What is a Project Manager at Assurant?

As a Project Manager within the Global Engineering & Automation portfolio at Assurant, you are the driving force behind the company's most critical operational and technological advancements. This role is not just about tracking timelines; it is about leading complex, high-visibility machine-build and system integration projects from initial concept all the way through to on-site installation and commissioning. You will operate at the intersection of robotics, machine vision, AI, and conveyance systems, directly impacting how Assurant delivers innovative solutions to the market.

Your impact in this role extends across the entire business lifecycle. By managing diverse portfolios that include R&D, strategic initiatives, and significant CAPEX/OPEX efforts, you ensure that Assurant maintains its competitive edge in a rapidly evolving connected world. The solutions you deploy enhance production capabilities, streamline operations, and ultimately deliver a superior experience to the millions of customers relying on Assurant's protection and support services.

Expect a dynamic, fast-paced environment where you will act as a strategic partner to senior leadership. You will be tasked with balancing scope, schedule, cost, and quality while leading cross-functional teams across multiple sites. This position requires a steady, calm approach to managing multiple fast-moving projects, making it an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives on delivering tangible business value through engineering and automation.

Common Interview Questions

The questions below represent the types of inquiries you will face during your Assurant interviews. They are designed to test both your hard skills in project management and your behavioral alignment with the company's culture. Focus on the underlying patterns of these questions to structure your STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) responses effectively.

Project Execution and Budgeting

These questions assess your core PM mechanics, focusing heavily on your ability to deliver within strict financial and temporal constraints.

• Walk me through your process for building a project plan for a new automation initiative from scratch.
• How do you accurately track and report on a $2M CAPEX budget throughout a year-long project?
• Tell me about a time you had to coordinate with accounting teams to classify project expenses. What challenges did you face?
• Describe a situation where a project was at risk of going over budget. What specific mitigation plans did you implement?
• How do you utilize Asana to manage dependencies across multiple fast-moving projects simultaneously?

Technical Integration and Commissioning

Interviewers want to ensure you have the technical foundation necessary to lead engineering teams and manage complex hardware deployments.

• Explain a complex robotics or machine vision project you managed. What was your role in solving the technical challenges?
• Describe your experience overseeing on-site equipment commissioning. What is your checklist for a successful deployment?
• Tell me about a time when a machine-build failed during the testing phase. How did you lead the team through the troubleshooting process?
• How do you evaluate the impact of different risk-mitigation options when dealing with AI or automation system integrations?
• Give an example of how you drove a continuous improvement initiative in a production or fabrication environment.

Leadership and Stakeholder Communication

These questions evaluate your interpersonal skills, your ability to influence without authority, and how you manage external relationships.

• Tell me about a time you had to present a difficult project update to executive leadership. How did you prepare?
• Describe a scenario where you had to align cross-functional teams across multiple sites who had conflicting priorities.
• How do you build and maintain relationships with external vendors and contractors to ensure they meet their deliverables?
• Give an example of a time you had to operate with minimal supervision on a highly sensitive or strategic project.
• How do you maintain a steady, calm approach when a project environment becomes highly dynamic and stressful?

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

To succeed in the Assurant interview process, you should approach your preparation systematically. Interviewers will look for a blend of technical acumen, rigorous project management methodology, and strong interpersonal skills.

Technical and Domain Expertise – You must demonstrate a solid understanding of system integration involving robotics, automation, and machine vision. Interviewers will assess your ability to grasp complex technical challenges quickly enough to make informed, strategic decisions without needing to be the lead engineer.

End-to-End Project Execution – This evaluates your mastery of project management best practices. You need to show how you balance scope, schedule, risk, and budgets ranging from $500K to$2.5M, particularly focusing on CAPEX and OPEX classification and tracking.

Stakeholder and Vendor Management – You will be evaluated on your ability to serve as the primary point of contact for diverse groups. You must prove you can confidently present to executive leadership while also working directly with end-users, contractors, and field installation teams in a commercial, customer-facing capacity.

Culture Fit and The Assurant Way – Assurant values a passion for service, practical innovation, and a willingness to take calculated chances. Interviewers will look for a calm, methodical approach to high-pressure situations and your ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process for a Project Manager at Assurant is designed to be thorough, assessing both your technical project management capabilities and your behavioral alignment with the company's core values. You can expect a structured progression that begins with a recruiter screening to validate your background in engineering or automation environments. This is typically followed by a hiring manager interview focusing heavily on your past project portfolios, specifically full machine-build projects and CAPEX/OPEX budget management.

