Senior Manager, MES & Manufacturing IT

About the role

We are seeking a hands-on Senior Manager, MES & Manufacturing IT based in Mesa, AZ to own all site-level IT—from greenfield commissioning of our Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and shop floor infrastructure, through go-live, and into steady-state operations. This is not a strategy-from-a-desk role. You will be on the floor with operators, engineers, and equipment vendors during commissioning and ramp, and you will own day-to-day uptime once we are in production.

Responsibilities

• Lead selection and site-level implementation of the MES platform (e.g., Oracle Fusion MES, 42Q, Critical Manufacturing, Plex, or similar) from design through validation, go-live, and hypercare.
• Configure work order routing, station definitions, operator workflows, genealogy rules, and test data capture for inverter assembly (PCBA integration, mechanical assembly, HiPot/functional/burn-in test, pack-out).
• Own integration points between MES and shop floor systems: barcode scanners, label printers, torque tools, test stations, vision systems, and PLCs.
• Manage the MES vendor relationship at the site level—SOWs, change requests, support escalations.
• Collaborate with Corporate IT on MES-to-ERP integration handoffs (you are not building it, but you are accountable for it working on the plant side).
• Design, deploy, and operate the site network: IT/OT segmentation, VLANs, industrial wireless coverage, switches, firewalls.
• Manage all endpoints on the floor: operator terminals, ruggedized handhelds, scanners, label/zebra printers, large-format station displays, kiosks.
• Stand up and maintain test station PCs and their connectivity to MES.
• Own site cybersecurity posture for OT systems in alignment with corporate security standards.
• Maintain backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity plans for site-critical systems.
• First point of escalation for all IT issues on site. Triage, resolve, or route.
• Manage local helpdesk, ticket queue, and on-floor support during production hours.
• Onboard/offboard site personnel; manage local access, badge integration, and shop floor logins.
• Train operators, supervisors, and engineers on MES and shop floor tools.
• Manage IT vendors, contractors, and service providers at the site level.
• Maintain documentation, SOPs, network diagrams, and asset inventory.
• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering on new product introduction (NPI), routing changes, and station builds.
• Partner with Quality on traceability, genealogy queries, NCR workflows, and audit readiness.
• Partner with the corporate ERP team on Oracle Fusion Cloud integration with MES and shop floor systems.
• Collaborate with End User Services, Infrastructure, and Security teams on identity and access management, endpoint policy, security stack, and shared infrastructure.
• Partner with Facilities on infrastructure (power, cabling, IDFs, environmental).

Requirements

• 10+ years in IT roles within a manufacturing environment, with at least one full MES implementation owned end-to-end (commissioning through steady-state operations).
• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or Computer Science.
• Hands-on experience configuring and supporting a modern MES platform—42Q, Critical Manufacturing, Plex, Tulip, Aegis FactoryLogix, or equivalent.
• Strong working knowledge of shop floor integration: barcode/RFID, label printing, test station data capture, OPC-UA / MQTT awareness, PLC connectivity at the integration level.
• Solid networking fundamentals: VLANs, IT/OT segmentation, industrial wireless, firewall basics. Comfortable working with Cisco, Aruba, Meraki, or similar.
• Endpoint management experience: Windows, Android industrial handhelds, MDM tools, imaging, patching.
• Demonstrated ability to operate hands-on— you will rack switches, troubleshoot a scanner, and walk an operator through a workflow in the same day.
• Strong vendor management and project execution skills.

Nice to have

• Experience in discrete electronics or power electronics assembly (inverters, power supplies, drives, EV components, or similar).
• Familiarity with test data systems (HiPot, functional test, burn-in) and binding test results to unit serials.
• Exposure to firmware version control and configuration tracking on assembled units.
• Experience supporting NPI ramps and new line startups.
• Exposure to Oracle Fusion Cloud (you will not own it, but understanding the ERP side helps).
• ITIL or PMP certification.
• Cybersecurity background relevant to OT environments (IEC 62443 awareness).