IT Software Engineering Manager - Advanced Drainage Systems

At ADS, no idea is off limits, and we celebrate creativity and bold moves.  For more than 50 years ADS has been manufacturing a variety of innovative and environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional materials.  Headquartered in Hilliard, Ohio, we are a multi-billion dollar stormwater management company, manufacturing pipe and ancillary products. What does that mean? When it storms, we capture rain with our drain basins, convey it with pipe, store it using chambers and finally treat it with our water quality products, before safely returning water back to the environment. We handle, what we call, the entire lifecycle of a raindrop. Our products help prevent flooding, which increases quality of life for people living in large cities, suburbs, and rural towns. We also believe in creating a circular economy and are the largest plastic recycling company in North America. We use plastic shampoo and detergent bottles to create pipe, diverting over 500 million pounds of plastic from landfills every year. ADS operates a global network of over 60 manufacturing plants and 30 distribution centers. 

We have amazing stories to tell, and we need your help getting our story out there. To learn more about ADS, please visit our website at www.adspipe.com.

The successful candidate must bring high level of ethical, intellectual, professional, and personal values that complement the team.

• Strategic Mindset – anticipates future trends and implications accurately
• Decision Quality – relies on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment when making decisions
• Customer Focus – identifies opportunities that benefit the business
• Business Insight – keeps up with current and possible future policies, practices, and trends in the organization, function, and in the marketplace
• Plans and Aligns – breaks down objectives into appropriate initiatives and actions
• Optimizes Work Processes – seeks ways to improve processes, from small tweaks to complete reengineering
• Ensures Accountability – establishes clear responsibilities and processes for monitoring work and measuring results
• Collaborates – works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives
• Develops Talent – develops others through coaching, feedback, exposure, and stretch assignments
• Builds Effective Teams – forms teams with appropriate and diverse mix of styles, perspectives, and experience
• Drives Vision and Purpose – talks about future possibilities in a positive way
• Courage – faces difficult issues and supports others who do the same

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Manager of Software Engineering to lead our dynamic software engineering team. This role will be pivotal in driving the development, implementation, and optimization of software solutions with a strong focus on AI, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and automation within our manufacturing processes. The ideal candidate will have a robust technical background, leadership capabilities, and a strategic vision to enhance our technology stack, ensuring alignment with business goals.

Primary Job Responsibilities:

The responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Leadership and Team Management:
  • Lead, mentor, and manage a team of software engineers and automation specialists.
  • Foster a collaborative and high-performance culture within the team.
  • Conduct regular performance reviews, set goals, and provide career development opportunities for team members.
• Software Development and Project Management:
  • Oversee the end-to-end software development lifecycle, from requirements gathering to deployment and maintenance.
  • Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget.
  • Implement agile methodologies to improve development processes and productivity.
• AI and Machine Learning:
  • Drive the integration of AI and machine learning algorithms into manufacturing processes to enhance efficiency, quality, and predictive maintenance.
  • Stay current with the latest advancements in AI and ML to propose innovative solutions.
• Robotic Process Automation (RPA):
  • Identify opportunities for RPA to streamline and automate repetitive tasks within the manufacturing workflow.
  • Lead the design, development, and deployment of RPA solutions.
• Automation:
  • Implement automation technologies to optimize manufacturing processes, reduce downtime, and improve overall operational efficiency.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify automation needs and develop solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing systems.
• Technical Strategy and Innovation:
  • Develop and execute a technical strategy that aligns with the organization’s goals and objectives.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to drive continuous improvement and innovation.
• Quality Assurance and Compliance:
  • Ensure all software solutions meet the highest standards of quality, security, and compliance.
  • Establish and maintain best practices for code quality, testing, and documentation.
• Stakeholder Engagement:
  • Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including manufacturing, operations, and business units, to understand their needs and deliver tailored software solutions.
  • Communicate project status, technical challenges, and solutions to senior management and other stakeholders.

Job Skills:

This position should possess the following skills/knowledge:

• Work requires professional written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to effectively manage time and multiple activities to meet deadlines.
• Ability to communicate technical information to non-technical personnel.
• Ability to determine technical problems and to coordinate hardware and/or software solutions.
• Ability to motivate teams to produce quality materials within tight timeframes and simultaneously manage several projects.
• Professional attitude, enthusiastic, and reliable
• Ability to build and influence strategic vendor partnerships.
• Ability to develop strategic roadmaps containing sequencing of IT solutions working towards the achievement of advancing business and IT team enablement.
• Ability to lead and facilitate group meetings.
• Ability to effectively communication complex ideas and business solutions to executives, business leaders and other associates
• Establish a good working relationship with team members and internal contacts in order to maintain and continuously strive to improve the level of overall service being provided.
• Demonstrated strong analytical and problem-solving skills with all management levels.
• Understand current market/changing technology trends.
• Ability to lead and manage technical and analyst resources.
• Analytical mindset and problem-solving abilities to identify system issues, recommend solutions, and drive process improvements.

 Preferred Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• Proven experience (3+ years) in software engineering management, with a focus on AI, RPA, and automation.
• Strong technical background with expertise in software development, machine learning, and automation technologies.
• Experience with agile methodologies and project management tools.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to think strategically and drive innovation.
• Solid understanding of manufacturing processes and industry-specific challenges.

ADS supports an inclusive workplace that values diversity of thought, experience, and background. We celebrate the power of our differences to create better solutions for our customers by ensuring employees can be their authentic selves each day. ADS is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, veteran status, marital status, creed, status with regard to public assistance, genetic status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.