Manufacturing AI Manager

This Jobot Job is hosted by: Amanda Preston
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Salary: $100,000 - $130,000 per year

A bit about us:

Highly respected manufacturer specializing in engineered stainless steel solutions for demanding industrial applications. We are known for our commitment to quality, safety, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement. Our environment is highly technical and increasingly automated, with robotics, connected equipment, enterprise systems, and digital manufacturing tools playing a critical role in how we operate, scale, and serve our customers.

Why join us?

This is a unique opportunity to lead AI and digital transformation inside a highly engineered manufacturing environment. The IT / AI Manager will play a critical role in connecting shop-floor equipment, robotics, MES, ERP, and business systems to create real-time visibility across production. This person will help identify and deploy AI-enabled solutions for predictive maintenance, quality analytics, process optimization, intelligent scheduling, OEE improvement, scrap reduction, and throughput gains. This is a great fit for someone who understands manufacturing operations and wants to use technology, data, automation, and AI to solve real production challenges.

Job Details

The IT / AI Manager is responsible for planning, developing, implementing, and sustaining AI-enabled digital manufacturing solutions, enterprise information systems, network infrastructure, and connected production technology. This role supports a highly automated, robotics-driven manufacturing environment and is focused on improving operational performance through real-time data integration, machine connectivity, analytics, and AI-driven decision support.

This individual will work closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Finance, Leadership, equipment providers, and technology vendors to connect MES, ERP, automation equipment, and shop-floor systems in a way that improves production reporting, scheduling accuracy, equipment performance, quality outcomes, and overall manufacturing efficiency.

Key Responsibilities
AI & Digital Manufacturing Strategy

Develop and execute an AI and digital manufacturing roadmap aligned with business objectives, continuous improvement priorities, and automation maturity.

Identify, evaluate, and implement emerging technologies including AI, MES, Industry 4.0 tools, machine connectivity, and advanced analytics platforms.

Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Finance, and Leadership to identify technology-enabled improvements that directly impact manufacturing performance.

Prioritize initiatives using 80/20 thinking to focus on high-impact opportunities tied to OEE, downtime reduction, scrap reduction, throughput, quality, scheduling, and cost performance.

AI & Advanced Analytics Integration

Develop and manage AI-driven initiatives including predictive maintenance, quality analytics, process optimization, intelligent scheduling, production forecasting, and equipment performance monitoring.

Build the data infrastructure, governance, and reporting foundation needed to support machine learning models, advanced analytics, and real-time manufacturing insights.

Identify opportunities to use AI to improve operational KPIs, including OEE, downtime, scrap, rework, throughput, labor utilization, and production efficiency.

Ensure responsible AI use by maintaining data integrity, transparency, cybersecurity compliance, and strong controls around connected systems and operational data.

MES, ERP & Shop-Floor Integration

Lead the architecture, integration, and optimization of MES, ERP, and shop-floor automation systems to ensure seamless end-to-end data flow.

Drive implementation of digital manufacturing solutions including machine connectivity, data acquisition, real-time production monitoring, and automated production reporting.

Ensure alignment between automation equipment, robotics, MES platforms, and ERP systems to support accurate scheduling, material flow, production tracking, and performance reporting.

Partner with Engineering, Operations, and equipment providers to scope, evaluate, select, negotiate, and deploy automation and digital manufacturing solutions.

Robotics, Automation & Connected Equipment Enablement

Support the technology foundation for a robotics-driven manufacturing environment, ensuring systems are connected, reliable, secure, and able to generate usable production data.

Partner with internal teams and external vendors to integrate connected equipment into broader MES, ERP, reporting, and analytics platforms.

Help transform equipment and production data into actionable insights that improve maintenance planning, quality performance, cycle times, utilization, and operator effectiveness.

Evaluate system gaps and recommend technology improvements that support increased automation maturity across the plant.

Manufacturing Performance & Continuous Improvement

Lead technology-enabled continuous improvement initiatives that improve system performance, user experience, production visibility, and internal customer satisfaction.

Use data and analytics to identify bottlenecks, recurring downtime issues, quality trends, process inefficiencies, and opportunities for automation.

