Operations Technology Manager

About the role

Sika, a specialty chemicals company active in the building and industrial sectors, is hiring an Engineering and Operations Technology Manager for its manufacturing site in Japan. The role leads Engineering (equipment and maintenance) and Operations Technology (OT) functions and drives safety, quality, productivity and cost competitiveness through technology leadership. It works closely with APAC and Global OT teams.

Key responsibilities

• Lead Engineering (equipment design, modification and renewal) and Maintenance, and provide technical leadership for Process Technology, including process design, optimization, new product introduction and quality improvement
• Consolidate and standardize engineering and process know-how across multiple plants
• Plan and evaluate capital investment projects, set technical specifications and assess ROI; lead new factory and large-scale equipment projects
• Carry out MOC, PSSR and FMEA for new installations, modifications and decommissioning
• Improve productivity and process capability, prevent recurrence of problems, and ensure equipment and process safety through EHS-based technical reviews
• Work with Plant, QA and EHS on corrective and preventive actions
• Promote manufacturing digitalization (MES, IoT), visualize and standardize manufacturing data, and collaborate with IT, SAP and Global OT teams
• Develop and manage the Engineering and Process Technology teams, select and manage external vendors and engineering contractors, and share information with APAC and Global OT

Required profile

• 10+ years of Engineering / OT experience in process or material manufacturing
• Bachelor's degree or higher in organic chemistry, applied chemistry, materials engineering, mechanical engineering or a related field
• Proven experience in capital investment, process improvement and new product industrialization
• Project management experience
• Business-level Japanese; working-level English for technical and business communication

Preferred qualifications

• Experience leading new factory start-ups or major expansions
• Experience with MES, IoT or manufacturing digitalization
• Knowledge of process safety, EHS and MOC
• Experience collaborating with global organizations