Senior Manager, Manufacturing IT

Location: Mesa, Arizona

Type: Full-time, on-site

About the Role

We are looking for a hands-on Senior Manager, Manufacturing IT based in Mesa, AZ to own all site-level IT—from greenfield commissioning of our manufacturing facility through go-live and into steady-state operations. Serve as the trusted technology partner to the Plant Manager, aligning IT strategy and execution with manufacturing priorities to drive operational excellence, productivity, and continuous improvement.

This is not a strategy-from-a-desk role. You will be on the production floor working alongside operators, manufacturing engineers, and equipment vendors during commissioning and ramp-up, and you will own the day-to-day reliability, availability, and support of the site's IT systems once production begins.

You will play a key role in defining and executing the manufacturing data strategy by integrating OT and factory system data into a purpose-built data platform that delivers near-real-time visibility into production operations, equipment performance, quality, and key manufacturing KPIs. You will partner closely with the corporate ERP team to integrate manufacturing systems with Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP and collaborate with the End User Services, Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity teams to implement identity and access management, enterprise security controls, and shared IT infrastructure.

What You Will Own

Data Integration with Manufacturing systems

• Define and execute the data integration strategy and target archirecture between the contract manufacturer's MES and factory systems and the Nextracker enterprise data platform, delivering near-real-time visibility into production, quality, process control, traceability, and product genealogy. Deliver manufacturing dashboards and control towers that provide end-to-end visibility across the build-to-ship process.

• Drive integration between manufacturing systems and Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP, as well as downstream warranty, service, and analytics platforms.

• Develop a deep understanding of manufacturing processes, including work order routing, station definitions, operator workflows, product genealogy, and test data capture for inverter assembly (PCBA integration, mechanical assembly, HiPot, functional testing, burn-in, and pack-out).

• Lead the IT workstream for the implementation and ramp-up of the contract manufacturing site, from solution design and validation through go-live and hypercare.

Shop Floor Technology & Site Infrastructure

• Partner with the Contract Manufacturer and Corporate Infrastructure team to design, deploy, and support the site's IT and OT infrastructure, including network segmentation, industrial wireless, switching, firewalls, and secure connectivity.

• In collaboration with the contract manufacturer, sssist with managing all shop floor endpoints, including operator workstations, rugged handheld devices, barcode scanners, Zebra printers, production displays, kiosks, and related peripherals.

• Ensure the availability, security, and lifecycle management of plant IT infrastructure and manufacturing technology.

• Develop and maintain business continuity and disaster recovery plans for site-critical manufacturing systems.

Day-to-Day IT Operations

• Serve as the primary IT leader and point of escalation for all site technology issues.

• Lead local IT support operations, including help desk activities, ticket management, and production floor support.

• Manage onboarding and offboarding of site personnel, including identity provisioning, shop floor access, badge integration, and endpoint deployment.

• Manage local IT vendors, contractors, and service providers to ensure service quality and operational excellence.

• Maintain accurate documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), network diagrams, and IT asset inventories.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Manufacturing Engineering on new product introductions (NPI), production routing changes, equipment integration, and station deployments.

• Partner with Quality to support product traceability, genealogy, nonconformance (NCR) workflows, audit readiness, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Collaborate with the corporate ERP team to ensure seamless integration between Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP and manufacturing systems.

• Work closely with End User Services, Infrastructure, Cybersecurity, and Enterprise Architecture teams to implement identity and access management, endpoint security, enterprise security controls, and shared IT services.

• Partner with Facilities and Operations to ensure plant readiness, including power, structured cabling, IDFs/MDFs, environmental controls, and physical infrastructure supporting manufacturing IT.

What You Bring

Required

• 10+ years in IT roles within a manufacturing environment, with at least one full MES implementation owned end-to-end (commissioning through steady-state operations). Deep understanding and experience with an ERP enviornment preferably with Oracle Fusion.

• Strong experience with data architcture and implementation of high volume, high velocity data integration with a backend datalake preferably in a Microsoft Fabric environment. Experience with Visualization tools like PoweBI.

• Background in site infrastructure to support a manufacturing site.

• Bachelors Degree in Engineering or Computer Science

• Strong vendor management and project execution skills.

Strongly Preferred

• Experience in discrete electronics or power electronics assembly (inverters, power supplies, drives, EV components, or similar) MES systems and related data infratsructure.

• Experience with developing/supporting systems to support serialized traceability and component-level genealogy in a regulated or warranty-sensitive product.

• Familiarity with test data systems (HiPot, functional test, burn-in) and binding test results to unit serials.

Nice to Have

• Exposure to Oracle Fusion Cloud (you will not own it, but understanding the ERP side helps).

• ITIL or PMP certification.

• Cybersecurity background relevant to OT environments (IEC 62443 awareness).

At Nextpower, we are driving the global energy transition with an integrated clean energy technology platform that combines intelligent structural, electrical, and digital solutions for utility-scale power plants. Our comprehensive portfolio enables faster project delivery, higher performance, and greater reliability, helping our customers capture the full value of solar power. Our talented worldwide teams are redefining how solar power plants are designed, built, and operated every day with smart technology, data-driven insights, and advanced automation. Together, we’re building the foundation for the world’s next generation of clean energy infrastructure.

Nextpower is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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