Automotive Project Lead
San Antonio, TX (onsite)
CONFIDENTIAL OPPORTUNITY BRIEF
Automotive Project Lead / In-Plant AMR Technician
Embedded in a World-Class Auto Plant | AMR Technology | Contract-to-Hire Pathway
Industrial Automation | San Antonio, TX | 100% Employee-Owned Distributor
You won't be applying to work at one of the world's largest automakers. But you might end up there anyway.
This is an embedded technical role stationed inside a major automotive OEM's San Antonio manufacturing campus — responsible for the integration, optimization, and ongoing support of their autonomous mobile robot (AMR) fleet. You'll be employed by a 65-year, 100% employee-owned industrial automation company, working alongside one of the most sophisticated manufacturing operations in the country. The contract runs 12–18 months. Do the job well, and the OEM may offer you a direct seat. The same role is already running successfully at another plant location — this isn't a pilot, it's an expansion. The proof of concept works. The playbook exists. Now they need the right person in San Antonio.
THE ROLE AT A GLANCE
Title: Automotive Project Lead / In-Plant AMR Technician
Employer: Confidential — 100% employee-owned industrial automation & fluid power distributor, 65 years in business
Site: Embedded in a major automotive OEM's manufacturing campus, San Antonio, TX
Reporting To: Plant-level maintenance team (day-to-day) & Automation Manager (Alabama)
Contract Structure: 12–18 month contract with potential for direct hire by the automotive OEM
Travel: Primarily on-site in San Antonio | up to 35% overnight travel for training & North America support
Target Start: ASAP
THE REAL OPPORTUNITY
AMRs — autonomous mobile robots — are no longer a future technology. They're running production floors at the world's most demanding manufacturers right now, and the technicians who know how to deploy, optimize, and troubleshoot them are in extremely short supply. This role puts you at the center of that. Day-to-day, you'll be configuring and optimizing AMR systems using software and web interfaces, observing fleet performance on the plant floor, solving real-world issues as they arise, and documenting everything. You are AHP's technical representative and the OEM's reliability partner — both at the same time.
Work with autonomous mobile robot systems at scale inside a world-class automotive facility — hands-on, not theoretical
Full backing of a 65-year industrial automation distributor behind you — technical resources, product expertise, and direct access to decision-makers
Established playbook: the same role is already operating successfully at another plant location. You're not pioneering blind
Path to direct hire: the OEM may offer a permanent position after the contract period. Two outcomes, both good
The hidden gem: Most technicians spend years trying to get exposure to a Tier 1 automotive plant. This role puts you inside one on day one — not as a contractor doing maintenance labor, but as the technical specialist running the most advanced robotics technology on the floor. The AMR expertise you build here does not exist in most resumes. It will.
CULTURE & OWNERSHIP
Your employer is a 65-year industrial automation company that became 100% employee-owned in 2023 — part of one of the largest ESOP structures in the United States. Every employee is an owner. The culture runs on three values: People First. Take Ownership. Do the Right Thing. From an AHP perspective, this role carries near-full autonomy. You have direct access to leadership and the full technical resources of a $200M organization behind you. There is no red tape between you and the support you need to succeed.
Every year, employee-owners receive an ESOP distribution — what insiders call the "Blue Envelope." You won't fully understand what that means until yours arrives. It's the kind of benefit that changes how you think about where you work.
THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER
Base Salary: $65,000 – $85,000
Stretch Base (Ideal Candidate): $100,000
Total OTE: $125,000+ including ESOP benefits
Bonus Structure: Quarterly retention bonuses
ESOP: Profit-sharing retirement fund — begins after 12 months
401(k): Available (no match, due to ESOP structure)
Health Insurance: $0/month premium achievable via Vitality wellness program
PTO: Flexible (minimum 1 week)
Non-Compete: None
CAREER PATH
AMR Technician (where you start) → AMR Project Lead (multi-site ownership) → Automation Manager (leadership track — or direct OEM hire)
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR
A technician or applications engineer ready for something different — someone currently working in a plant or at a distributor who wants hands-on AMR experience in a world-class environment instead of the same floor or the same office
Controls and automation background — PLCs, sensors, motors, RFID, encoders, or electrical theory. AMR-specific experience is a bonus, not a requirement. AHP will train the right person
Someone who takes pride in their work and shows up — this role is embedded in a high-stakes environment. Dependability and ownership of your work are non-negotiable. The plant notices everything
Willing to take a calculated leap — this role has some unknowns built in. The right candidate is someone who sees the upside clearly enough to step into them. That's exactly the profile that does well here
THE INTERVIEW PROCESS
Step 1: Intro call with VenTech Search — background, technical fit, interest in the role
Step 2: Technical conversation with the AHP Automation Manager — hands-on experience, problem-solving approach, AMR/controls knowledge
Close: Target start is ASAP. Moving quickly for the right candidate — reach out now to stay ahead of the process
READY TO STEP INTO THE PLANT?
If this landed differently than every other opportunity you've seen lately, let's talk — 20 minutes is all it takes to know if this is worth your time.
Contact: Michael "Sully" Sullivan, VenTech Search Group
Email: sully@ventechsearch.com | ventechsearch.com
June 30, 2026