Factory IT Tech; Kimberling

Job Description:

Job Title:

Factory IT & OT Support Technician

Segment:
Mars Pet Nutrition North America (PNNA)

Location:

Fort Smith / Russellville Arkansas (Supply Division)
Position Type:
Full-Time / Day Shift 8am - 4:30pm

About Mars Pet Nutrition

At Mars Pet Nutrition, we are a global family of over 23,000 Associates dedicated to one shared purpose: A Better World for Pets™. For over 80 years, our trusted and beloved brands—including PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, ROYAL CANIN®, SHEBA®, and IAMS®—have kept pets happy, healthy, and thriving.

Our supply chain operates at the absolute cutting edge of manufacturing technology. As a Factory IT & OT Support Technician, you won’t just be managing servers and networks; you will be the digital guardian of the manufacturing lines that feed millions of pets daily. If you are passionate about cybersecurity, automation (OT), industrial networking, and driving continuous improvement in a fast-paced environment, your next career chapter starts here.

Role Purpose & Overview

The Factory IT & OT Support Technician is the primary on-site expert driving the delivery, reliability, and security of our manufacturing Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) services. In this critical role, you will be the first point of contact for production-critical IT/OT applications and infrastructure, ensuring strict compliance with global Mars cybersecurity and technical standards. You will lead the strategy for Asset Health Checks, coordinate on-site digital infrastructure projects, support our advanced Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), and champion continuous improvement to prevent downtime.

Key Responsibilities

• Cyber Security & Infrastructure Guardianship

• Local Network Administration:
  Serve as the on-site Network Administrator, ensuring absolute secure access control and proactive threat mitigation.

• Standards Adherence:
  Deploy remediation solutions to address risks and maintain global cybersecurity standards.

• Proactive Maintenance:
  Schedule, complete, and verify vital network processes, including backups, system patching, and antivirus updates across all factory IT/OT assets.

• Business Continuity:
  Prepare, test, and maintain emergency procedures and business continuity plans (site "crisis tool kits") to guarantee rapid recovery in the event of an outage.

• Lifecycle Management:
  Manage the full lifecycle, inventory, auditing, and procurement of IT infrastructure components, maintaining standard spare-part levels to eliminate operational bottlenecks.

• Delivery of Factory IT/OT Services & MES Support

• Systems Expertise:
  Serve as the site's primary functional expert for all local factory applications and the core Manufacturing Execution System (MES).

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  
  Partner closely with site Associates in Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and global Mars IT (MGS) to rapidly diagnose, characterize, and resolve system issues.

• Ticketing & Analytics:
  Manage and resolve support requests using our global ticketing system, utilizing KPIs and performance dashboards to track support efficiency and drive continuous improvement.

• Identity Management:
  Govern consistent, highly secure user account management (such as Alero/Domain access control) aligned with global security policies.

• Project Ownership & Strategic Planning

• Masterplan Execution:
  Own the Site IT/OT Infrastructure Masterplan, aligning local hardware and software life cycles with regional long-term capital plans.

• Project Delivery:
  Act as Project Manager and Technical Lead for the deployment, installation, and commissioning of new site-level IT/OT infrastructure projects (managing project budgets up to $200K).

• Stakeholder Engagement:
  Communicate changes, updates, and strategic plans clearly to site leadership teams (Quality, Production, Maintenance, and Engineering) and external vendors.

• Safety, Compliance, & Contractor Coordination

• Contractor Oversight:
  Supervise and manage external IT/OT technical contractors (managing contractor budgets of ~$50K), ensuring full induction compliance and strict adherence to Mars Safety and Food Safety standards.

• Operational Excellence:
  Drive site-wide compliance with regulatory…