As you advance, you will participate in cross-functional panel interviews. These sessions will include stakeholders from Global Engineering & Automation, Accounting, and operational teams. The pace is deliberate, with interviewers probing deeply into your experience with on-site equipment commissioning, risk mitigation, and your proficiency with project management software like Asana. Expect scenario-based questions that test your ability to maintain a steady, calm approach while handling sensitive matters with professionalism and a business-development mindset.

What distinguishes the Assurant process is the heavy emphasis on cross-functional collaboration and financial acumen. You will not only be asked how you build a project schedule, but also how you coordinate with Fixed Asset teams to accurately capture expenses.

This visual timeline outlines the typical stages of the Assurant interview process, from initial screening to the final comprehensive panel. Use this to pace your preparation, ensuring you have strong, varied examples ready for both the highly technical engineering discussions and the behavioral leadership evaluations. Variations may occur depending on interviewer availability, but the core focus on your end-to-end delivery experience will remain constant.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

End-to-End Project Delivery

Assurant expects its Project Managers to own initiatives from the conceptual phase through to final installation and commissioning. This area evaluates your core project management mechanics and your ability to drive business transformation. Strong performance here means demonstrating a proactive approach to planning, execution, and closeout, rather than simply reacting to issues as they arise.

Be ready to go over:

• Scope and Schedule Management – How you define project boundaries, build realistic timelines, and hold teams accountable.
• Risk Mitigation – Your methodology for identifying risks early, developing contingency plans, and knowing exactly when to escalate to senior leadership.
• Process Improvement – How you use project retrospectives to drive continuous improvement and implement business process changes.
• Advanced tracking techniques – Utilizing Asana and other tools to track key metrics, dependencies, and compliance requirements in real-time.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through a time you managed a full machine-build project from concept to commissioning. What were the biggest hurdles, and how did you overcome them?"
• "Describe a situation where a project's scope began to creep significantly. How did you realign the team and stakeholders?"
• "How do you ensure compliance and quality standards are met during the final stages of a fast-moving automation project?"

Technical Acumen & System Integration

While you are not expected to write code or design the robotic arms, you must have enough technical depth to understand the challenges your engineering teams face. Interviewers want to see that you can translate complex technical roadblocks into business impacts and guide cross-functional resources effectively.

Be ready to go over:

• Automation and Robotics – Your familiarity with system integration, conveyance systems, AI, and mobile robotics.
• On-Site Commissioning – Your hands-on experience managing field installations and the unique challenges of deploying physical hardware.
• Technical Documentation – Your ability to draft detailed technical reports, proposals, and project documentation.
• Evaluating technical trade-offs – How you assess the impact of different risk-mitigation options when technical discrepancies arise.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a complex system integration project you led involving machine vision or robotics. How did you build your understanding of the technical issues involved?"
• "Explain a time when an on-site equipment commissioning did not go as planned. How did you manage the contractors and internal teams to resolve the issue?"
• "How do you evaluate and communicate the business impact of a highly technical engineering delay to non-technical executives?"

Stakeholder Communication & Influence

A significant portion of your role involves interacting daily with customers, vendors, executives, and cross-functional teams. Assurant evaluates your ability to lead without direct authority and your capacity to handle sensitive matters with confidentiality and professionalism.

Be ready to go over:

• Executive Presentations – How you synthesize complex project statuses into clear, visual, and written updates for senior leadership.
• Vendor and Contractor Management – Your approach to working directly with external partners in a commercial capacity.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration – Building relationships across multiple sites and functional areas to achieve project objectives.
• Conflict resolution – Navigating disagreements between engineering, production, and accounting teams.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Describe a time when you had to influence a cross-functional resource who did not report to you to meet a critical project deadline."
• "How do you tailor your communication style when providing a status update to a technical engineering team versus the executive leadership team?"
• "Give an example of a difficult conversation you had to have with a vendor or contractor regarding underperformance. How did you handle it?"

Key Responsibilities

As a Project Manager at Assurant, your day-to-day work revolves around bringing high-visibility R&D and strategic machine development initiatives to life. You will spend a significant portion of your time managing a diverse portfolio of engineering, fabrication, and device-automation projects. This requires you to be highly organized, utilizing tools like Asana to track milestones, dependencies, and overall project health while operating with minimal supervision.

Collaboration is at the heart of this role. You will constantly interact with the Global Engineering & Automation teams, translating strategic goals into actionable project plans. You will also work closely with Accounting and Fixed Asset teams to ensure that project budgets—often ranging from $500K to$2.5M—are accurately tracked and that CAPEX/OPEX expenses are properly classified. This financial coordination is critical to the business's bottom line.

