IT Head - Manufacturing/FMCG/Food Ingredients/Flavours/Fragrance Industry

Key Responsibilities:

IT Strategy & Leadership

- Develop and execute a 3-5-year IT roadmap aligned with business goals (manufacturing efficiency, traceability, customer responsiveness).

- Lead and mentor a small IT team; manage external vendors and service providers.

- Drive digital transformation initiatives such as automation, cloud adoption, and data analytics and AI adoption.

Infrastructure & Systems Management

- Oversee all core IT infrastructure: networks, servers, cloud services, end-user devices, backup systems.

- Ensure high availability of critical systems supporting production, R&D, and commercial teams.

- Manage ERP ensuring smooth integration with production, QA, and supply chain workflows.

- Oversee implementation and maintenance and other specialized flavour industry tools.

Data Governance & Analytics

- Define data standards, master data governance, and data quality processes.

- Enable dashboards and analytics for Sales, Operations, Finance, and R&D.

- Ensure secure and compliant data storage, retention, and retrieval.

Vendor & Budget Management

- Manage IT budgets, procurement, and cost optimization.

- Evaluate and negotiate with technology vendors, consultants, and service partners.

- Ensure SLAs are met for uptime, support, and project delivery.

Qualifications & Experience:

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.

- 15 years of IT experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.

- Experience in manufacturing, FMCG, food ingredients, or flavours/fragrance industry preferred.

- Strong understanding of ERP systems, cybersecurity frameworks, and cloud technologies.

- Proven track record of leading digital transformation in mid-sized organizations.

Key Competencies:

- Strategic thinking with hands-on execution capability.

- Strong stakeholder management across Operations, R&D, QA, Sales, and Finance.

- Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.

- Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.

- High integrity, reliability, and commitment to data security.

Success Indicators (KPIs)

- ERP uptime and user adoption.

- Reduction in IT incidents and resolution time.

- Cybersecurity posture (audit scores, incident prevention).

- On-time delivery of digital transformation projects.

- Cost optimization and vendor performance.

- Improved data accuracy and reporting quality.