Senior Manager, Engineering Process Excellence & AI Automation

Sr. Manager Engineering Process And Ai Automation

Eaton's corporate Engineering Excellence team is seeking a Sr. Manager with a focus on Engineering Process and AI automation. The preferred locations for this role are major hubs in the US including Beachwood, OH, Moon Township, PA, Raleigh, NC, Milwaukee, WI, but it could be based at another Eaton location within the US. Travel is expected to be up to 25%. Relocation assistance is not available for this position.

The expected annual salary range for this role is $162749.97 - $238699.96 a year. This position is also eligible for a variable incentive program.

Please note the salary information shown above is a general guideline only. Salaries are based upon candidate skills, experience, and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations.

What You'll Do:

Eaton Engineering's competitive edge starts with strong, consistent standard work. This role owns and evolves our enterprise engineering process (e.g., Eaton PROLaunch 2.0) and drives continuous improvement across businesses. As the next phase of that journey, you will embed AI enabled capabilities into our business processes—automating routine work, strengthening governance, and improving speed and quality. You'll partner closely with IT and collaborate with Digital Engineering (which owns design automation) to keep scope crisp and interfaces tight.

Job Responsibilities

• Own the standard process. Maintain and improve enterprise standard work for product development execution (e.g., Eaton PROLaunch 2.0), including governance structures (steering committees, standard work councils), decision rights, training, and readiness/audit mechanisms.
• Lead continuous improvement. Use Design for Six Sigma (DFSS), Advanced Product Quality Planning / Production Part Approval Process (APQP/PPAP), Product Design Scorecard (PDSC), and data-driven methods to raise capability, yield, and speed; standardize what works and retire what doesn't.
• Embed AI as the next phase. Drive an AI capability lifecycle (discover → design → pilot → scale → improve) for business processes (plan/review workflows, quality artifacts, knowledge retrieval, governance reporting), with clear guardrails for safety, risk, cost, and value—in tight partnership with IT. Scope excludes design automation (CAD/FEA/simulation), owned by Digital Engineering; ensure robust collaboration/handshakes.
• Create what markets don't provide. When needed, design lightweight tools (e.g., Product Design Scorecard, Activity Matrix) to close process/governance gaps and scale across businesses.
• Connect to portfolio & profit planning. Tie process excellence to budget priorities; partner with Program/Portfolio management to prioritize initiatives and make benefits realization visible.
• Align with the digital thread. Synchronize process changes with PLM (Enovia)/EIM/MBSE roadmaps; quantify productivity impact from data/automation.
• Lead through influence. Stand up communities of practice; coach functional leaders; mentor EFE team members in Pune; drive communications and change management for adoption and sustainment.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Master's degree in Engineering or related from an accredited institution.
• Minimum 10 years of professional product engineering experience.
• Minimum 5 years of experience leading projects/programs/transformations within a complex, multinational company setting.
• International and domestic travel will be required.
• For candidates in the US: Eaton will not consider applicants for employment immigration sponsorship or support for this position. This means that Eaton will not support any CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT plans, F-1 to H-1B, H-1B cap registration, O-1, E-3, TN status, I-485 job portability, etc.

Preferred:

• Minimum 5 years leading programs or enterprise initiatives across the end to end process (VOC, business case, development/verification, New Product Development, sourcing/APQP, launch, VA/VE).
• Proven outcomes in AI/automation of business processes (intelligent workflow, agentic orchestration, or similar), with governance experience.
• DFSS Black Belt or Master Black Belt preferred.
• Certification in AI/automation of business processes (intelligent workflow, agentic orchestration, or similar) preferred.
• Record of multi site/global deployment with measurable enterprise impact (productivity, quality, speed).
• Minimum of 10 years of experience engineering product development of systems relevant to Eaton (electro mechanical, power electronics, embedded/software, or industrial systems).

Skills & Technical Knowledge:

• Product Development & Process Governance: Solid grasp of product development frameworks (stage-gate or similar) and how to maintain standard processes. Ability to govern process adoption: readiness checks, decision rights, and compliance.

• Quality & Continuous Improvement: Design for Six Sigma (Black Belt level) and problem-solving tools. Familiarity with risk management (FMEA), quality planning, and verification/validation practices.

• AI & Automation Awareness: Understand what AI can and cannot do for business processes (e.g., automating document reviews, generating summaries, improving reporting). Ability to identify opportunities for automation and evaluate feasibility with IT partners. Awareness of risks and guardrails (data privacy, accuracy, human oversight).

• Digital Toolchain Basics: Working knowledge of product lifecycle tools (PLM/PDM) and how process changes connect to them. Enough understanding to discuss integration points with IT without needing to code.

• Data & Connectivity (at a high level): Know the concept of data flow between systems and why clean, structured data matters. Understand limits of automation (e.g., when human judgment is still required).

• Strategic Influence & Stakeholder Management: Ability to gain buy-in across businesses without direct authority. Skilled at building coalitions (steering committees, standard-work councils) and aligning diverse priorities.

• Change Leadership & Communication: Comfort leading enterprise-wide change and explaining "why" behind process and AI adoption. Strong storytelling to translate technical concepts into business value for executives and engineers.

• Collaboration & Cross-Cultural Agility: Works effectively with global teams (US, Europe, Pune) and across functions (IT, Digital Engineering, Program Management). Sensitivity to cultural differences and time zones.

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Ability to diagnose systemic issues, prioritize improvements, and balance risk vs. value in AI initiatives. Comfortable making decisions with incomplete data.

• Adaptability & Learning Agility: Open to emerging technologies and evolving governance models. Can pivot quickly when pilots reveal new insights or constraints.

• Coaching & Mentoring: Guides functional leaders and mentors EFE team members in Pune to build capability and sustain adoption.

• Negotiation & Conflict Resolution: Handles competing priorities (business units vs. enterprise standards) diplomatically while maintaining governance integrity.

• Executive Presence & Credibility: Communicates confidently with senior leaders; demonstrates business acumen and technical depth without jargon overload.

• Strong business acumen (portfolio trade offs, Budgeting, benefits realization).