Beyond the desk, this role requires a hands-on approach. You will travel up to 30% of the time to the Mt Juliet, TN facility and other sites to oversee field installations and equipment commissioning. During these phases, you will act as the primary point of contact for end-users and contractors, ensuring that the final delivery meets all scope, quality, and business value requirements.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

Assurant is looking for highly motivated, detail-oriented leaders who can seamlessly blend project management rigor with engineering intuition. The ideal candidate brings a proven track record of accountability and continuous improvement.

Must-have skills and experience:

• 3+ years of project management experience, specifically within engineering or automation environments.
• Proven experience managing full machine-build projects from concept through to installation and commissioning.
• Background in system integration (robotics, automation, conveyance systems, machine vision, AI).
• Experience managing project budgets ranging from $500K to$2.5M, including CAPEX/OPEX efforts.
• 3+ years of experience using project management software, with a strong preference for Asana proficiency.
• Hands-on experience managing field installations and commercial contractors.

Nice-to-have skills and experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree or 3+ years of training in a technical, engineering, or science-related discipline.
• Experience compiling highly detailed technical reports, proposals, and risk-mitigation evaluations.
• A strong business-development mindset when interacting with customers and vendors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How technical do I need to be for this Project Manager role? You do not need to be a hands-on engineer, but you must have a strong background in technical, engineering, or science-related disciplines. You need to understand system integration, robotics, and automation well enough to build accurate schedules, identify technical risks, and communicate effectively with both engineers and executives.

Q: What is the working arrangement for this position? This is an onsite role based in the Mt Juliet, TN facility. You should also expect up to 30% travel to support field installations, on-site equipment commissioning, and cross-site collaboration.

Q: What makes a candidate stand out in the Assurant interview process? Candidates who stand out can clearly demonstrate a "business-development mindset" alongside their project management skills. Showing that you understand how your engineering and automation projects directly impact OPEX/CAPEX, business transformation, and the end-customer experience will highly differentiate you.

Q: How long does the interview process typically take? The process usually spans 3 to 5 weeks from the initial recruiter screen to the final offer. This allows time to coordinate panel interviews with various cross-functional leaders, including engineering and accounting stakeholders.

Q: What is "The Assurant Way"? "The Assurant Way" is the company's cultural philosophy. It centers on a passion for service, an ability to innovate in practical ways, and a willingness to take calculated chances. Demonstrating these traits through your past experiences will strongly align you with their cultural expectations.

Other General Tips

• Master the STAR Method: When answering behavioral questions, strictly adhere to the Situation, Task, Action, Result format. Assurant interviewers appreciate concise, logical, and structured communication. Always quantify your results (e.g., budget size, time saved, efficiency gained).
• Highlight Financial Acumen: Do not overlook the financial aspects of the job description. Be prepared to speak confidently about managing $500K to$2.5M budgets and your experience coordinating with Fixed Asset and Accounting teams.
• Showcase Calm Under Pressure: The job description explicitly asks for a "steady, calm approach to managing multiple fast-moving projects." Prepare anecdotes that highlight your emotional intelligence and resilience during project crises or sudden scope changes.
• Emphasize Cross-Functional Influence: Since you will be guiding resources without direct authority, use words like "collaborated," "aligned," and "influenced" rather than "dictated" or "ordered" when describing your leadership style.

Summary & Next Steps

Securing a Project Manager role within the Global Engineering & Automation team at Assurant is an incredible opportunity to be at the forefront of technological innovation. You will play a pivotal role in shaping how the company leverages robotics, AI, and automation to drive business transformation and improve operational efficiency. The impact of your work will be highly visible, directly influencing strategic initiatives and critical CAPEX/OPEX investments.

This compensation data provides a baseline for what you might expect in this role. Remember that Assurant considers a wide range of factors, including your specific background in machine-build projects and your physical location, when determining final offers. Use this information to anchor your salary expectations and negotiate confidently when the time comes.

To succeed in your interviews, focus heavily on your end-to-end project delivery experience, your ability to navigate complex technical integrations, and your strength in cross-functional communication. Review your past projects, quantify your achievements, and practice articulating your methodology clearly and confidently. For more detailed insights, peer experiences, and targeted practice, continue exploring resources on Dataford. You have the foundational experience required; now it is time to showcase your strategic mindset and your readiness to thrive in The Assurant Way.