Senior Specialist, Digital Manufacturing System (MES) - Mandarin Speaker

✅ Must Have requirements:

• Mandarin Speaker to communicate and work with China's Vendor
• Manufacturing exposure
• MES-ERP Data Integration experience
• Willing to travel as and when required.

Position Summary

The Senior Specialist, Digital Manufacturing Systems (MES) is responsible for implementing, supporting, maintaining, and continuously improving Armstrong's Manufacturing Execution System (MES) across multiple manufacturing sites.

The role is required to lead the implementation and optimization of MES and ERP-MES integration. This role will also lead the project coordination and business engagement to ensure stable manufacturing operations and successful rollout of Smart Factory initiatives.

The ideal candidate will have strong production and engineering experience, proven expertise in MES project management, and a track record of successfully implementing and supporting MES solutions. This role will be responsible for overseeing the MES system, ensuring its seamless operation, and providing timely support and resolution for any MES-related issues.

Responsibilities

1. MES Implementation & Project Delivery

· Lead regional MES implementation and upgrade projects through full lifecycle: initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure.

· Define and manage project scope, timeline, budget, risks, and resources.

· Develop detailed project plans, schedules, status reports, and executive updates.

· Coordinate internal stakeholders, external vendors, and system integrators.

· Ensure each failed case has resolution and committed timeline for closure.

· At project closure, gathered stakeholder feedback and documentation. Prepare for EDB's audit

· Assist in user training, cutover activities and post Go-Live stabilization.

· Support project documentation and knowledge transfer.

· Act as technical advisor for MES implementation and designs.

2. Stakeholder & Team Coordination

· Act as a liaison between business users, IT infra, Enterprise Solution Architect, MES Product owner, engineering, QA, production, and external vendors.

· Conduct stakeholder workshops, gathering requirements, and change impact assessments.

· Manage cross-functional project teams including functional consultants, developers, and validation experts.

· Work closely with operations, engineering, QA, IT, and compliance teams to gather and refine requirements.

· Engage with cross-functional stakeholders across sites to balance global standardization/ governance and local needs.

· Act as a key liaison between end users and the MES development/configuration team.

· Accept or reject deliverables based on agreed-upon acceptance criteria.

· Support testing, training, and change management efforts.

3. Technical Oversight

· Oversee MES system design, configuration, development, testing (SIT and UAT, case closure), and deployment (Change Management, training and post-go-live support).

· Ensure robust integration between MES, ERP, LIMS (lab inspection management system), SCADA, historians (time-series process data), and automation systems.

· Review and approve functional and technical specifications, test plans, and user documentation.

4. Backlog Ownership & Prioritization

· Own and manage the MES product backlog, ensuring clarity, priority, and alignment with business value.

· Write high-quality user stories, acceptance criteria, and non-functional requirements.

· Prioritize features based on impact, feasibility, cost, and stakeholder feedback.

· Define and track KPIs to evaluate MES functionality, user adoption, and business impact.

· Drive backlog grooming and iterative enhancements based on production feedback.

· Monitor system performance, scalability, and alignment with industry best practices (e.g., ISA-95, GAMP5).

· Evaluating to-be process has improved against with as-is

Experience

· 10 years of project management experience, preferred with at least 3–5 years in MES implementation.

· Proven experience managing global or multi-site MES rollouts.

· Hands-on experience with leading MES platforms (e.g., Siemens OpsCenter, Rockwell FactoryTalk, Dassault DELMIA Apriso, AVEVA/Wonderware, Critical Manufacturing).

Qualifications

· MES platform exposure (Critical Manufacturing, Siemens Opcenter, Rockwell, etc.)

· SQL/database fundamentals

· Basic networking or OT knowledge

· Diploma or Degree in: Information Technology, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics / Automation Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Related discipline

· Preferred Certifications:

- Cloud certification (Azure/AWS/GCP)

- DevOps or CI/CD certification

- API or integration platform certification

· ITIL Foundation

Competencies

Technical Skills

· Good understanding of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

· Knowledge of manufacturing processes and production execution

· Experience with ERP systems (Infor, SAP, Oracle or equivalent)

· Knowledge of MES-ERP integration concepts

· Basic understanding of PLC, SCADA and Industrial IoT environments

· SQL database fundamentals

· Understanding of APIs, REST services and middleware integration

· Software testing (SIT/UAT)

· Incident management and application support

· Documentation and change management

Soft Skills

· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

· Good communication and stakeholder management

· Able to coordinate across business and technical teams

· Strong customer service orientation

· Able to manage multiple priorities under operational deadlines

· Team player with collaborative mindset

· Continuous learning and improvement mindset

· Attention to detail and ownership of assigned deliverables

Key Success Measures (KPI)

· Stable MES operations with production system availability above target SLA.

· Successful delivery of assigned MES implementation milestones.

· Timely closure of MES incidents and integration issues.

· Accurate ERP-MES transaction synchronization.

· Successful completion of SIT/UAT and production deployments.

· Positive user adoption and stakeholder satisfaction.

· Complete documentation and knowledge transfer for all implemented solutions.