Director, Industrial Engineering & Automation

About The Role

What You Get To Do Every Day

• Engineering Capacity & Infrastructure Planning: Provide the engineering inputs required for long-range capacity and network planning, including process capability, equipment capacity, space/layout requirements, material-flow constraints, automation opportunities, and capital requirements. Partner with Operations Strategy to translate supply, demand, and capacity scenarios into technical infrastructure solutions.
• Facility & Material Flow Engineering: Design and optimize the physical flow of product, people, equipment, and work across TRR facilities. Develop scalable layouts, workstation designs, storage strategies, conveyance approaches, and other infrastructure solutions that improve throughput, space utilization, ergonomics, safety, and operating efficiency.
• Network Industrial Engineering Strategy: Own TRR’s IE standards and technical methods across sites, including engineered labor standards, time and methods studies, process capability, workflow design, ergonomics, material flow, workstation/layout design, and technical productivity standards; delivering continuous improvement network-wide.
• Outbound Automation & Robotics: Direct the implementation, optimization, and scaling of Outbound fulfillment systems, including automated storage, conveyance networks, and packing processes.
• Inbound & Specialized Process Innovation: Engineer and deploy the physical-process and automation solutions supporting Inbound modernization efforts, driving the integration of autonomous robotic vehicles (AMRs/AGVs), optimized material flows, and photography equipment optimization.
• Team Leadership & Capacity Building: Mentor, build, and lead a high-performing organization of Industrial Engineers, Process Engineers, and MHE Maintenance personnel, balancing strategic project execution with day-to-day equipment uptime and reliability.
• Vendor & Technical Integration: Partner with 3rd-party automation vendors, equipment OEMs, and software providers. Support RFP processes, system integration testing, contract negotiations, and project commissioning.
• MHE Reliability & Lifecycle Management: Establish maintenance, reliability, uptime, preventive maintenance, spare-parts, and lifecycle standards for MHE and automation assets. Own technical performance and reliability targets and partner with site Operations to ensure equipment supports required throughput and service levels.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Trust: Build deep trust and strategic alignment across Operations, Facilities, Technology/Product, and Finance to ensure automation and process improvement projects seamlessly integrate into daily operations.
• Engineering Economics & Technical Evaluation: Develop the technical assumptions, productivity standards, capacity impacts, capital requirements, implementation costs, reliability assumptions, and engineering economics required to evaluate automation and infrastructure investments. Partner with Operations Strategy and Finance to develop and validate the full business case and track realized operating performance.

What You Bring To The Role

Minimum Requirements:

• Education & Experience: BS/MS in Industrial, Mechanical, or Systems Engineering with 10+ years leading IE, robotics, and automation in fulfillment and production networks.
• Robotics & Process Design: Deep technical expertise in ASRS, high-speed conveyance, AMRs/AGVs, and hands-on design of optimized manual and automated workflows.
• Vendor Management: Strong track record negotiating contracts and managing technical 3rd-party MHE, robotics, and software vendors.
• Influence: Exceptional executive presence and communication skills with a proven ability to build trust, align goals, and collaborate across front-line operations, tech teams, and senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, client-focused organization with unique physical inventory

Preferred Requirements:

• Experience with single sku and/ or luxury inventory a plus
• Ability to travel up 30%

Compensation, Benefits, + Perks

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• 401K with Company Match
• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• 9 Paid Company Holidays
• Flexible Time Off (With Manager Approval)
• Find out more about our Benefits here.

The RealReal is the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated, resale luxury goods, with 40 million members. With a rigorous authentication process overseen by experts, The RealReal provides a safe and reliable platform for consumers to buy and sell their luxury items. We have hundreds of in-house gemologists, horologists, and brand authenticators who inspect thousands of items each day. As a sustainable company, we give new life to pieces by thousands of brands across numerous categories—including women's and men's fashion, fine jewelry and watches, art, and home—in support of the circular economy. We make selling effortless with free virtual appointments, in-home pickup, drop-off, and direct shipping. We handle all of the work for consignors, including authenticating, using AI and machine learning to determine optimal pricing, photographing and listing their items, as well as shipping and customer service.

The RealReal is committed to providing an equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, or Veteran status. We will consider qualified applicants for a position regardless of arrest or conviction records. At TRR, People Come First. That’s why diversity and inclusion are vital to our priorities as an equal opportunity employer. You can read about our Diversity Equity and Inclusion program here.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

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