Logistics Engineer

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections,  where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

The Logistics Engineer / Project Manager leads the technical evolution and modernization of our 10,000m2 self-operated distribution center. This role is the strategic architect responsible for transforming a complex, legacy-automated environment into a flexible, next-generation fulfillment hub using AMR and advanced robotics.

You will bridge the gap between physical hardware and digital systems, managing the transition from a legacy software stack (WMS/WCS/MFC) to a modern SAP eWM environment. Reporting directly to the Head of Supply Chain, you will own the technical roadmap, from ROI analysis and vendor selection participation to on-site project execution lead, ensuring our automation strategy aligns with future business scalability.

Your Main Responsibilities

• Creation of holistic view of warehouse operations in terms of automation technology, system landscape and warehouse operator needs. Full understanding & documentation of current bottlenecks in terms of throughput and storage capacity. Create suitable measurements (KPIs) where needed in order to translate requirements and current capacities.

• Automation Transformation & Strategy: Assess and lead the transition from rigid legacy automation to flexible technologies (AMRs, Humanoids, etc.) where required. Take full stock of existing hardware capabilities and map them against future business requirements and market-leading solutions.

• Systems Architecture & Integration: Fully master the current system landscape (WMS, WCS, MFC). Design the integration strategy to link the physical world with the digital world, acting as the lead for the upcoming SAP eWM implementation.

• Financial Stewardship & ROI: Drive rigorous ROI analysis for all automation projects collaborating with finance and site management. Have clear visibility for throughput, storage density, and FTE optimization.

• Material Flow & Process Optimization: Analyze and redesign internal material flows to eliminate bottlenecks. Use data-driven insights to optimize picking strategies, replenishment cycles, and packing efficiency. Processes are redesigned considering sustainability, quality and safety aspects.

• Project Governance: Act as the on-site Project Lead for major technical and system shifts. Manage the end-to-end lifecycle—from concept and vendor assessment to commissioning and structured handover—ensuring minimal disruption to active operations. Interact with global and local project teams.

• Stakeholder & Vendor Management: Partner with site management to assess new vendors and technologies. Navigate the complex relationship between legacy hardware providers and modern robotics OEMs, ensuring system interoperability.

• Technical Communication: Adapt complex technical concepts for different audiences (“zoom in & out”). Clearly articulate the "why" behind automation shifts to senior leadership while providing granular technical direction to on-site maintenance and IT teams.

• Performance Tracking: Define and monitor KPIs for automated systems, including uptime, cycle times, and error rates. Lead corrective actions when performance gaps occur in the automated flow.

Who You Are

• An Analytical Problem Solver: You enjoy the challenge of making legacy systems perform in a modern context. You take ambiguity and uncertainty as an opportunity to bring up proposals.

• A Strategic Executor: You can design a 3-year automation roadmap but are equally willing to be on the warehouse floor during a "Go-Live" to troubleshoot on the floor.

• An Influential Leader: You are a natural leader in the logistics engineering space, influencing the organization through active stakeholder management, expertise, and structured communication, with no direct disciplinary responsibility. You are results-oriented and comfortable leading through change in a high-pressure, self-operated warehouse environment, and are comfortable working in matrix hierarchies with indirect leadership.

• A Systems Thinker: You naturally link physical movement to system logic; you understand how a sensor trigger in the MFC translates to a data point in the WMS.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, Robotics, Logistics, or a related field.

• Professional Experience: Minimum of 5 years in intralogistics functions in warehouse environments, with a proven track record of participating in or leading complex warehouse automation projects. Having applied lean management principles in previous experiences.

• Technical Mastery: Deep experience with WMS environments; specific experience with SAP eWM preferred and its integration with automated material flow systems (MFS) is a primary requirement.

• Automation Expertise: Hands-on experience with AMR, AS/RS, or high-speed sortation systems. Understanding of the legacy stack (MFC/WCS) is essential. Knowledge of the warehouse automation market, being connected to various forums to be aware of new solutions and technologies.

• Soft Skills: Strong analytical capabilities and the ability to influence stakeholders without direct authority.

• Languages: Excellent communication skills in English and Spanish (essential for local site management and global vendor coordination).

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.