Smart Factory & Automation Leader - GSC International

The Regional Smart & Automation Leader is the strategic architect and facilitator of digital disruption across the manufacturing landscape. This role is designed for a visionary leader who thrives in hyper-agile environments and possesses the unique ability to translate operational chaos into transformative digital strategies
. Beyond traditional automation, this role orchestrates the radical evolution of shopfloor operations, leveraging disruptive technologies to fundamentally redefine manufacturing excellence.

The role acts as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for smart manufacturing technologies and leads the deployment of standardized, value-driven digital solutions aligned with the Minimum Mandatory requirements (MMR) for Smart Factory. The role partners closely with plant leadership, central digital teams, IT/OT, and external technology partners to deliver measurable business outcomes.

• Architect of change:
  Lead and govern shopfloor digitization initiatives across 10+ smart factories in alignment with the MMR framework.
• Define and execute the regional smart factory roadmap, ensuring consistency, scalability, and sustainability of solutions.
• Serve as the regional SME for smart manufacturing, advising sites on solution design, technology selection, and deployment strategies.
• Act as the deployment leader of smart factory solution roll outs, pilots, and scale-up of smart factory solutions, ensuring adherence to timelines, scope, and business value.
• Enforce global standard solutions (Best of breeds) within the factories in the region along
• Be part of Design authority influencing the evolution of best of breeds with respect to regional needs.
• Serve as an Automation SME and provide expertise on line automation activities, physical automation (AMR, ASRS, VLM etc) within the factory

• Drive adoption of best-of-breed shopfloor solutions rather than monolithic platforms, ensuring interoperability and future readiness.
• Provide deep expertise in:
  • Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
  • Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)
  • Shopfloor AI and Advanced Analytics
  • Generative AI (Gen AI) use cases for operations, quality, maintenance, and workforce enablement

• Act as the deployment leader of smart factory solution roll outs, pilots, and scale-up of smart factory solutions, ensuring adherence to timelines, scope, and business value.
• Track and report benefits realization (productivity, quality, cost, safety, sustainability).

• Build strong partnerships with plant managers, operations leaders, engineering, IT, digital, and corporate leadership.
• Act as a trusted advisor to factory leadership teams, translating business problems into digital solutions.
• Drive change management, user adoption, and capability building at the shopfloor and leadership levels.

• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations and shopfloor processes.
• Hands‑on or program‑level experience with MES, IIoT platforms, AI/ML solutions, and Gen AI applications in manufacturing.
• Proven ability to evaluate and deploy best-of-breed and automation solution in complex factory environments.

• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills
  , with the ability to engage both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross‑functional, multi‑site teams without direct authority.
• Ability to articulate digital value in clear business terms for senior leadership.

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with a results‑oriented mindset.
• Experience balancing standardization with site‑specific needs across multiple factories.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and driving transformation at scale.

• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing, digital transformation, smart factory, or industrial automation roles.
• Proven experience leading large‑scale, multi‑factory digitization programs in hyper agile environments
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering or…