Deployment Project Manager (eu)

THE COMPANY Our mission is to build the Covariant Brain, a universal AI to give robots the ability to see, reason, and act on the world around them. Bringing AI from research in the lab to the infinite variability and constant change of our customer’s real-world operations requires new ideas, approaches, and techniques.

Success in the real world requires a team that represents that world: diversity of backgrounds, points of view, and experiences. Our common denominator: ambitious expectations, love of learning, empathy for those around us, and a team-first mindset.

THE ROLE The Deployment Project Manager (DPM) is ultimately responsible for our team delivering a customer deployment as seamlessly and with as much learning captured as possible. This role is key to our ability to deliver reliably to customer sites over and over again. 

At a high level, a DPM manages the execution of FAT (Factory Acceptance Test) in the factory, shipping, installation, and execution of Ramp to Production onsite. The DPM provides timelines, plans, and milestones to CS for the customer-facing meetings. The DPM will be a part of the customer-facing meetings to provide a deeper level of detail where CS cannot.  The DPM also provides feedback on post-sales requirements and workflow design.

Your Deployment team is at the heart of Covariant’s growth. As we set up and test new robotic deployments, the team is our first set of hands on the robots and the keyboard, making sure everything is configured correctly, from hardware to networks to software. As we execute on pilots, they are intimately familiar with how the hardware and software pieces of our product interact. At Covariant we celebrate having a diverse workforce of professionals from different walks of life and backgrounds. The team consists of Robotics Engineers, Hardware Engineers, and Software Engineers. It is your job to lead this team and to be invested in the success of the next deployment as it is in the long-term scalable improvements that continuously enable us to deliver for future customers. 

YOU WILL

• Work upstream with HW/SW teams to ensure our design & workflow are being developed in the most deployable way possible. (e.g., as modular as possible, call out any workflow issues noticed, understand the BOM for seamless unpack/install, review documentation, and provide early feedback)
• Travel 35-50% within the EU, 15% internationally
• Take the FAT evaluation report, and project manage the execution on running benchmarks/tests and update the FAT evaluation report with the latest results
• Participate in the evaluation of station FAT criteria and the Ship/No Ship decision for the station
• Work with 3rd parties on planning for any integrations that may be required with our systems (examples include but are not limited to customer  WCS, Conveyors, scanners, and label printers)
• Create detailed plans for the entry point of the systems to the facility, staging, and rigging/installation (both for internal use and customer-facing if required)
• Coordinate with the procurement team on the arrival of the robotic systems and other tools required for installation (forklifts, hand tools, etc)
• Coordinate with the customer in the removal of existing equipment from the customer site that interferes with the robotic systems
• Coordinate and onboard subcontractors in preparation for their help on projects (this includes any plumbing or electrical work that is needed on site which is the responsibility of Covariant)
• Provide inputs to Customer Success for weekly customer meetings (this includes attending meetings and being the technical voice for the on-the-ground deployment team when it is required
• Audit project epics to ensure they are being kept up to date and always reflect the current status of our projects ensuring that all changes made in the field are captured clearly within our tracking and highlighted to our Engineering teams
• Capture and communicate product feedback based on the team’s experiences on pilot stations
• Understand all phases of the Global Customer Process with ownership of those phase gates they directly project manage, ensuring consistent updates and feedback to the PMO
• Periodically lead and coordinate internal projects
• Ensure that best safe practices are being followed by everyone on the project team.

YOU HAVE

• Master's degree, preferably in a technical field like mechanical engineering
• 7+ years experience, preferably in the materials handling or robotics industries
• 3+ years experience managing teams
• Experience leading mechatronic technical projects
• Clear and effective communication with individuals operating at varying levels of an organization with a range of experiences and backgrounds