Senior Site Engineer

Summary

The Senior Site Engineer will serve as the primary on-site engineering resource at NAPA distribution center facilities to support automation performance, systems optimization, and facility infrastructure strategy. This role is responsible for process & industrial engineering, automation systems performance, capital project execution, and oversight over facility systems. The position ensures automation system stability, scalability, and continuous improvement while providing engineering oversight of facility assets and infrastructure. While leading maintenance teams, this role is primarily focused on system reliability strategy, data-driven optimization, and long-term asset performance across the facility. This role is crucial for the effective long-term operation of our supply chain facilities.

Responsibilities

Engineering & Automation Leadership

• Serve as the facility’s lead engineering authority to ensure optimal operation of automation systems.

• Provide technical ownership and performance oversight for machine level controls,

• Warehouse Control System (WCS), Warehouse Management System (WMS), and Warehouse

• Education System (WES)/Control Tower solutions to ensure optimal performance

• Ensure stability of all automation systems, through coordination with suppliers and corporate support resources.

• Provide engineering oversight and technical governance of automation systems, utilities, and building infrastructure to ensure design integrity and operational efficiency.

• Provide technical leadership and engineering direction to site support teams to enhance system performance and reliability.

• Develop, implement, and provide engineering oversight of the site’s preventative maintenance (PM) program ensuring compliance, frequency optimization, and alignment with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) specs.

• Establish engineering standards for utilities, PIT, and automation systems to ensure safe, efficient, and optimized performance.

• Partner with vendors, OEMs, and contractors to support automation upgrades, system enhancements, and capital initiatives.

• Lead root cause analytics to determine and eliminate chronic failures and causes of downtime

• Utilize reliability engineering tools (FMEA, etc.) to extend asset life and improve performance.

• Serve as subject matter expert, providing technical support, training, and guidance to staff and technicians as applicable.

• Assist in the creation and execution of the annual budget.

Process & Project Management

• Analyze warehouse processes to identify opportunities and implement improvements, with a focus on automation flow, system constraints, and throughput optimization.

• Use data analytics and KPIs to monitor performance and drive continuous improvement.

• Develop and track improvement plans targeting capacity utilization, system uptime, and engineered productivity gains.

• Manage projects related to warehouse or facility upgrades, from initial planning to completion, including technical scoping, specification development, commissioning, and stabilization.

• Coordinate with stakeholders, including architects, contractors, operations, and other departments

• Provide support in tracking project progress, timelines, and budgets; ensuring that all aspects of the project are on-time and within allocated resources.

• Participate in cross-functional team meetings to communicate project status, risks, and mitigation strategies.

Maintenance & Compliance Oversight

• Manage and oversee the onsite maintenance team, ensuring service-level agreements (SLAs) are met across automation and facility maintenance contracts.

• Establish, track, and analyze KPIs for system performance and reliability—including MTBF, MTTR, PM compliance, unplanned downtime, OEE, and throughput—to evaluate maintenance effectiveness and identify systemic improvement opportunities.

• Ensure all maintenance activities comply with OSHA, NFPA, EPA, and company safety and regulatory requirements, including coordination of facility-system testing, local inspections, and permitting.

• Provide engineering oversight of the site’s preventive maintenance (PM) strategy to ensure alignment with OEM recommendations and reliability goals.

• Ensure facility systems operate in compliance with OSHA, NFPA, EPA, and company safety standards.

• Support maintenance teams in troubleshooting complex automation or controls-related issues as needed.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years of progressive experience owning operational processes and driving measurable improvements through lean, six sigma, industrial engineering or similar methodologies in a supply chain or manufacturing environment; OR

• Bachelor's degree in industrial engineering or a related field, plus a minimum of 3 years of progressive engineering experience.

• Strong technical knowledge of electrical, mechanical, automation, and controls systems, including forklift and building systems, as well as maintenance-area 5S principles.

• Strong knowledge of electrical power distribution and industrial controls.

• Demonstrated experience with PLC programming and troubleshooting using Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or equivalent platforms.

• Familiarity with warehouse control systems (WCS) and machine-level controls; Control Tower/WES experience preferred.

• Experience with warehouse management systems (WMS); Manhattan experience preferred.

• Proven experience executing or supporting automation commissioning, system startups, or major retrofits.

• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional technical initiatives involving operations, IT, vendors, and engineering teams.

• Knowledge of reliability engineering concepts, including failure modes and effects analysis

• (FMEA) and root cause analysis (RCA).

• Experience developing capital-justification documentation, including CapEx requests and ROI analyses.

• Working knowledge of OSHA, NFPA, and applicable regulatory standards related to engineering design and project implementation.

• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and external partners.

• Proactive, flexible, and deadline-focused mindset.

• Passion for understanding supply chain automation technologies and their operation.

• Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering, engineering management, or an MBA with a technical focus.

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.

• Minimum of two years of people-management experience.

• Demonstrated experience managing projects through all phases, from planning through activation.

• Strong organizational and leadership skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

• Experience with SCADA systems, industrial networking, and cybersecurity considerations for industrial controls.

• Advanced proficiency with data-visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) and CMMS analytics platforms.

• Proficiency in AutoCAD.

• Powered industrial truck certification preferred.

Leadership

• Embodies the following values: serve, perform, influence, respect, innovate, team.

• Effectively communicates by motivating and inspiring others through clear and proactive communication.

• Delivers results and drives customer success by committing and focusing on outcomes to deliver results and making the customer the center of decisions.

• Makes balanced decisions and thinks strategically by being a forward thinker.

• Develops high-performing teams by providing inclusive leadership, attracting and developing world-class talent, providing ongoing feedback, and building trust across the organization.

Physical Demands / Working Environment

• Work Environment: Warehouse and construction working elements.

• Travel: Ability to travel as needed from site to site, up to 20%.

• Lifting and Carrying: Ability to lift and carry objects of varying wei