Sr. IT Manager

Title:
Sr. IT Manager

Location:
Houston, TX

Voted one of the Nation's Best and Brightest Companies to Work for, Kuraray America, Inc. (KAI) is a global leader in specialty chemical, fiber, and resin production. With top-of-the-line research and production facilities and a vast network of supplies from around the world, Kuraray leads the industry in specialty dental, fiber, resin, and elastomer products. Kuraray America is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuraray Company, Ltd.

Based in Tokyo, Japan. Kuraray has operations in 32 countries and employs more than 12,000 employees, including over 800 in the United States.

Kuraray is building a better tomorrow, today. Our team members are dedicated to expanding our business with committed professionals who share essential values such as integrity, excellence, teamwork, and accountability.

As a part of Kuraray America, Inc., our team shares the advantages of working for the leader in specialty chemicals, resins, and fibers. Our international presence and resources allow us to be a world-leading innovator in the industries we service. Yet, despite our size, our people are more than just a number. As a new team member, you can expect to earn responsibility quickly.

Our commitment to our people is visible in our comprehensive benefits package. As a Kuraray team member, you will have the opportunity to enjoy competitive salaries and benefits, incentive opportunities, and an excellent work environment.

The Senior IT Manager provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for Kuraray America technology capabilities, including enterprise applications, infrastructure, IT operations, cybersecurity, data management, ERP systems, end-user support, and digitalization. The role translates global IT and digitalization strategy into locally executable plans, ensuring secure, reliable, scalable, and cost-effective technology services that support business growth and manufacturing performance.

This role serves as the link between global IT governance and local business outcomes. The Senior IT Manager partners with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), business stakeholders, global technology counterparts, peer regional IT leaders, and central advisory teams to prioritize initiatives, validate local requirements, optimize business processes, and deliver measurable value. The role operates with calibrated autonomy, applying enterprise standards while advocating for justified local differentiation where regional business needs, regulatory requirements, risk, or manufacturing realities require adaptation.

The Senior IT Manager leads multiple IT disciplines through managers, supervisors, technical leads, internal team members, vendors, and service providers. The role is accountable for technology decision quality, operational service delivery, change adoption, local capability development, and contribution to global standards and shared platforms, including Service Now, ERP, Microsoft Power BI, cybersecurity frameworks, and enterprise infrastructure.

• Lead the development and execution of the organization's IT strategy, technology roadmap, and investment plans to support business objectives, global IT direction, and long-term growth.
• Actively contributes to global IT and digitalization strategy by sharing regional requirements, business priorities, implementation learnings, and operational constraints.
• Partner with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to identify technology opportunities, prioritize initiatives, and align IT investments with organizational goals and value realization.
• Develop and maintain enterprise architecture standards, governance frameworks, technology policies, and decision rights that balance global standardization with local responsiveness.
• Collaborate with global technology counterparts and peer regional leaders to align standards, leverage shared platforms, reuse best practices, and prevent regional silos.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, industry trends, and digital transformation opportunities to improve business performance, cyber security posture, and manufacturing outcomes.

• Provide strategic oversight of enterprise infrastructure, cloud environments, networks, end-user computing, plant and office technology, and business applications.
• Ensure daily availability, resilience, stability, and security of systems and services that support business…