The Director of Smart Factory is a senior global leader responsible for setting and executing the enterprise smart factory strategy across a multi-site manufacturing network. This leader will define the vision, roadmap, and execution of manufacturing transformation initiatives that deliver measurable business value, operational excellence, and scalable capabilities.

The role leads cross‑functional teams in executing organizational change management and digital transformation initiatives, including Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM), automation, industrial data and analytics, and selected Industry 4.0 capabilities. Success requires strong manufacturing depth, executive presence, and the ability to lead across regions and functions without relying on formal authority alone.

Key Responsibilities

Smart Factory Strategy, Roadmap and Business Value

• Define and lead the global smart factory strategy, aligned to business and manufacturing priorities across the enterprise.

• Assess current-state capabilities and future-state needs across factories, warehousing, and service operations, then translate those findings into a multi-year roadmap.

• Build and maintain value-based business cases, with clear financial, operational, and capability targets for each major initiative.

• Establish governance to track benefits, risks, maturity, and progress against stated transformation objectives.

Digital Transformation & Systems

• Lead the strategy, deployment, and continuous improvement of core smart factory platforms, including MES, MOM, WMS, automation, and connected production systems across multiple sites.

• Set standards for solution architecture, interoperability, and data models to support scalable deployment and easier integration across the manufacturing network.

• Partner with IT, operations, engineering, and external solution providers to deliver practical, scalable solutions that improve plant performance and support long-term flexibility.

• Translate emerging technologies such as IIoT, AI, analytics, and digital thread capabilities into prioritized use cases with clear business relevance.

Data, Analytics & Operational Performance

• Define the manufacturing data and analytics strategy across production, warehousing, quality, maintenance, and related functions.

• Enable real‑time operational visibility and data‑driven decision making through standardized reporting and analytics.

• Partner with operations and planning leaders to strengthen capacity planning, S&OP inputs, cost models, and headcount planning through better digital insight.

• Use data and digital tools to improve productivity, throughput, capacity, quality, asset performance, and labor efficiency.

Global Leadership & Change Management

• Lead the organizational change management required to adopt new systems, processes, and ways of working across a global manufacturing network.

• Align manufacturing, supply chain, IT, engineering, finance, quality, and operations leaders around a common digital transformation agenda.

• Create a culture of disciplined execution, continuous improvement, and cross-site learning.

• Foster a collaborative, high‑performance, and innovation‑driven culture across global teams.

• Drive alignment and results through influence rather than formal authority.

• Provide leadership across manufacturing regions in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, balancing global standards with local operational needs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, Operations, or a related field.

• 15+ years of leadership experience in manufacturing, operations, industrial engineering, supply chain, digital transformation, or a closely related field.

• Proven track record leading large-scale smart factory, MES, MOM, WMS, automation, or related manufacturing system deployments across multiple factories or regions.

• Strong experience leading cross-functional, geographically distributed teams and influencing outcomes in a matrixed global organization.

• Strong knowledge of manufacturing operations, Lean principles, process standardization, and factory performance improvement.

• Experience building business cases, prioritizing investments, and linking operational initiatives to measurable business value.

• Demonstrated ability to drive change and influence outcomes without direct authority.

• Strong communication and leadership skills across cultures and functions.

Preferred

• Experience establishing architecture, data, training, or adoption standards across a manufacturing network.

• Experience leading global smart factory programs in high-tech or complex discrete manufacturing environments.

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The Director of Smart Factory is a senior global leader responsible for setting and executing the enterprise smart factory strategy across a multi-site manufacturing network. This leader will define the vision, roadmap, and execution of manufacturing transformation initiatives that deliver measurable business value, operational excellence, and scalable capabilities. The role leads cross‑functional teams in executing organizational change management and digital transformation initiatives, including Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM), automation, industrial data and analytics, and selected Industry 4.0 capabilities. Success requires strong manufacturing depth, executive presence, and the ability to lead across regions and functions without relying on formal authority alone.