Supply Chain Project Manager - Warehouse Automation / IT

Supply Chain Workstream Lead / IT Project Manager – Warehouse Automation

Location: Kettering, Northamptonshire

Working pattern: Hybrid, onsite presence required (expenses paid)

Rate: £700-750 per day, inside IR35, expenses paid on top

We’re recruiting a Supply Chain Workstream Lead to support the delivery of a major new automated distribution facility for a well-known UK organisation.

The programme is entering its realisation phase, so this is a hands-on delivery role working closely with IT, operational teams, an international warehouse automation provider and several specialist third-party suppliers.

You’ll bridge the gap between the technical and operational workstreams, coordinate activity ahead of go-live and ensure suppliers deliver against their commitments.

This is not a generic IT Project Manager position. We need someone who has previously delivered large automated warehouse or distribution centre implementations and understands the practical realities of bringing a new facility live.

What you’ll be responsible for

• Leading the supply chain and operational elements of the warehouse automation programme
• Connecting the work of IT, warehouse operations, automation providers and other delivery partners
• Coordinating activities, dependencies, milestones, risks and issues through to go-live
• Tracking supplier deliverables and holding third parties accountable
• Representing the client’s interests across a complex multi-supplier environment
• Producing clear, credible plans and providing stakeholders with confidence in the delivery
• Identifying issues early and driving them through to resolution
• Working closely with the technical lead on integration between the automation platform and wider enterprise systems

What we’re looking for

• Strong experience delivering automated warehouse or distribution centre implementations
• Ideally, involvement in at least two or three new facility implementations
• Hands-on experience working with physical warehouse automation and associated technology
• Experience working with automation providers such as Swisslog, Dematic or similar
• A strong understanding of warehousing and supply chain operations
• Demonstrable project or programme delivery experience
• Excellent stakeholder management, including experience handling challenging senior stakeholders
• Strong third-party supplier management and commercial awareness
• The confidence to challenge suppliers, scrutinise plans and hold delivery partners to account
• The ability to communicate complex delivery information clearly and build trusted relationships

Experience integrating warehouse automation with ERP platforms would be beneficial. SAP exposure would be useful, but it is not essential.

Location

The facility is based in Kettering, Northamptonshire. The position is technically hybrid, but this is an onsite delivery role and will typically require presence in Kettering for on average three days per week but some weeks could be four or to five days per week, depending on the stage of the programme.

Candidates can be based elsewhere in the UK, provided they are comfortable travelling to and staying near the site regularly.

If you have delivered large-scale automated distribution facilities and enjoy working at the point where technology, operations and suppliers come together, please apply.