Lead, AI & Automation

Berlin Packaging is the premier supplier of rigid packaging, serving virtually every end market—automotive, beverage, food, home care, industrial chemical, pet care and veterinary, personal health and beauty, wine and spirits, and cannabis. With over $3 billion in revenue, we grow 5x faster than the overall packaging industry. Our “Anything is Possible” mindset and winning culture drive high engagement scores (2x the national average), and every employee shares in Berlin’s profitable growth.

About the role

As our AI & Automation Lead, you will identify, design, and build AI and automation solutions that drive real operational impact—spanning intelligent workflows, process automation, and AI-powered applications across the enterprise. This is a hands-on technical lead role where you will be the primary architect and practitioner, working alongside a small team of onshore and offshore engineers to deliver end-to-end applications. You will set the technical direction, stay close to the code, and be accountable for what ships.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop AI and automation solutions across the enterprise, including intelligent workflows, LLM-powered applications, system integrations, and data pipelines.
• Evaluate and implement the right tools and platforms for each use case, leveraging a broad command of the AI and automation landscape.
• Prototype rapidly, validate with stakeholders, and iterate quickly based on real-world feedback.
• Own the full delivery lifecycle: requirements, development, testing, deployment, and ongoing improvement.
• Set architectural standards and engineering practices to ensure solutions are scalable, maintainable, and production-grade.
• Partner with product leaders to identify and prioritize automation opportunities with clear ROI.
• Translate business problems into well-scoped technical solutions and deliver them with minimal oversight.
• Maintain a forward-looking roadmap balancing near-term wins with longer-term capability building.
• Communicate outcomes in business terms, keeping stakeholders informed and confident in the work.
• Provide technical direction and hands-on guidance to a small team of onshore and offshore engineers.
• Set clear expectations, review work, and maintain quality and velocity across the team.
• Foster a collaborative, high-accountability environment where engineers grow and delivery stays on track.
• Build documentation, standards, and practices to keep the team aligned and the codebase healthy.

Requirements

• 5+ years of hands-on software development experience, with significant depth in AI/ML, intelligent automation, or related disciplines.
• A proven track record of delivering production AI and automation solutions in complex enterprise environments.
• Strong proficiency in Python and/or JavaScript/TypeScript; fluency with REST APIs, microservices, and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP).
• Deep hands-on experience with LLM integration (OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure OpenAI, or similar), including prompt engineering and agentic workflow design.
• Working knowledge of RPA platforms (UiPath, Power Automate, or similar) and workflow orchestration tools.
• Strong grasp of enterprise system integration patterns, data pipelines, and API-driven connectivity.
• Experience leading or technically directing a small team of engineers, including offshore or distributed team members.
• Ability to earn trust quickly with business stakeholders and communicate technical value in plain language.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, or packaging industries.
• Hands-on experience with Power Automate, Azure OpenAI, Salesforce AgentForce, or other enterprise automation/AI platforms.
• Familiarity with Agile or lightweight delivery frameworks suited to small, fast-moving teams.
• Exposure to MLOps practices: model deployment, versioning, monitoring, and lifecycle management.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

Pay

IL Base Pay Range: $110,000 USD - $130,000 USD

Benefits

• Competitive PTO including vacation, personal days, holidays, and sick time.
• Berlin Shared Ownership Plan.
• Profit sharing.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Medical insurance including dental insurance.
• Health Savings Account (HSA).
• Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) for transportation, medical, and dependent care expenses.
• Vision insurance options.
• Paid parental leave for up to 12 weeks.
• Health club reimbursement.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• 529 college savings plan.
• Employee Assistance Program for mental health and well-being.
• Calm app to improve mental wellbeing.
• Employee referral program.
• Company-sponsored life insurance with optional voluntary life insurance.
• Company-sponsored short- and long-term disability.