project Management portfolio across all active customer implementations.

• Balance project assignments, workloads, and resource capacity across the department.

• Monitor portfolio health, identifying schedule conflicts, staffing constraints, and project risks.

• Review project financial performance, forecasts, margins, and resource utilization.

• Establish department KPIs and metrics for schedule adherence, budget performance, customer satisfaction, quality, and resource efficiency.

• Create executive dashboards and portfolio reports for leadership.

• Utilize Microsoft Project Web App and other project management tools to analyze project health, resource allocation, and delivery performance.

• Identify portfolio risks and develop mitigation strategies.

Project Oversight

• Ensure Software Project Managers thoroughly understand project scopes, requirements, RFQs, proposals, contracts, and cost estimates.

• Oversee development of software implementation schedules and milestone planning.

• Ensure consistent execution of Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) processes across all projects.

• Provide executive oversight for:

• Business Requirements Documents (BRDs)

• UML documentation

• Hardware and network planning

• Internal QA

• Conference Room Pilot (CRP)

• Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT)

• Site Commissioning

• User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

• Go-Live Support

• Project Closeout

• Monitor project risks, issues, scope changes, and customer escalations.

• Ensure successful customer acceptance and transition to support organizations.

• Serve as executive escalation point for high-priority customer issues

Customer & Business Leadership

• Build and maintain executive-level customer relationships.

• Participate in project kickoff meetings and executive business reviews.

• Support contract reviews, change management, and commercial discussions.

• Assist project teams with customer negotiations and expectation management.

• Ensure consistent communication with customers regarding project status, risks, budgets, and delivery schedules.

• Partner with Sales during project transitions from award to execution.

• Promote solutions that balance customer success, business objectives, and operational efficiency.

Operational Excellence

• Develop, implement, and improve Software Project Management methodologies, standards, templates, and best practices.

• Standardize project documentation, reporting, risk management, and governance processes.

• Improve project execution through lessons learned and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Support roadmap planning for project management processes and software implementation methodologies.

• Ensure compliance with company quality standards and implementation guidelines.

• Collaborate with Corporate Services regarding project setup, billing, invoicing, forecasting, and customer acceptance.

• Review subcontractor RFQs and implementation plans for completeness and quality.

Financial Management

• Provide oversight of software project budgets, forecasts, revenue recognition, and profitability.

• Review change requests and ensure appropriate financial controls.

• Analyze department financial performance and recommend corrective actions when necessary.

• Support annual budgeting and resource planning activities.

• Monitor utilization and staffing efficiency across the Software Project Management organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Project Management, or related field, or equivalent experience.

• 12+ years of software project management experience.

• 5+ years of people leadership or management experience.

• Proven experience managing multiple Project Managers and enterprise customer implementations.

• Experience leading software delivery within warehouse automation, material handling, logistics, or industrial automation environments.

• Demonstrated success managing large-scale automation projects involving software, controls, robotics, PLCs, conveyors, and ASRS technologies.

• Must be able to speak, read and understand the English language

Comprehensive knowledge of:

• Warehouse Control Systems (WCS)

• Warehouse Management Systems (WMS)

• Warehouse Execution Systems (WES)

• Material Handling Automation

• Supply Chain and Distribution Operations

• Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS)

• Conveyor Systems

• PLC communications

• Database, server, and network infrastructure

• Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

• Agile and Waterfall methodologies

• Microsoft Project / Project Web App

• Jira, Azure DevOps, or Team Foundation Server

• Microsoft SharePoint

• Microsoft Visio

• Microsoft Office Suite

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic leadership and organizational planning

• Portfolio and program management

• Financial and budget management

• Executive communication and presentation skills

• Customer relationship management

• Resource planning and capacity management

• Risk management and mitigation

• Conflict resolution and negotiation

• Organizational change management

• Process improvement

• Coaching and employee development

• Cross-functional leadership

• Decision-making under pressure

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Travel

• Up to 30% travel based on project portfolio and customer needs.

• Travel may include customer kickoff meetings, Conference Room Pilots, Factory Acceptance Testing, User Acceptance Testing, executive customer meetings, and Go-Live support.

Benefit Information

• Many great benefits to include Health/Vision/Dental/401k with match/Pet Insurance

• FSA/HSA

• Employee Assistance Program

EOE Minorities/Women/Disabled/VeteransFederal Contractor

If you need assistance applying to an open position online, please email HR-ILUS@daifukuna.com

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