Manufacturing Systems Manager

Ensign-Bickford Industries•Simsbury, CT

About The Position

This opportunity is located within our Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company business, a global leader of mission-critical hardware and systems solutions including precision energetics systems and innovative explosive solutions. EBAD is seeking a highly skilled Manufacturing Systems Manager to lead, develop, and mentor a team of Systems Engineers while designing, optimizing, and overseeing the integration of advanced manufacturing systems across our operations. This role is responsible for aligning business objectives, production requirements, and technology solutions to create scalable, efficient, and resilient manufacturing environments. The Manufacturing Systems Manager serves as a key bridge between engineering, IT, operations, and leadership teams to ensure seamless execution of digital transformation initiatives. In addition to providing technical and organizational leadership, this role is hands-on in owning the full lifecycle of a business-critical MES application, from design and implementation through day-to-day operations, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.
8+ years of experience in manufacturing IT/OT systems, with at least 3 years in an architecture or systems leadership role.
Strong knowledge of MES, ERP, SCADA, PLCs, robotics, and industrial IoT platforms.
Excellent leadership and team development capabilities.
Proven experience with system integration, data architecture, and digital transformation initiatives.
Familiarity with cloud solutions (Azure, AWS, or GCP) and edge computing in manufacturing environments.
Excellent problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience in lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or process optimization methodologies.
Exposure to digital twin, predictive maintenance, or AI/ML applications in manufacturing.
Professional certifications (TOGAF, ISA-95/ISA-99, PMP, or related).

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain the overall architecture for manufacturing systems, including MES, ERP, SCADA, PLCs, robotics, IoT devices, and cloud platforms.
Define technical roadmaps that align with business strategy, operational efficiency goals, and industry best practices.
Ensure system interoperability, security, and scalability.
Lead the integration of disparate systems into a unified digital manufacturing ecosystem.
Drive standardization of processes, data models, and system interfaces.
Identify and implement automation opportunities to improve throughput, quality, and cost efficiency.
Partner with operations, IT, engineering, and supply chain teams to gather requirements and translate them into system capabilities.
Act as the subject matter expert for manufacturing technologies during vendor evaluations, RFPs, and implementation projects.
Establish and enforce governance standards for manufacturing systems, including cybersecurity, data integrity, and change management.
Ensure compliance with industry regulations (e.g., ISO, FDA, OSHA) and internal quality standards.
Monitor system performance and lead root-cause analysis for complex issues.
Stay current with emerging technologies (Industry 4.0, IIoT, digital twins, AI/ML in manufacturing) and recommend adoption strategies.
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Manufacturing Systems Engineers.
Set departmental goals and KPIs aligned with company objectives.
Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and collaboration.