Engineering Executive  ·  Amazon Global Engineering Services

Jordan Smith III

VP of Engineering & Operations  ·  $1.5B+ MHE Capital Portfolio

PE PMP MBA Cornell Executive Leadership
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$1.5B+ MHE Capital Portfolio
291 Facilities
$2B+ Annual Throughput
17 Yrs Engineering Leadership

Proven Impact

Results that move the needle

$2.7M
Vendor Accountability
Built and institutionalized a supplier performance management program across 270+ facilities. Drove a 70% reduction in repeat vendor failures, delivering $2.7M in projected annual savings and establishing lasting contractual accountability standards.
91%
On-Time Delivery
Directed simultaneous execution of an 11-site capital launch portfolio valued at $18M+, elevating regional on-time delivery from 85% to 91% — including a greenfield flagship facility at $264M with no established operational playbook.
$45M+
Cost Avoidance
Identified and corrected a systemic engineering design assumption through rigorous empirical validation. Rewrote specifications that generated $9M in immediate savings and $36M+ in projected cost avoidance across future capital programs.
15 Sites
Performance Turnaround
Designed and deployed a regional performance recovery framework targeting underperforming automated fulfillment operations. Achieved measurable throughput improvement across all 15 sites, with each location exceeding baseline targets by 5% or more within 90 days.
100%
Operational Excellence Adoption
Architected and scaled a cross-functional launch readiness framework from pilot to full North American adoption. Standardized handoff protocols now govern 300+ active deliverables, reducing launch variability and accelerating time-to-operational-readiness.
10
Leaders Promoted
Built high-performance engineering organizations through disciplined hiring, structured development, and intentional succession planning. Drove 10 promotions in 2.5 years with 35% diverse representation, consistently exceeding organizational benchmarks.

About

I build engineering organizations
that solve problems other teams can't.

Over 17 years, I've led capital programs totaling $1.5B+ in automated material handling infrastructure, stood up teams from scratch, and created frameworks that became permanent standard work across some of the most complex fulfillment environments in North America.

At Amazon, I lead the Tiger Team within Global Engineering Services — a specialized cross-functional engineering organization that addresses systemic performance gaps in facilities representing $100M–$1B+ in capital investment.

I maintain direct OPEX accountability of ~$3.5M in personnel costs alongside my capital portfolio, coordinating across 50+ organizations and influencing stakeholders from Director through VP level. My work consistently produces frameworks that outlast individual projects and scale across enterprise networks.

I'm now seeking a VP-level platform with full P&L accountability, broader organizational scope, and equity participation — in fulfillment, logistics, industrial automation, or MHE systems integration.

Experience

Career progression

Aug 2025 – Present
Amazon Global Engineering Services    Cincinnati, OH
Senior Manager, Tiger Team
Lead cross-functional Tiger Team engineering organization addressing systemic performance failures in Amazon's highest-complexity fulfillment facilities. Direct accountability for $3.5M OPEX and influence across $1B+ capital programs. Drive strategy across 50+ internal organizations.
$1.5B+ Capital Portfolio Tiger Team Lead 50+ Organizations
2022 – Aug 2025
Amazon    Multiple Sites
Senior Program Manager, Launch & Expansion
Directed simultaneous launch of 11 capital facilities ($18M+ portfolio), establishing regional on-time delivery benchmarks. Led greenfield $264M flagship launch with no prior operational playbook. Built supplier accountability program eliminating $2.7M in repeat failure costs.
91% On-Time $264M Flagship $2.7M Savings
2018 – 2022
Duke Energy    Charlotte, NC
Capital Project Manager / Engineering Manager
Led 45-person team managing a station's $75M annual budget. Delivered $182M in revenue loss avoidance across parallel capital improvement programs. Managed engineering design validation that generated $9M in immediate savings and $36M+ in long-term cost avoidance.
$75M Budget $182M Avoidance 45-Person Team
2009 – 2018
Various    National
Engineering Leadership — Early Career
Progressed through engineering leadership roles in utilities, industrial operations, and infrastructure. Built core competencies in capital project delivery, team development, and operational systems design. PE licensed across multiple states.
PE Licensed Multi-state Capital Delivery

Core Expertise

Where I create value

Material Handling Engineering (MHE) Capital Program Management ($1B+) Automated Sortation & Conveyor Systems Fulfillment & Distribution Operations Cross-functional Team Leadership Supplier & Vendor Management Greenfield Facility Launch P&L / OPEX Accountability Industrial Automation Operational Excellence / Lean Stakeholder Influence (VP/Director Level) Engineering Org Design & Talent Development Risk Identification & Mitigation Six Sigma / Process Engineering

Credentials

Education & Certifications

Professional Engineer (PE)
Licensed — Multiple States
Project Management Professional (PMP)
Project Management Institute
MBA
Business Administration
Executive Leadership Program
Cornell University
B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Engineering Foundation

Let's Connect

Open to VP-level conversations

Targeting VP of Engineering and VP of Operations roles in fulfillment, logistics, industrial automation, and MHE systems integration. Available nationally for remote and hybrid roles. On-site within Greater Cincinnati area.

Send an Email Connect on LinkedIn Download Executive Brief
Email jordan.smith.3rd@gmail.com
Location Cincinnati, OH
Compensation Target $300K–$400K with equity