Senior Manager - IT

Function: IT

Industry: Solar Cell Manufacturing

Level: Manager or Senior Manager

Job Purpose

Responsible for end-to-end availability, integration, and performance of MES, Manufacturing IT, OT Infrastructure, Network and Security systems supporting in-line Solar Cell manufacturing. The position will act as the key interface between Production, Process, Quality, Equipment/Automation, ERP, MES, IT Infrastructure, Network, Security and OEM teams to ensure uninterrupted 24×7 manufacturing operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead MES and Manufacturing IT operations for the complete Solar Cell production line .
• Ensure high availability of MES and associated IT/OT systems supporting 24×7 production.
• Coordinate with Production, Process, Quality, Maintenance, Automation, Equipment, ERP, Network, Security and OEM teams.
• Ensure seamless MES integration across key Solar Cell manufacturing processes as applicable to the plant technology.
• Ensure reliable equipment-to-MES communication and automatic collection of production/process data from manufacturing equipment.
• Manage wafer/cell traceability, WIP tracking, recipe/route control, equipment status, process parameters, production data and quality data through MES.
• Ensure integration between MES, ERP, equipment/automation systems, databases, quality systems and material-handling systems.
• Drive real-time production visibility and availability of manufacturing data for Production, Process and Quality teams.
• Ensure infrastructure availability for MES servers, application servers, databases, storage, backup and virtualization platforms.
• Manage plant IT/OT network infrastructure supporting production equipment, MES, automation and shop-floor systems.
• Work with Automation and OEM teams for integration, equipment controllers, or other applicable industrial communication interfaces.
• Lead resolution of production-critical MES, server, network, database and equipment-integration incidents.
• Establish escalation mechanisms and ensure timely RCA/CAPA for recurring system failures.
• Plan system redundancy, backup, disaster recovery and business continuity for production-critical applications.
• Ensure OT cybersecurity, access control, network segmentation, patching and system hardening.
• Manage MES/OEM/IT infrastructure vendors and ensure compliance with SLA requirements.
• Support new equipment installation, production-line expansion, capacity enhancement and new technology introduction.
• Drive manufacturing digitalization, system standardization and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain system architecture, SOPs, network diagrams, interface documents, backup/DR procedures and other technical documentation.
• Manage and develop the MES/Manufacturing IT team and ensure adequate support coverage for 24×7 plant operations.

Key Technical Skills

MES | Solar Cell Manufacturing Systems | Equipment Integration | ERP-MES Integration | IT/OT Infrastructure | Industrial Networking | Servers & Storage | Virtualization | Database Infrastructure | Cybersecurity | Backup & DR | Traceability Systems | Manufacturing Digitalization

Qualification & Experience

B.E./B.Tech in Computer Science, IT, Electronics, Electrical, Instrumentation, Automation or related discipline.

Experience: 10–15 years, preferably in Solar Cell/Semiconductor/Electronics or highly automated continuous manufacturing , with strong exposure to MES and Manufacturing IT.