Location: Traveling position. Work at customer job sites nationwide.

Department: Operations

Reports To: Racking Installation Manager

Role Type: Technical Leadership / Individual Contributor

Who We Are

Zone 4 is a nationwide leader in the design and installation of advanced material handling systems, specializing in automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), multi-shuttle, mini-load, conveyor, robotic automation, and high-density racking systems. Headquartered in Orange, CA, Zone 4 serves blue-chip clients across retail, e-commerce, logistics, grocery, and other industries. With over 15 years of experience, Zone 4 provides nationwide installation services for projects of varying size and complexity. At Zone 4, we combine advanced planning, transparent alignment, and accountable execution to elevate outcomes and build trust with our customers and partners.

Role Purpose

The Rack Installation Subject Matter Expert (SME) provides expert-level technical leadership for the planning, installation, alignment, inspection, quality control, and turnover of structural steel racking and automated storage system infrastructure. This role establishes technical installation standards, supports project planning and field execution, resolves complex rack installation issues, and develops the capabilities of Zone 4’s racking field teams.

The Rack Installation SME is a hands-on technical leader and escalation point who works closely with the Racking Installation Manager, project management, engineering, safety, quality, procurement, survey teams, field leadership, vendors, and OEM partners. During the initial onboarding period, this position may serve as the rack installation Site Lead on a major project while also reviewing and supporting additional project sites.

Scope of Responsibility

• Technical installation standards for SSG, AS/RS, high-bay, shuttle, pallet, carton-flow, and related racking systems
• Interpretation of structural drawings, rack elevations, layout plans, details, tolerances, and manufacturer requirements
• Field troubleshooting, technical escalation, installation oversight, dimensional control, and quality assurance
• Rack layout, baseplate positioning, anchoring, plumbing, leveling, alignment, bolting, bracing, and structural verification
• Technical training, mentoring, and capability development for rack installers, leads, foremen, and site managers
• Compliance with approved drawings, manufacturer requirements, OSHA standards, customer requirements, and Zone 4 procedures
• Coordination with project management, engineering, safety, quality, survey, mechanical, electrical, vendors, and OEM teams
• Field documentation, inspection records, redlines, issue logs, punch lists, closeout input, and lessons learned

Key Outcomes

• Racking is always installed the “Zone 4 Way”
• Rack installations consistently meet approved drawings, tolerances, manufacturer specifications, safety requirements, and Zone 4 standards
• Layout, elevation, plumbness, alignment, anchoring, and structural quality are verified throughout installation
• Complex field and interface issues are identified early and resolved with minimal schedule or cost impact
• Project execution plans accurately address site organization, labor, tools, equipment, survey controls, material flow, and sequencing
• Field teams demonstrate improved technical capability, quality, safety, and installation consistency
• Standardized rack installation SOPs, inspection methods, and best practices are implemented across projects
• Rework, damaged components, tolerance failures, punch-list items, and field escalations are reduced
• Lessons learned are captured and converted into measurable process improvements

Core Responsibilities

Technical Expertise & Guidance (Primary Focus)

• Provide expert-level guidance on SSG, AS/RS, shuttle, mini-load, high-bay, pallet, carton-flow, and other structural racking installations
• Interpret structural drawings, rack plans, elevations, sections, connection details, tolerances, anchor requirements, and manufacturer instructions
• Serve as the technical escalation point for complex layout, tolerance, fit-up, anchoring, bracing, structural-interface, and installation challenges
• Maintain current knowledge of rack installation methods, equipment, tooling, inspection practices, and applicable safety and customer standards

Pre-Installation Planning & Constructability

• Review project scope, drawings, specifications, bill of materials, technical requirements, and customer standards before mobilization
• Assist with estimating rack installation labor, crew mix, tools, equipment, lifts, survey requirements, consumables, and temporary works
• Develop the initial rack execution plan, including site organization, weekly resource planning, material staging, equipment needs, survey controls, and installation sequencing
• Participate in design and constructability reviews to identify slab, embed, anchor, access, elevation, interface, material-flow, and sequencing risks
• Validate that site conditions and control points are suitable before installation begins and escalate discrepancies promptly
• Review and adjust execution plans throughout the project lifecycle as field conditions and priorities change

Installation Oversight & Field Support

• Establish rack installation standards and verify field teams follow approved methods, drawings, tolerances, and manufacturer requirements
• Develop and maintain installation SOPs and best practices for material handling and automated storage racking systems
• Support site managers, leads, and foremen with real-time troubleshooting and resolution of complex installation issues
• Provide technical guidance for layout, baseplate placement, anchoring, upright assembly, beam installation, bracing, shimming, plumbing, leveling, alignment, and torque verification
• Evaluate field workmanship, installation methods, and the technical capabilities of employees and subcontractors
• Support the development and review of weekly and daily execution plans to improve safety, quality, and productivity

Survey, Tolerances & Interface Control

• Confirm benchmarks, gridlines, elevations, rack coordinates, aisle dimensions, and control points before and during installation
• Coordinate with survey and engineering teams to validate rack position, elevation, plumbness, straightness, and alignment
• Monitor cumulative tolerance conditions and interfaces with conveyors, shuttles, robots, cranes, platforms, guarding, electrical systems, and life-safety systems
• Document out-of-tolerance conditions and lead the field evaluation of approved repair, adjustment, or corrective-action plans

