Job Purpose
The Senior Director – Industry 4.0 will provide strategic leadership for the organization’s Industry 4.0 transformation program, with the objective of advancing digital manufacturing capabilities and establishing the organization as a regional leader in smart industrial operations.
The role will develop and maintain the overall Industry 4.0 roadmap, identify opportunities to reduce costs and improve operational performance, and accelerate the adoption of digital technologies across the business. The position will drive the use of advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data engineering, automation, and digital solutions to create measurable business value.
The Senior Director will also establish consistent methodologies for digital use-case development and implementation, strengthen enterprise data capabilities, build digital talent, and promote a data-driven culture across the organization.
Key Responsibilities
Industry 4.0 Strategy and Transformation
- Develop and maintain the enterprise-wide Industry 4.0 strategy and roadmap.
- Lead the identification, evaluation, prioritization, and implementation of digital transformation opportunities across the organization.
- Maintain visibility of the complete Industry 4.0 portfolio, including the number, maturity, status, value, and business impact of digital use cases.
- Identify opportunities to improve productivity, operational efficiency, revenue, profitability, safety, and cost performance through digital technologies.
- Develop strategic and long-term plans based on business conditions, technology trends, operational requirements, and emerging opportunities.
- Establish consistent approaches, frameworks, and methodologies for implementing Industry 4.0 and advanced analytics use cases.
- Drive a culture of innovation, continuous improvement, experimentation, and data-driven decision-making.
Data and Analytics Strategy
- Provide strategic leadership for the organization’s enterprise data and analytics agenda.
- Define the strategy for data management, governance, acquisition, quality, maintenance, analytics, insights, and reporting.
- Identify opportunities to generate additional revenue, reduce operating costs, improve customer experiences, and manage business risks through data and analytics.
- Establish strategic priorities for using existing and emerging data assets to create measurable business value.
- Oversee the development and deployment of enterprise data and analytics platforms supporting digital transformation.
- Promote data literacy and help establish a strong data-driven culture throughout the organization.
- Work closely with IT leadership to ensure data infrastructure provides secure, reliable, accessible, and efficient analytics capabilities.
Advanced Analytics, AI and Machine Learning
- Lead advanced analytics initiatives supporting Industry 4.0 and business transformation programs.
- Define appropriate analytical approaches for business use cases such as predictive analytics, customer segmentation, optimization, forecasting, and operational improvement.
- Enable teams to develop and deploy machine learning, artificial intelligence, and augmented intelligence solutions.
- Provide strategic guidance on descriptive, predictive, prescriptive, and applied analytics.
- Review analytical outputs and ensure that data science models provide reliable and practical business insights.
- Work with data scientists and data engineers to ensure data collection, preparation, feature engineering, model development, and deployment support business objectives.
- Translate complex analytics and technology concepts into actionable recommendations for business leaders.
Digital Use Case Management
- Support business teams in preparing, launching, implementing, and tracking Industry 4.0 use cases.
- Establish processes for digital project intake, assessment, estimation, prioritization, implementation, and reporting.
- Lead periodic prioritization sessions with senior leadership to determine digital transformation priorities.
- Review business cases for proposed Industry 4.0 projects and evaluate expected financial and operational benefits.
- Track realized value and communicate the business impact of digital initiatives to leadership.
- Ensure projects are delivered within agreed scope, quality, timelines, and expected business outcomes.
Digital Transformation and Business Partnership
- Work closely with business, operations, technology, finance, supply chain, engineering, and other functional leaders to develop and execute digital transformation roadmaps.
- Build strong partnerships with senior executives and key stakeholders to drive adoption of Industry 4.0 initiatives.
- Provide strategic consulting and advisory support to senior leadership on digital technologies, data, analytics, and transformation opportunities.
- Identify opportunities to improve business processes and customer experiences through digital solutions.
- Support the design and implementation of new digital experiences and technology-enabled business models.
- Challenge existing processes and encourage innovative approaches that create measurable business value.
Program and Project Leadership
- Lead complex, multidisciplinary Industry 4.0 programs from strategy and planning through implementation and value realization.
- Coordinate teams comprising business leaders, management consultants, data scientists, data engineers, technology specialists, experience designers, and implementation experts.
- Establish project priorities, governance structures, milestones, resources, and performance measures.
- Use appropriate agile and project management methodologies to accelerate delivery and continuously improve outcomes.
- Support project teams in resolving complex technical, operational, and organizational challenges.
- Ensure effective communication of project status, risks, opportunities, and business outcomes to senior management.
Digital Talent and Capability Development
- Develop an investment strategy for building a world-class Industry 4.0, data, analytics, and digital transformation team.
- Define ambitious performance indicators linked to revenue growth, profitability, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business performance.
- Build digital capabilities across the organization through training, coaching, mentoring, and knowledge sharing.
- Develop and retain high-performing digital and analytics professionals.
- Promote an inclusive, innovative, collaborative, and high-performance culture that attracts and develops digital talent.
Leadership and Stakeholder Management
- Provide strong strategic leadership across Industry 4.0, data, analytics, and digital transformation initiatives.
- Communicate effectively with senior executives, leadership teams, and board-level stakeholders.
- Build trusted relationships with business and technology leaders across multiple functions.
- Influence stakeholders and drive organizational change in a complex operating environment.
- Mentor and coach team members while supporting their professional and technical development.
- Encourage collaboration across diverse multidisciplinary teams and business functions.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Data Science, Technology, or a related technical discipline.
- Strong knowledge of Industry 4.0, digital transformation, advanced analytics, data strategy, and technology-enabled business transformation.
Experience
- 20+ years of professional experience, preferably within the metals, mining, manufacturing, energy, or another complex industrial environment.
- Extensive experience leading large, complex, and highly visible digital transformation or Industry 4.0 programs.
- Proven experience delivering measurable financial and operational benefits through digital and analytics use cases.
- Strong experience combining business leadership, technical understanding, data analytics, and project management.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams involving technology, data science, engineering, operations, and business professionals.
- Experience working with senior executives and providing strategic consulting or advisory support.
- Strong understanding of agile methodologies, product management, digital delivery, and continuous improvement.
- Experience with project management and collaboration tools such as MS Project, Primavera, Jira, Confluence, Scrum, and Kanban is desirable.
Industry and Technical Knowledge
The successful candidate should have strong knowledge of:
- Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing
- Digital transformation and industrial digitalization
- Advanced analytics and artificial intelligence
- Machine learning and predictive analytics
- Data strategy and data governance
- Data engineering and analytics platforms
- Digital use-case development and value realization
- Industrial operations and complex technical processes
- Lean-agile methodologies
- Digital product management
- Business intelligence and data-driven decision-making
- Process optimization and operational excellence
- Technology-enabled cost reduction and productivity improvement
Experience within the aluminium, metals, mining, manufacturing, energy, or similarly complex industrial sectors will be highly valuable.
Leadership and Behavioral Skills
- Strong strategic leadership and business acumen.
- Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.
- Ability to influence senior leaders and drive organizational change.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
- Ability to balance long-term digital strategy with short-term business results.
- Strong project and program management skills.
- Ability to work effectively across multiple business functions.
- Strong coaching and team-development capabilities.
- Ability to communicate complex digital, data, and technology concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
- Passion for innovation, digital transformation, and continuous improvement.
Preferred Mindset
The ideal candidate will be an impact-driven and innovative digital leader who can challenge conventional approaches, identify high-value opportunities, make informed decisions, and motivate multidisciplinary teams.