Global DT Solutions Architect - PN Smart Factory

Job Description

Job Description:

Pet Nutrition (PN) is the most vibrant category in the FMCG sector. As we work to transform this exciting category, a new program, Digital First, has been mobilized by the Mars Pet Nutrition (PN) leadership team. Digital First places pet parents at the center of all we do in Mars PN, while digitalizing a wide range of business process areas, and creating future fit capabilities to achieve ambitious targets in top line growth, earnings, and pet parent centricity. The Digital First agenda requires Digitizing at scale and requires significant thought leadership, quality decision making, deep technical know-how, and an ability to navigate complex business challenges.

As part of this initiative a Smart Factory transformation (digitizing our factory) is underway, this is expected to bring a high level of productivity Improvement and lower downtimes in factories. The focus will be on enabling plant performance visibility, applying automation and Artificial Intelligence solutions to address challenges in our plants where it is needed the most. Value will be created through the elimination of losses, optimization of our manufacturing process and enabling our associates.

The newly created transformation role, Solutions Architect Digital Factory PN, will play a key role in designing factory digital solutions (Manufacturing control Tower, Self optimizing plants, Robotics & Automation, Connected associates). The role will be responsible for translating business requirements into scalable, efficient, and robust digital manufacturing solutions that optimize operations, enhance productivity, and drive innovation.

The role operates at the Global level partnering with the Pet Nutrition (PN) Global Engineering workstream leaders to define the PN Digital solutions and manage the portfolio of high business value digital and data change initiatives globally and in the PN regions. This IT Infrastructure/Systems/Solution Architecture work involves developing the core technical platform, capabilities, and services that support business processes and data including:

• Mapping the relationships between IT platform/infrastructure components (i.e., Technology End Users, IT Systems Software & Hardware, and Info-Communications Transmission Networks)

• Identifying the key technology interactions and dependencies across systems/platforms impacting the organization’s ability to achieve integration, compatibility, and performance targets

• Evaluating total cost of ownership and return on investment of various IT platform/infrastructure alternatives

The overall purpose and accountabilities can be described as below in more details:

• Design, develops, implement, test user experience solutions (applications and interfaces) that meet the business needs of our stakeholders. Conduct technical assessment and support architecture design.

• Work with the manufacturing workstreams leads to identify and understand their business goals and requirements

• Work closely with other members of the workstreams and regional teams to ensure that the solutions are architected correctly, are scalable, secured, performant and maintainable.

• Identify technical interdependencies and develop technical roadmap for integration (identify the changes needed to high level architecture to create next iteration architecture, identify impacted/interconnected systems & data (eg ERP ...) and decide a common/parallel/independent roadmap)

• Assess technology/vendor options to deliver and scale up MVPs against Mars DT portfolio (long term supportability)

• Assess integration options and data refresh frequencies based on user stories and north star definitions.

• Lead technical discussions and presentation to non-technical stakeholders.

• Identify technical risks in projects and develop mitigation strategies.

• Develop and maintain relationship with internal and external stakeholders.

• Manage the capability catalog with the manufacturing workstreams leads and ensure we stay within our portfolio of solutions.

Reporting to the Head of Enterprise Architecture PN, the person in this role will be a part of the Global PN Architecture of Tomorrow team. The role operates globally and partners with PN business and digital leaders across all functions.

'This role is an incubation role (temporary) with an estimated end date of December 2026. The purpose is to fast-track and support the build of this specific product. At the completion of the product, a permanent BAU role will open to maintain and support the product: the role will be permanent and will have a different job description more suited to the need of the organisation at end state. If you are unable to secure the role by December 2026 you will be eligible for a separation package.'

What are we looking for?

• Bachelor’s degree or Equivalent (IT/DT Degree preferred)

• Significant experience working in a Digital Tech-related role in software development/Implementation with a focus on architecture and design

• Proven experience as a Solution Architect or similar role in the digital manufacturing domain.

• Strong knowledge of digital manufacturing technologies, such as IIoT, MES, PLM, API integration and ERP systems.

• Proficiency in software development methodologies, architectural patterns, and best practices.

• Familiarity with cloud platforms and services, data analytics, and machine learning concepts.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability lead and to translate business requirements into technical solutions

• Strong project management and leadership abilities.

• Effective communication skills to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and present complex technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.

