Business Performance Improvement - Supply Chain & Operations (Manufacturing Artificial Intelligence) Manager

About the role

Protiviti is looking for a Manager to join our growing Supply Chain & Operations team. As a Manager, you’ll partner with our clients to identify and manage complex business problems and provide best-in-class advice and solutions. You'll develop strategies to solve complex business problems using new ways of thinking, and devise solutions to support your clients' needs through using the latest tools and methods. You’ll develop lasting relationships with client personnel and further these relationships through quality product delivery. You’ll foster a network within the business community and serve as an ambassador of Protiviti in the market.

What will help you be successful

• Genuine interest in production/manufacturing, warehousing and fulfillment, and maintenance/asset reliability operations — and in applying AI as a strategic tool to improve them.
• Comfortable interfacing credibly with CTO, Data, and Digital leadership, translating between operations, technology, and executive audiences.
• Strong project management and team leadership instincts, with a passion for building client relationships and developing others.
• Interest in business development — client proposals and strategies to win new work.

Responsibilities

• Owning AI use cases end to end — value framing, prioritization, and connecting AI/automation solutions to measurable cost and efficiency outcomes.
• Hands-on Operations Technology experience — data tag analysis, OT data/PLCs, manufacturing AI/ML techniques, and discrete flow simulation modeling.
• Developing data strategies so client data is clean, structured, governed, and accessible for AI/ML use, plus basic-plus architecture knowledge to fit solutions into existing systems.
• Establishing AI governance — auditing/flagging AI risks and embedding human-in-the-loop checkpoints that define which decisions need human review vs. full automation — and communicating AI recommendations in plain language stakeholders and auditors can trust.
• Analyzing manufacturing data to identify trends, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities (asset utilization, throughput, productivity, quality, waste), and developing dashboards/analytics tailored to plant floor needs.
• Leading client workshops and discovery sessions, and managing multiple process improvement projects end to end, including ROI/financial impact analysis.
• Partnering across production, maintenance, quality, logistics, planning, and procurement to drive continuous improvement.
• Leadership and direct supervisory experience — mentoring, coaching, performance reviews, and review of team deliverables.
• Establishing business relationships and pursuing business development opportunities, including proposals and scoping.
• Evaluating, summarizing, organizing, and interpreting data.
• Establishing and cultivating business relationships and a professional network, including with senior executives.
• Successfully pursuing business development opportunities and identifying and implementing strategies to obtain new work or clientele.
• Ability to translate and communicate issues, risks, or challenges to client personnel, including executives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, or Business); real-world experience is the primary requirement.
• 5+ years in Consulting, Manufacturing, Operations Technology, Manufacturing AI, Digital Twins, or related fields, in professional services or industry (Manager toward the lower end of this range; Senior Manager more experienced).
• Direct exposure to plant floor operations and operations technology; broader exposure to warehousing, logistics, planning, or procurement is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to use data & AI to solve manufacturing problems and connect solutions to measurable business value.
• Proficiency in AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, NVIDIA, Microsoft Data Foundry or equivalent) and the Microsoft ecosystem (Microsoft 365, Excel, Power BI, Azure/Fabric-based data & AI tooling).
• Solid grasp of manufacturing financials (cost analysis, ROI) and strong communication skills for translating data into insights for plant floor and management audiences.
• Professional certification (CPM, CPSM, CSCP, CPIM, PMP, TPM, Six Sigma/Lean Six Sigma, or similar) strongly preferred.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverages, FSA and HSA healthcare accounts.
• Life and accident insurance, adoption and fertility assistance.
• Paid parental leave up to 10 weeks.
• Short/long term disability.
• Company 401(k) savings and investment plan with an employer match of 50% on the first 6% of your contributions.
• Choice Time Off (CTO) for vacation, personal needs, and sick time; new hires receive up to 20 days per calendar year.
• Up to 11 paid holidays each calendar year.

Pay

Starting salary range: $126,000.00 – $202,000.00

Annual bonus target opportunity: 12%

Estimated total cash range: $141,120.00 – $226,240.00