Construction & Forestry Automation Strategy & Execution Lead

About the role

As a Construction & Forestry Automation Strategy & Execution Lead for John Deere Construction & Forestry located in Davenport, IA, Dubuque, IA, or Kernersville, NC, you will provide divisional leadership for automation strategy, execution governance, standards, capability development, and supplier engagement across the C&F manufacturing network.

Responsibilities

• Lead the C&F divisional automation strategy and multi-year roadmap across the manufacturing network, aligning automation priorities to business transformation goals and future factory capability needs
• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize high-value automation opportunities based on business value, scalability, readiness, risk, investment need, and strategic alignment
• Maintain and govern a divisional backlog of automation use cases through structured factory demand intake, stakeholder engagement, and prioritization processes
• Establish governance processes for automation portfolio management, including prioritization, risk management, funding discipline, transparency, execution accountability, and outcome tracking
• Partner with factory leadership and cross-functional teams to understand operational challenges, define future-state capabilities, and align automation investments to site and divisional priorities
• Demonstrate strong technical understanding of industrial automation, including robotics, controls, machine connectivity, data integration, OT/IT architecture, smart manufacturing, and emerging automation technologies
• Develop and maintain scalable automation standards, reference architectures, deployment playbooks, and reusable solution patterns to enable consistent execution across multiple factories
• Engage suppliers, integrators, and technology partners to evaluate solutions, define integration approaches, ensure technical alignment, and support deployment at scale
• Partner closely with the China Technical Automation Lead to accelerate execution of priority automation projects and deliver business transformation outcomes through aligned technical direction, supplier coordination, and external integrator engagement
• Build organizational automation capability through coaching, competency development, communities of practice, factory engagement, and knowledge sharing
• Track and communicate business outcomes to ensure automation investments deliver measurable value in safety, quality, productivity, cost, delivery, capacity, and operational performance

Skills

• Experience leading automation strategy, roadmap development, or transformation initiatives in a manufacturing or production environment
• Demonstrated ability to translate business priorities into automation initiatives with clear scope, value drivers, execution plans, and measurable outcomes
• Strong understanding of industrial automation technologies, robotics, machine connectivity, controls, data integration, and emerging smart manufacturing capabilities
• Experience developing standards, solution architectures, deployment playbooks, or repeatable methods that support scalable automation implementation across multiple sites
• Proven ability to build organizational capability through coaching, competency development, communities of practice, and knowledge sharing with factory and technical teams
• Monitor industry trends, benchmark peer organizations, and evaluate emerging technologies to inform future automation strategy, supplier partnerships, and capability development

Qualifications

• Experience leading multi-site automation programs or enterprise-level manufacturing transformation initiatives
• Proven ability to scout, evaluate, pilot, and scale new automation technologies across diverse applications such as material handling, assembly, welding, machining, dispensing, and inspection
• Experience building supplier ecosystems, preferred integrator models, technology partner relationships, or strategic sourcing approaches for automation delivery
• Experience developing competency frameworks, training plans, communities of practice, or technical governance structures for automation and smart manufacturing capabilities
• Knowledge of collaborative automation, autonomous mobile robots, machine vision, perception technologies, industrial connectivity, IoT, data platforms, and Industry 4.0 solution architectures
• Ability to connect automation strategy to business case development, capital planning, ROI, cost reduction, capacity improvement, and operational performance outcomes
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or equivalent experience in a related career field

Benefits

• Flexible work arrangements
• Highly competitive base pay
• Savings & Retirement benefits (401K and Defined Contribution)
• Healthcare benefits with a generous company contribution in the Health Savings Account
• Adoption assistance
• Employee Assistance Programs
• Tuition assistance
• Fitness subsidies and on-site gyms at specific Deere locations
• Charitable contribution match
• Employee Purchase Plan & numerous discount programs for personal use
• Vacation and Holiday Pay

Pay

$123,804.00 - $185,700.00 + Benefits