Manufacturing System IT Manager

We are seeking an experienced and proactive IT Manager to lead our IT team at manufacturing facilities. This role is responsible for ensuring smooth IT operations, coordinating project activities, addressing technical issues, and maintaining strong communication with upper management and global counterparts. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership skills, excellent problem-solving capabilities, and a solid understanding of IT systems within a manufacturing environment.

Team Leadership & Organizational Culture

• Lead and Supervise IT team members to ensure timely, effective task execution and high-quality service delivery.
• Define and manage the team's vision, objectives, and goals.
• Manage team performance through coaching, feedback, and professional development planning, including career path guidance and training.
• Foster a positive and ethical team environment that promotes collaboration, accountability, and high morale.
• Encourage active participation in continuous improvement (Kaizen) and professional development initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable regulations.

IT Operations & Service Delivery

• Serve as the primary IT contact for manufacturing site operations, ensuring alignment with business priorities and technical standards.
• Monitor system performance and implement proactive solutions and lead root cause analysis to prevent recurring issues.
• Develop and execute operational strategies that enhance system reliability, scalability, and efficiency.
• Coordinate and escalate complex issues and outages across team and to upper management.
• Lead the development and implementation of operational strategies and team objectives that support business growth and performance.
• Assist senior IT leadership by executing delegated tasks.

Technology Development & Continuous Improvement

• Support application development efforts and advocate best practices to enhance delivery quality and maintainability.
• Collaborate with global counterparts, including teams in Japan, to align on development goals and share innovations.
• Drive continuous improvement (Kaizen) initiatives to enhance system efficiency, team workflows, and overall user experience; foster teamwide participation in improvement activities.
• Share best practices and collaborate with peer managers and cross-functional teams to promote consistency and innovation.

Financial Oversight & Budget Management

• Oversee budget activities, including planning, forecasting, and monthly financial reviews.
• Identify cost optimization opportunities and implement initiatives to improve financial efficiency.
• Support strategic financial decision-making through regular reporting and alignment with department objectives.
• Customer Engagement & Success Enablement
• Build and maintain strong customer relationships by understanding business needs and delivering quality support
• Proactively identify opportunities to expand business value through IT services
• Ensure high standards of customer satisfaction through responsive and solution-oriented service delivery.

Requirements

• Minimum of 2 years of experience in Information Technology, including roles involving team leadership and on-site IT support.
• Hands-on experience with MES and/or MOM systems (implementation, support, or optimization) in a manufacturing environment
• Experience troubleshooting and supporting manufacturing systems at the plant level (e.g., MOM, MES).
• Excellent communication and reporting abilities, with a demonstrated capacity to translate complex technical concepts into clear, business-relevant language.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a proven ability to identify root causes and implement effective solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, manage competing priorities, and maintain oversight across multiple initiatives.
• Effective negotiation skills and experience managing expectations with internal and external partners.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and web-based business tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

Hands-on experience or solid understanding of application development methodologies and related technologies.

Experience working in global or cross-cultural team environments.

Familiarity with IT service management (ITSM) frameworks and ticketing systems.

Bilingual proficiency in English and Japanese.