Senior Manager, Manufacturing Systems

We currently have an opportunity for a Senior Manager, Manufacturing Systems at our Corporate Headquarters in Lake Forest, IL.

The Senior Manager, Manufacturing Systems leads the development, deployment, and support of Inductive Automation Ignition solutions and Redzone MES integrations across the manufacturing network. This role serves as the internal Ignition platform owner and certified developer, building scalable SCADA/HMI, historian, reporting, alarming, and integration capabilities that improve visibility, OEE, downtime tracking, quality, reliability, and frontline execution.

You Will Have the Opportunity to Make Great Things Happen!

Intelligent Factory Leadership

• Ignition Platform Ownership: Own Ignition standards, roadmap, governance, and sustainment across manufacturing sites.
• Certified Ignition Development: Design, build, test, deploy, and support Ignition applications using Core or Gold Certified developer best practices.
• Ignition Architecture: Configure gateways, projects, inheritance, security, user roles, tag providers, databases, and deployment standards.
• Build scalable, supportable Ignition and Redzone MES solutions for plant-floor and enterprise use.
• Translate manufacturing needs into architecture, workflows, dashboards, integrations, and adoption routines.
• Balance urgency, standardization, cybersecurity, governance, change management, and continuous improvement.

Manufacturing Data & Visualization

• Historian & Visualization: Develop Tag Historian, SQL Historian, SQL Bridge, Perspective, Vision, dashboards, reports, trends, and alarm views.
• Redzone MES Integration: Support Redzone MES integration, adoption, and optimization for OEE, downtime, production tracking, quality checks, operator engagement, action tracking, and daily management routines.

Technology Integration & Automation

• OT/IT Integration: Connect Ignition with PLCs, OPC UA, MQTT, REST APIs, SQL databases, Redzone MES, ERP, CMMS, cloud platforms, and BI tools.
• Scripting & Automation: Knowledgeable in scripts, named queries, expression bindings, transaction groups, alarm pipelines, and automated workflows.

Security, Reliability & Governance

• Security & Reliability: Ensure Ignition environments are secure, documented, backed up, monitored, version-controlled, and supportable.

Site Delivery & Business Partnership

• Site Delivery: Partner with operations, maintenance, engineering, quality, IT, and integrators to deliver solutions, train users, and drive adoption.
• Collaborate effectively with operations, maintenance, engineering, IT, cybersecurity, vendors, and integrators.

You Will Love It Here If… 

• You listen, learn, and evolve
• You thrive in a fast-paced environment
• You put safety first, always
• You are passionate about collaboration, teamwork, and achieving shared goals
• You believe in treating all people with respect, operating ethically, and growing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace
• You are committed to improving our impact on local communities and creating positive experiences 

Education/Experience

     Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Automation, Computer Science, Information Systems, Manufacturing Technology, or related field; or equivalent Ignition experience may be considered.
• 8+ years of experience in OT, SCADA/HMI, industrial automation, manufacturing systems, or industrial data integration.
• 3+ years of hands-on Inductive Automation Ignition development or support experience in manufacturing environments.
• Ability to travel 30-40%.

     Preferred

• Ignition Core Certification is a plus.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Experience with MES deployments, integrations, OEE/downtime routines, production performance, or continuous improvement workflows required.
• Strong project delivery, stakeholder engagement, documentation, testing, training, and post-launch support experience.
• Advanced Ignition knowledge: Gateway, Designer, Perspective, Vision, Tag Historian, SQL Historian, SQL Bridge, Reporting, Alarm Notification, OPC UA, and Enterprise Administration.
• Experience with reusable templates, UDTs, tag standards, named queries, bindings, scripting libraries, project inheritance, and standardized navigation.
• Knowledgeable Java, SQL, historian configuration, dashboards, trends, reports, and data quality monitoring.
• Working knowledge of Redzone MES, PLC connectivity, OPC UA, MQTT, REST APIs, ERP/CMMS interfaces, cloud connectivity, and MES-to-historian data alignment.
• Knowledge of OT cybersecurity, role-based access, backups, change control, version control, gateway monitoring, performance tuning, and manufacturing metrics such as OEE, throughput, downtime, yield, and production attainment.

Competencies

• Tech Savvy - Applies technology expertise to develop scalable, secure, and supportable MES solutions that address plant-floor and enterprise needs.
• Business Insight - Translates manufacturing and operational requirements into effective technology architectures, workflows, dashboards, integrations, and adoption strategies.
• Plans and Aligns - Develops solutions that balance business priorities, standardization, governance, cybersecurity, scalability, and long-term supportability.
• Collaborates - Builds effective partnerships across Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, IT, Cybersecurity, vendors, and system integrators.
• Decision Quality - Evaluates competing priorities, risks, and constraints to make practical technology and implementation decisions.
• Manages Complexity - Navigates interconnected technical, operational, security, governance, and change-management requirements.
• Communicates Effectively - Communicates technical concepts, requirements, risks, and solutions clearly to both technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

Want to know more? Check out our website or connect with us on LinkedIn! Apply today to join a fast-growing innovative company!

Not a good fit but know someone who is? Please refer them! No unsolicited recruiter or agency inquiries, please.