Customer Automation Partnership Lead

CHEP helps move more goods to more people in more places than any other organization on earth via our 347 million pallets crates and containers. We employ approximately 13000 people and operate in 60 countries. Through our pioneering and sustainable share-and-reuse business model the worlds biggest brands trust us to help them transport their goods more efficiently safely and with less environmental impact.

What does that mean for you Youll join an international organization big enough to take you anywhere and small enough to get you there sooner. Youll help change how goods get to market and contribute to global sustainability. Youll be empowered to bring your authentic self to work and be surrounded by diverse and driven professionals. And you can maximize your work-life balance and flexibility through ourHybrid Work Model.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities May Include:

• Lead the automation partnership strategy defining priority partner relationships opportunity segments and engagement approaches that support long-term business value.
• Manage the automation opportunity portfolio qualifying opportunities based on commercial value technical feasibility scalability customer relevance and strategic fit.
• Partner with automation providers integrators and customers to represent organisational capabilities in specification solution design and partnership discussions.
• Translate partner requirements and market intelligence into clear recommendations for product development testing quality and investment decisions.
• Challenge technical specifications and commercial positions where needed balancing partner expectations with product capability operational feasibility and long-term value.
• Mobilise cross-functional stakeholders across product engineering operations quality supply chain and commercial teams to resolve trade-offs and align responses.
• Develop insights on automation trends standards competitive activity and partner needs to inform future capability governance and roadmap decisions.
• Enable consistent partner engagement by establishing clear ways of working escalation paths and decision inputs for automation-related opportunities.

Youll lead Brambles European automation partner strategy owning the relationship portfolio with key automation OEMs vendors and ecosystem partners. Acts as the senior technical-commercial interface between external partners and internal operations engineering product quality and commercial teams. Youll shape partner engagement opportunity prioritisation specification alignment and market positioning to strengthen Brambles role as a preferred partner in automated supply chain environments. Converts automation market intelligence into actionable input for product testing quality and investment priorities.

Role Specific Accountabilities:

• Define and lead the European automation partner strategy prioritising OEM relationships opportunity segments and engagement models that strengthen Brambles position in the automation ecosystem.

• Own and govern the strategic automation opportunity portfolio qualifying opportunities based on commercial value technical feasibility scalability customer relevance and long-term strategic fit.

• Act as the senior technical-commercial interface for automation partners representing Brambles in specification capability and solution design discussions with OEMs vendors integrators and customers.

• Shape partner specifications and commercial positions using data product knowledge operational insight and market intelligence to challenge unfavourable requirements while preserving strategic relationships.

• Mobilise senior internal stakeholders across operations engineering product quality supply chain and commercial teams to resolve trade-offs and deliver aligned partner responses.

• Translate automation market intelligence into business-critical input for product testing quality and investment priorities ensuring Brambles remains competitive as automation adoption accelerates across Europe.

Experience:

• Significant experience leading complex technical-commercial relationships with OEMs vendors integrators or strategic customers ideally in automation robotics material handling packaging logistics or supply chain environments.

• Track record of shaping partner strategies qualifying high-value opportunities and influencing commercial or technical outcomes

• Experience influencing technical specifications commercial positions or solution design with external partners

• Demonstrated ability to operate credibly with senior internal and external stakeholders across commercial engineering product quality and operations functions

• Experience translating market customer and partner intelligence into actionable recommendations for product testing investment or strategic priorities

• Experience working across multiple European markets cultures and stakeholder groups

Knowledge:

• Technical fluency in pallet/packaging specifications and automation system requirements sufficient to assess feasibility and credibly discuss trade-offs with engineers

• Strong commercial judgement with the ability to assess opportunity value strategic relevance scalability investment implications and partner fit.

• Skilled negotiator able to constructively challenge partner specifications while maintaining technical credibility trust and long-term relationship value.

• Strong organisational agility with the ability to navigate Brambles operating model and mobilise the right stakeholders to create value for Brambles customers and automation partners.

• Strong stakeholder influence skills with the ability to mobilise operations engineering product quality and commercial teams quickly and effectively.

• Working knowledge of European pallet and automation standards (e.g. EPAL FEM ISO) and awareness of regional differences in automation adoption.

• Ability to synthesise market and competitive intelligence into clear actionable input for R&D and leadership.

• Comfortable managing multiple concurrent opportunities and priorities in a fast-evolving ambiguous market.

• Proficiency in additional European languages is desirable given the multi-market scope of the role.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in a relevant field (engineering business supply chain) or equivalent professional experience

• Desirable: Engineering or technical degree/background sufficient to engage credibly on spec discussions with appropriate technical independence

Remote Type

Hybrid Remote

Skills to succeed in the role

Automation Strategy Innovation Management Partner Engagement Product Development

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and we are committed to developing a diverse workforce in which everyone is treated fairly with respect and has the opportunity to contribute to business success while realizing his or her potential. This means harnessing the unique skills and experience that each individual brings and we do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race color sex age national origin religion sexual orientation gender identity status as a veteran and basis of disability or any other federal state or local protected class.

Individuals fraudulently misrepresenting themselves as Brambles or CHEP representatives have scheduled interviews and offered fraudulent employment opportunities with the intent to commit identity theft or solicit money. Brambles and CHEP never conduct interviews via online chat or request money as a term of employment. If you have a question as to the legitimacy of an interview or job offer please contact us at

Employment Type : Full-Time
Experience: years
Vacancy: 1