Support KPI dashboards and reporting tools that give leadership and operations teams clear visibility into production, quality, maintenance, scheduling, and financial performance.

Partner with cross-functional teams to ensure technology projects are tied to measurable business outcomes.

IT Operations, Infrastructure & Cybersecurity

Oversee the IT infrastructure required to support business-critical manufacturing operations, including servers, networks, cloud environments, endpoints, communication systems, and connected equipment.

Ensure high availability, reliability, and performance of all IT systems supporting production, automation, MES, ERP, and enterprise operations.

Establish and enforce cybersecurity policies and controls to protect enterprise systems, manufacturing networks, operational technology, and customer data.

Lead risk assessments and continuously improve security posture across IT and OT environments, including access controls, threat monitoring, secure data storage, and system integrity.

ERP & Business Systems Governance

Oversee ERP system performance, upgrades, integrations, and alignment with MES and other enterprise applications.

Coordinate with ERP specialists, vendors, and business stakeholders to resolve issues, deploy enhancements, and ensure system stability.

Support automation of reporting, financial systems, KPI dashboards, and operational analytics.

Maintain system controls across ERP, MES, financial systems, and related business applications to support compliance, audit readiness, and reliable reporting.

Service Delivery, User Support & Adoption

Ensure IT services are responsive, reliable, and aligned with the needs of a fast-moving manufacturing environment.

Lead help desk and technical support functions, including escalation paths, support documentation, and knowledge base development.

Provide end-user support across hardware, software, connectivity, system access, enterprise applications, and digital manufacturing tools.

Drive adoption of new systems and AI-enabled tools through training, documentation, communication, and ongoing engagement with internal users.

Infrastructure Planning, Budgeting & Asset Management

Assess current and future IT and digital manufacturing infrastructure needs based on business growth, automation expansion, data requirements, and cybersecurity needs.

Manage procurement, budgeting, and lifecycle planning for IT assets, software, hardware, licensing, network equipment, and digital manufacturing technology.

Identify capacity constraints, system gaps, and technology risks, and proactively plan upgrades or improvements.

Develop and manage the IT budget while ensuring investments are aligned with operational priorities and business outcomes.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field.

10+ years of experience in IT, manufacturing technology, digital transformation, automation systems, business systems, infrastructure, or a related leadership role.

Previous leadership experience with responsibility for IT operations, systems, infrastructure, cybersecurity, digital manufacturing, or technology teams.

Strong background supporting manufacturing environments, including automation, connected equipment, robotics, MES, ERP, shop-floor systems, or Industry 4.0 initiatives.

Experience identifying or implementing AI-enabled solutions such as predictive maintenance, quality analytics, intelligent scheduling, process optimization, advanced analytics, or machine learning use cases.

Strong IT and security background across software, hardware, cloud, servers, networks, enterprise systems, and operational technology environments.

Expert-level proficiency with cloud environments, servers, websites, Microsoft Office applications, ERP systems, and core infrastructure technologies.

Financial acumen with the ability to manage budgets, evaluate technology investments, and connect IT/AI initiatives to measurable business value.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a manufacturing-focused technology leader who understands how to use AI, data, automation, and connected systems to improve plant performance. This person should be comfortable working with shop-floor teams, engineering, operations, quality, finance, leadership, vendors, and equipment providers to translate business and production challenges into practical technology solutions.

This is not just a traditional IT infrastructure role. The right person should be excited about building the digital backbone of a modern manufacturing operation, connecting equipment and systems, improving real-time visibility, and using AI-driven insights to reduce downtime, improve quality, increase throughput, and support smarter decision-making across the organization.

Physical Requirements & Safety

This role requires the ability to work in a manufacturing environment. Employees may be required to stand, walk, sit, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, handle materials, and occasionally lift or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities include close vision.

Employees are required to wear all assigned PPE in designated work areas. Safety glasses, steel toe or non-slip safety shoes/boots, and hearing protection are required at all times on the production floor. Stainless Tank & Equipment is a drug and alcohol-free work environment.

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