IT Systems & Projects Specialist

Job Summary

The IT Site Support Leader serves as the primary bridge between centralized IT and plant/site operations. Operating as the primary accountable point of contact for local IT outcomes, this role balances enterprise IT standards with real-world plant needs. While maintaining essential hands-on infrastructure capabilities, the role primarily leads through coordination and influence driving the successful "last mile" of technology rollouts, resolving production-impacting escalations, and ensuring site readiness across a centralized and outsourced support model.

Job Duties

• Site IT Leadership & Stakeholder Alignment

• Strategic Bridge: Serve as the primary liaison connecting centralized IT, site leadership, and external partners.

• Lead Through Influence: Drive successful IT outcomes, align stakeholders on priorities, and manage local expectations without formal direct reports.

• Project Management & Execution

• Manage localized IT project tracking, dependency mapping, risk identification, and timeline alignment.

• Site Readiness & Rollout Accountability

• The "Last Mile": Own the final stages of execution for enterprise deployments, ensuring complete site readiness for ERP implementations, infrastructure upgrades, and hardware rollouts.

• Adoption & Support: Ensure that newly deployed solutions are properly adopted by site operations and fully supported by local and centralized teams.

• Production Escalation & Resolution

• Escalation Ownership: Take full ownership of identifying, tracking, and driving the resolution of technology issues that impact production or site operations.

• Proactive Coordination: Proactively coordinate with centralized IT queues, the outsourced service desk/MSP, external vendors, and shopfloor technology partners to resolve critical issues rather than simply escalating and waiting.

• Voice of the Site & Support Optimization

• Act as the voice of the site back to IT, proactively surfacing recurring issues, operational constraints, and technology adoption challenges to improve future decision-making.

• Provide direct input to help shape the overarching field support model (determining the optimal mix of onsite, regional, and centralized support) based on the specific complexity of the site.

• Centralized & Outsourced Model Coordination

• Partner Orchestration: Coordinate and oversee work performed by Tier 1 service desks, and third-party telecom/cabling contractors.

• Vendor & Asset Management: Maintain accurate hardware and software inventory, coordinate depot services, and hold vendors accountable for timely break-fix resolutions.

• Documentation & Knowledge Transfer

• Maintain accurate site IT documentation, including infrastructure diagrams, support procedures, asset records, vendor contacts, and recurring issue patterns.

• Hands-On Infrastructure Maintenance

• Local Infrastructure Support: Perform necessary "smart hands" duties in server rooms and wiring closets, including network rack organization, switch troubleshooting, and cable patching.

• Site Health Checks: Conduct routine preventative maintenance and troubleshooting for local networks, wireless access points, and conference room AV equipment.

Success Measures

• Site Readiness: Successful, on-time execution and adoption of technology rollouts with minimal disruption to site operations.

• Escalation Handling: Speed, efficiency, and communication quality when driving resolution for production-impacting issues.

• Continuous Improvement: Quantifiable reduction of repeat site issues through root-cause identification and central IT feedback.

• Asset Accuracy: Maintaining precise local hardware, software, and infrastructure inventories.

• Site Satisfaction: Positive feedback and strong alignment between plant leadership and central IT.

Experience and Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field preferred.

• 2 to 4 years of experience in site support, IT project coordination, field engineering, or IT service management; manufacturing, distribution, or other operational site experience strongly preferred.

Competencies/ Skills

• Influence & Leadership: Proven ability to lead initiatives, drive accountability, and manage vendor/partner performance (e.g., CentiServe) without formal authority.

• Communication & Prioritization: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with a strong emphasis on follow-through and stakeholder alignment.

• Technical Acumen: Solid foundation in networking fundamentals, local infrastructure, Windows/macOS environments, and hardware diagnostics.

• Operational Focus: Strong understanding of manufacturing/plant operations and how technology impacts production lines.