Controls and OT Engineering Group Lead - Columbus, OH

The Opportunity

This position works out of our Columbus, OH in the Nutrition Division. The Group Leader, Operational Technology (OT) is responsible for leading a team of Controls Automation and OT Systems Engineers while overseeing the successful delivery of capital projects, digital transformation initiatives, and operational technology strategies across the manufacturing organization. This role provides technical leadership, people management, and strategic direction to ensure the organization achieves its operational, financial, and business objectives. The position serves as a key liaison between Engineering, Operations, Information Technology, Quality, and senior leadership, driving collaboration, resource optimization, and continuous improvement across multiple sites and programs.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of engineering professionals.
• Conduct performance evaluations, career development discussions, succession planning, and employee engagement activities.
• Mentor team members in technical execution, project management, stakeholder management, and leadership competencies.
• Support talent acquisition, onboarding, workforce planning, and employee retention efforts.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, safety, and continuous improvement.

Resource and Operational Management

• Manage engineering resource planning, utilization forecasting, and workload balancing to support business priorities.
• Support portfolio planning and organizational capacity management activities.
• Establish team priorities and adapt resource allocation to meet changing business needs.
• Communicate organizational objectives, project priorities, and key business updates to team members.
• Support department-wide initiatives and organizational development activities.

Project and Program Leadership

• Provide leadership and oversight for automation, controls, manufacturing systems, and Operational Technology capital projects.
• Guide project planning, budgeting, scheduling, scope definition, risk management, and execution.
• Support development of equipment specifications, technical standards, cost estimates, and project bid packages.
• Oversee system design, implementation, installation, validation, commissioning, startup, and project handoff activities.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex project, technical, and stakeholder issues.
• Ensure projects are executed safely and meet quality, regulatory, financial, scope, and schedule requirements.

Continuous Improvement and Technical Excellence

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance engineering effectiveness, project execution, and operational performance.
• Develop, implement, and maintain engineering standards, best practices, and execution methodologies.
• Identify technical and operational risks and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend innovative solutions to improve manufacturing capability, reliability, and efficiency.
• Balance technical, operational, and financial considerations to support sound business decisions.

Strategic Leadership and Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong partnerships with Engineering, Operations, Quality, IT, Supply Chain, and business leadership teams.
• Serve as a primary interface between site leadership and divisional or regional engineering organizations.
• Communicate project status, business risks, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
• Manage vendor, contractor, and service provider relationships.
• Lead cross-functional teams, Communities of Practice, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
• Support long-term technology roadmaps, technology strategy development, and organizational planning efforts.

Education and Experience You'll Bring

Required: Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Minimum of eight years of experience in engineering, automation, manufacturing controls, operational technology, industrial IT systems, or related technical fields. Demonstrated experience leading complex engineering projects and programs. Strong knowledge of industrial automation, control systems, manufacturing technologies, and project execution processes. Excellent leadership, communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills. Proven ability to influence stakeholders and lead teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Preferred: Previous experience leading and developing technical engineering teams. Experience managing capital projects and engineering portfolios. Knowledge of financial planning, budgeting, and resource management. Experience establishing engineering standards and driving continuous improvement programs. Strong stakeholder management, vendor management, and negotiation skills. Experience working within regulated manufacturing industries, including healthcare, nutrition, pharmaceutical, medical device, or consumer products manufacturing.