The Project Management Team Lead (PMTL) will report to the Manager of Manufacturing Project Operations and will directly manage a team of approximately 5 - 7 project managers (PMs). Additionally, the PMTL is expected to assist their project teams as needed during critical phases of their team’s projects. This position is considered a “working manager” role at Toyota Automated Logistics.
The ideal candidate will be a Project Management Professional (PMP) experienced in the material handling industry, manufacturing, warehouse management and/or control systems (WMS, WCS), and possess direct experience and expertise in one or more of the technical specialties used in our projects. Additionally, the ideal candidate will be a strong, growing leader with a passion for process improvement and mentorship.
Job Functions:
- Leadership
- Provide appropriate guidance and coaching to project managers, with varying levels of experience and skill sets
- Work with project managers to successfully overcome project and customer challenges, both technical and logistical in nature
- Demonstrate strong attention to detail and technical credibility to earn trust, identify gaps early, and provide effective guidance
- Proactively review team member projects to anticipate future risks, conflicts, or execution challenges before they impact scope, schedule, cost, or customer confidence
- Use lessons learned, technical insight, and forecasting to coach project managers on how to prepare for upcoming challenges and make informed decisions
- Foster a culture of ownership, preparation, continuous improvement, and proactive problem‑solving
- Communicate expectations, feedback, and direction clearly and effectively to team members at all experience levels
- Coach project managers on proactive risk management, change management, and contingency planning
- Escalate risks, constraints, and execution concerns to leadership with professionalism, clarity, and recommended paths forward
- Mentorship to project managers, including leading by example
- Cascade critical corporate communications from Toyota Automated Logistics leadership to team members
- Teach team members the reasons why their job is important for the success of Toyota Automated Logistics and ensure that each team member is embodying the core values of our company
- Initiate and participate in process improvement and tool development for project management tasks and deliverables
- Guide the development of the project management department annual strategic goals and ensure their successful completion
- Resource Management
- Work with Manager of Manufacturing Project Operations to manage workload of team members based on project complexity, team capacity, individual skill sets, and business priorities
- Monitor team bandwidth and project demands to identify resource constraints or capability gaps early
- Provide team members with opportunities for training and improving skill sets for career development
- Work cross-functionally with other managers and team leads within other Toyota Automated Logistics and Bastian Automation departments to address individual project needs within an assigned portfolio
- Participate in hiring process of new project managers
- Review and approval of expense reports
- Review and approval of vacation and personal time off requests
- Create, update, and review incentive plans with team members
- Conduct annual performance reviews and set personal goals with team members
- Develop career path plans with project managers on the team
- Recommend team members to management for annual awards and promotions
- Provide a quality control review for key deliverables developed by your team members
- Work with other Toyota Automated Logistics and Bastian Automation leaders and employees to help develop a strong safety culture and understand how to work safely each day in various environments
- Project Management
- Provide technical project oversight across the full project lifecycle, ensuring disciplined planning, execution, monitoring, and close‑out
- Maintain a strong working knowledge of manufacturing, engineering, and integration processes sufficient to review plans, identify risks, and challenge assumptions
- Work with the assigned team to review proposals, contracts and new orders for accuracy and commercial and technical issues
- Be accountable for planning, execution, and closure of material handling equipment projects involving custom equipment, robotics, ASRS, Goods-to-Person systems, structures, conveyor, machinery, controls, and software
- Be accountable for financial performance of projects managed by the team
- Estimate and direct internal Toyota Automated Logistics and Bastian Automation resources necessary to successfully complete the project. Communicate with other business unit leaders on current and anticipated needs
- Manage project resources residing in multiple states
- Work with the Procurement Team to effectively manage relationships and contracts with multiple partners/vendors
- Create and maintain a documented project plan and schedule
- Keep complete records of every project including a change log, action items, issues and risk monitoring log
- Adhere to work and documentation standards as practiced at Toyota Automated Logistics
- Apply appropriate judgment in the use of documentation and structure while executing projects
- Give consistent and concise oral and written updates to projects, always with reference to in-scope deliverables, specific project issues, or risks
- Support the Site Managers in the field, ensuring that they have what they need to be successful on the project
- Work with accounting to follow-up on past due invoices.
- Responsible for content, format and timeliness of all project deliverables including drawings, design releases, letters, equipment and controls documentation, spare parts lists, purchase orders
- Document, publish, and present project lessons learned. Ensure that current project close-out checklists are complete
- Be able to work weekends and evenings as required, particularly for key project milestones like FAT preparation or go-live events
- Be prompt and consistent in work attendance
Travel Requirements:
- 40% overnight travel (Travel expenses paid by Toyota Automated Logistics)
Required Qualifications and Preferred Skills:
- A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Operations Management discipline
- Project Management qualifications including certificates or similar accreditations. Project Management Professional (PMP) optional, though preferred
- Advanced in MS Office software suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio etc.)
- MS Project Online and/or MS Planner experience, with understanding of critical path, baseline scheduling, resource management, deliverables, dependencies
- Material Handling, Robotics, or Manufacturing background required
- At least 10 years’ experience in a Project Management Role
- An understanding of the Engineering, Manufacturing, and Material Handling industries
- OSHA 10 certification
- Demonstrated leadership and/or mentorship in previous role
- Ability to travel overnight up to 40%
- Good leader, able to lead a team of people and projects
- Adaptable in communication styles - from hourly construction workers to engineers to executives.
- Energetic, ambitious, and hard working
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Strong demonstrated sense of customer service
- Structured, organized, and methodical in his/her approach
- Anticipate problems and drive risk reduction
- Change agent and desire to enhance standard processes
- Must be eligible to work in the USA long term without sponsorship.
- Employees must follow all information security policies, protect confidential data, complete required training, and report any suspected security incidents to support our information security controls.
About Toyota Automated Logistics:
Toyota Automated Logistics is your global partner for integrated warehouse automation. Our team combines the talents of Bastian Solutions, Vanderlande’s warehousing business and viastore under one brand to deliver scalable systems, intelligent software and life-cycle services.
In addition to exciting work at a growing company, we offer the following benefits:
- Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- 401(k) Retirement Plan with a company match
- Vacation / Holiday Pay
- Paid Volunteer time off
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Professional Associations, Conferences and Subscriptions
- Company Meetings & Events
Toyota Automated Logistics does not work with outside recruiting agencies. No solicitation phone calls please.