Quality Assurance & Turnover

• Perform technical quality-control inspections and verify installations comply with approved drawings, specifications, structural requirements, and manufacturer criteria
• Create or maintain inspection checkpoints for anchors, torque, connections, bracing, plumbness, elevation, alignment, component condition, and completeness
• Coordinate punch-list resolution and verify corrective work before turnover
• Support customer, OEM, engineer, and third-party inspections and provide required installation records
• Identify root causes of defects and repeat issues, then implement sustainable corrective actions

Safety & Compliance

• Champion safe rack installation practices, including fall protection, lift operation, rigging, material handling, exclusion zones, overhead work, and dropped-object prevention
• Participate in JHAs, pre-task planning, lift planning, safety reviews, and corrective-action investigations with field and safety leadership
• Verify crews use approved tools, equipment, access methods, and installation procedures
• May stop work when an installation condition presents an immediate safety, structural, equipment, or quality risk

Training & Team Development

• Train installers, leads, foremen, and site managers on specialized rack installation methods, tolerances, inspection requirements, and system interfaces
• Conduct field coaching, workshops, mock-ups, and technical reviews for new systems, recurring quality issues, and revised standards
• Mentor field personnel and provide recommendations regarding technical readiness, development priorities, and project assignments
• Help build repeatable technical qualification and skills-assessment processes for the racking organization

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with project management, engineering, procurement, safety, quality, survey, field operations, mechanical, electrical, and commissioning teams
• Provide field feedback to design engineers, customers, vendors, and OEMs regarding constructability, design changes, tolerances, and installation improvements
• Coordinate resolution of missing, damaged, incorrect, or nonconforming materials with procurement, quality, engineering, and project leadership
• Communicate technical risks, decisions, constraints, and recommended actions clearly to project and operations leadership

Documentation & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate inspection records, redlines, field measurements, survey reports, anchor and torque records, technical issue logs, and punch-list status
• Provide technical input for project closeout reports, turnover packages, and lessons-learned reviews
• Track recurring installation issues and convert lessons learned into updated standards, SOPs, training, estimating assumptions, and planning tools

Authority & Decision-Making

• Establishes and recommends rack installation standards, methods, inspection checkpoints, tolerances, and technical best practices
• Directs technical troubleshooting and recommends corrective action for complex field, structural-interface, survey, and quality issues
• May stop rack installation work that presents an immediate safety, structural, specification, equipment, or quality risk
• Provides technical recommendations on employee and subcontractor capability, training needs, and assignment readiness
• Recommends design, material, tooling, equipment, survey, sequencing, and constructability changes to project leadership
• Escalates unresolved technical, safety, schedule, quality, material, or customer risks to the Racking Installation Manager and senior leadership

Required Experience

• 8+ years of industrial rack or structural installation experience, including SSG, AS/RS, shuttle, high-bay, pallet, or automated storage systems
• Advanced ability to read and interpret structural drawings, rack layouts, elevations, details, bills of material, tolerances, and manufacturer installation documentation
• Demonstrated experience leading rack installation, layout, anchoring, alignment, quality inspection, troubleshooting, and turnover activities
• Strong working knowledge of fall protection, aerial lifts, rigging, material handling, anchoring, torque verification, and structural installation safety practices
• Experience using survey controls and precision measurement tools to validate position, elevation, plumbness, straightness, and alignment
• Experience developing installation plans, labor and equipment requirements, SOPs, inspection standards, and technical training
• Ability to communicate effectively with field personnel, customers, engineers, project managers, vendors, OEMs, surveyors, and inspectors
• Ability to travel extensively and support active project sites, including extended assignments during initial onboarding

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with rack-supported buildings, crane aisles, mini-load systems, shuttle systems, robotic storage systems, elevated platforms, catwalks, and structural guarding
• Experience with total stations, laser layout tools, digital levels, torque tools, anchor testing, and rack inspection documentation
• Experience supporting OEM, engineer, customer, and third-party inspections and acceptance activities
• OSHA 30, competent-person, fall-protection, lift, rigging, forklift, or manufacturer-specific certifications
• Experience acting as a rack Site Lead, superintendent, installation manager, quality lead, or technical trainer

Travel & Initial Assignment Expectations

This position is expected to travel approximately 70% to 90%. The initial assignment may include serving as the rack installation Site Lead on a major project while reviewing one or two additional sites from an organization, quality, and execution standpoint.

Success Metrics/ KPIs (in order of greatest importance)

• Rack installation quality, first-pass acceptance, and reduction in rework, tolerance failures, and punch-list items
• Safety compliance across fall protection, lift operation, rigging, material handling, exclusion zones, and pre-task planning
• Accuracy of layout, elevation, plumbness, alignment, anchoring, torque, bracing, and interface-control verification
• Effectiveness and speed of technical issue resolution and escalation management
• Installation productivity and schedule performance without compromising safety or quality
• Accuracy and completeness of execution plans, inspection records, field measurements, issue logs, redlines, and closeout documentation
• Field team technical capability growth, training completion, and demonstrated skills improvement
• Adoption and effectiveness of rack installation standards, SOPs, inspection methods, and lessons learned across projects
• Customer, OEM, project management, engineering, and field leadership satisfaction with technical support

Role Impact

This role strengthens Zone 4’s ability to safely and consistently deliver complex SSG and automated storage racking installations. The SSG Rack Installation SME provides the technical depth needed to improve constructability, dimensional control, structural installation quality, interface coordination, and field team capability. By standardizing methods, resolving complex issues, strengthening inspection practices, and developing field personnel, this position directly supports predictable execution, customer confidence, and the continued growth of Zone 4’s racking installation organization.