[Hiring] Director of Operations Strategy and Continuous Improvement @Symbotic

What we need

The Director of Operations Strategy & Continuous Improvement serves as the single-threaded owner for Symbotic’s most strategic growth customers, focused on improving system performance, driving continuous improvement, and scaling best-in-class operating practices across highly automated sites.

Operating at the intersection of customer operations, site leadership, engineering, and product, this leader drives high-impact, cross-functional initiatives from identification through execution—using strong operational rigor, executive presence, and data-driven metrics to deliver sustained, measurable results at scale.

What we do

Symbotic is redefining warehouse automation for the world’s largest retailers and distributors by delivering intelligent, end-to-end systems that blend advanced robotics, AI-driven software, and high-density storage. Our solutions operate at scale, enabling customers to move product faster, more accurately, and more efficiently across their supply chains.

This role is part of Symbotic’s Customer Operations Success organization, which ensures our systems deliver real, sustained performance in live customer environments. Working at the intersection of customer operations, engineering, and product, the team drives execution of high-impact initiatives, translates operational insight into action, and ensures our automation continues to perform at the highest level long after go-live.

What you’ll do

• Serve as the single-threaded business owner for assigned strategic customers, leveraging knowledge of Symbotic products and services to address evolving customer needs.

• Partner with site General Managers to assess system performance and develop change management plans that improve throughput, reliability, and operational stability.

• Identify technical, operational, and process gaps and collaborate with engineering, product, and customer success teams to seize opportunities and prioritize solutions.

• Drive the incubation and rollout of new strategic operational capabilities to improve operating models across the network.

• Develop and maintain scalable KPIs and metrics across people, processes, and systems to generate actionable insights.

• Lead cross-functional meetings and working sessions, both virtual and in person, to align stakeholders and drive initiatives forward.

• Adapt quickly to changes in customer strategy, internal priorities, and organizational direction.

• Build deep system knowledge across maintenance, operations, software, controls architecture, and system engineering.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team focused on operational excellence and customer outcomes.

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

What you’ll need

• Bachelor's degree in business, Industrial Engineering, Operations, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in operations management, operations engineering, operations strategy, or similar functions.

• Significant experience in customer-facing roles supporting complex operational environments.

• Minimum of 3 years of experience working with automation, robotics, or highly automated systems, or equivalent exposure.

• Proven ability to lead change across multiple teams or sites and influence without direct authority.

• Strong analytical skills with advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint. Experience with SQL, Python, or other data tools is a plus.

• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to engage effectively across technical and non-technical audiences.

Our Environment

• Remote, field-based position.

• Travel is required up to 50% of the time. Employees must have a valid driver’s license and the ability to drive and/or fly to client and other customer locations.

• The employee is responsible for owning a credit card and managing expenses personally to be reimbursed on a bi-weekly basis.

• The employee is frequently required to walk and reach with hands and arms.

• The employee is routinely required to work at heights of up to 45 feet and within restrictive areas of 24 inches. to stand; climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

• The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

• Must comply with all safety requirements and protocols, including without limitation Lock out tag out safety protocols and fall protection safety protocols.

• Approximately 50% of time will be spent on a construction site with PPE required (hard hat, safety vest, steel toes, eyeglasses, ear protection, fall protection (e.g., safety harness).

• There will be steep stairs to climb into the structure. You may be required to routinely walk up and down stairs to navigate the automation structure.

• You will regularly be near railings that are high off the ground.

• Subject to environmental conditions, protection from weather conditions but not necessarily temperature changes. Must be capable of working in temperatures ranging from 105° to 32° Fahrenheit.