• Ability to adapt to a fast-paced, dynamic work environment and manage multiple priorities

• Experience working in a multi-region business team with potentially conflicting needs/views and the ability to navigate a complex organizational landscape

• Must be customer-focused with a demonstrated ability to form productive relationships with business leaders, DT associates, and project leaders.

• Ability to educate non-digitally savvy leadership & staff.

• Learning agility and desire to learn new technology and business.

• Experience working across multiple levels of an organization.

• Strong problem analysis, negotiating and influencing skills.

• Proven track record of getting things done in a matrixed organization and influencing without authority.

What will be your key responsibilities?

Strategic Leadership

• Segment Alignment: Defines and owns the tech stack vision and strategy for all related products and solutions within the context of the PN Smart Factory area.

• Disrupt with Digital: Brings to life business value delivery within the segment through digital capabilities

• Digital Mindset: Drives the usage of the Mars Digital Flywheel and underlying methodologies including usage of test & learn approach, user centricity, data & analytics and automation

• External Perspective: Brings the "outside-In" by maintaining an external network of digital professionals to deliver value faster and build our capabilities of the future.

Delivering Change

• Strategy Delivery: Responsible for the delivery of Digital Technologies supporting the OGSM use cases globally and within the regions (on time, in scope, on budget)

• Business Transformation: Be a key member of the transformation program to deliver multi-years, large scale program to deliver efficiency, growth or people engagement. Forms a strong partnership with Mars PT DT leadership, EA team members, D&A team and associates in regions and global. Ensure tight integration between DT and D&A concerns across design, development, ops, finance and commercial.

• Solution Design: Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including manufacturing, engineering, IT, and business stakeholders, to understand their requirements and translate them into comprehensive digital manufacturing solution designs. Ensure the solutions align with industry best practices and strategic business objectives.

• Technology Evaluation and Selection: Evaluate and select appropriate digital manufacturing technologies, platforms, and tools to meet business needs. Stay updated with emerging trends and advancements in digital manufacturing technologies, such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), machine learning, big data analytics, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence.

• System Integration: Work with integration architect to define integration strategies and architecture for connecting various systems, including enterprise resource planning (ERP), product lifecycle management (PLM), manufacturing execution systems (MES), and other manufacturing-related software applications. Ensure seamless data flow and interoperability among different systems.

• Solution Development: Collaborate with development teams to oversee the implementation and deployment of digital manufacturing solutions. Provide technical guidance and support throughout the development lifecycle, ensuring adherence to architectural standards, scalability, security, and performance requirements.

Operational Excellence

• Technology and Financial Governance: Ensuring the value for money from DT investments by ensuring we follow the technology standards, policies, reusability and sweating the assets where possible. Driving for tech landscape simplification and consolidation, to improve the DT application portfolio TCO

• Technology and Operational Rationalisation: Lead the efforts with DT teams to lead the Value from Tech investments, optimization and rationalization: analyze existing manufacturing processes and identify opportunities for optimization and automation through digital technologies. Develop innovative solutions to improve productivity, reduce waste, increase quality, and enhance overall manufacturing efficiency.

• Documentation and Training: Prepare comprehensive documentation, including solution architecture diagrams, technical specifications, and user guides. Conduct training sessions and workshops to educate users and stakeholders on the functionality, benefits, and effective utilization of digital manufacturing solutions.

• Continuous Improvement: Stay abreast of industry trends and best practices in digital manufacturing. Continuously evaluate and enhance existing solutions, processes, and methodologies to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence.

People Leader

• Digital capability enablement: Seen as the champion of the Digital capability awareness, education, and communications

• Stakeholder Management: Works with the PN Global & Regional teams (DT and Manufacturing), and their leaders to ensure that Digital Technologies effectively support PN Smart Factory agenda

• Deployment Team: Has a strong connection with regional teams to capture the needs and ensuring our portfolio solutions is answering the business needs.

• Teams of Team: Manage contractors’ engagement behind segment/geography, beyond reporting lines if relevant.

• Matrix Management: Manages a large MGS DT team indirectly to manage data center, apps mngt, security, specialist DT functions such as Smart Factory Transformation or central DT.

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with over 130,000 diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.

• Join a purpose-driven company where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.

• Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.

• An industry-competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

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Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.