Head of Operational Technology

Dale Farm Ltd; Belfast City District; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Pension

Life assurance

Job summary

Dale Farm Ltd. is seeking a Head of Operational Technology to lead the strategy, development and governance of industrial technology across the group.

You will work with IT, Engineering and Operations to drive automation, efficiency and data-driven decisions while supporting growth and resilience at production sites. Reporting to the Director of Group IT, you will define OT standards, govern SCADA/HMI, and guide supplier engagements, while developing internal automation capability and ensuring

Qualifications

• Degree in IT, Engineering, Business or equivalent; professional experience accepted.
• Experience leading OT/automation in manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of standards for manufacturing systems and data.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead the group OT and automation strategy and direction.
• Set standards for PLC, SCADA, HMI, data, reporting and manufacturing systems.
• Strategize SCADA direction including alarm management and dashboards.
• Ensure projects align with site systems and standardization goals.
• Define requirements for integrators and automation suppliers and review solutions.
• Shape future use of OEE, MES and manufacturing systems within OT.
• Coordinate engineering delivery through teams and suppliers.
• Develop internal automation capability via leadership and training.

Skills

Leadership

Data analytics

IoT technologies

Communication

Education

Degree in IT/Engineering/Business or equivalent

Tools

SCADA

HMI

MES

Job description

Dale Farm is a leading dairy company, which manufactures an extensive range of consumer and food ingredient products. With an annual turnover in excess of £500m the Group exports globally to over 40 countries, with a particularly strong presence in the UK retail market. It is our mission to ensure that we exude the highest standards through our processes, products, and people.

About the Role:

As Head of Operational Technology (OT), you will lead the strategy, development and governance of industrial technology across Dale Farm, ensuring manufacturing systems are secure, reliable and aligned to the Group’s wider Digital Transformation agenda. Working closely with IT, Engineering and Operations teams, you will drive process automation, operational efficiency and data-led decision making while building the technology foundations required to support future growth, resilience and innovation across our production sites.

Reporting to the Director of Group IT, in this exciting role some of the key responsibilities will include:

• Define and lead the group OT and automation strategy, providing technical direction for significant group-wide decisions.
• Establish and govern standards for PLC, SCADA, HMI, industrial data, reporting and manufacturing systems.
• Set the strategic direction for SCADA, including operator control, alarm management, engineering tools, operational reporting and management dashboards.
• Ensure new projects align with existing site systems while supporting progressive standardization across the group.
• Define technical requirements for system integrators, OEMs and automation suppliers, and review proposed solutions to ensure they meet agreed OT standards and project objectives.
• Shape the future use of OEE, MES and other manufacturing systems within the wider OT architecture.
• Direct and coordinate engineering delivery through internal automation teams, contractors and specialist suppliers.
• Develop internal automation capability through technical leadership, mentoring and structured training.

• Degree in Information Technology, Engineering, Business, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Significant experience in manufacturing, operational technology, engineering, or digital transformation environments, including experience leading teams, projects, or strategic initiatives within a manufacturing industry
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and technology solutions.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills.
• Proficiency in data analytics, automation, and IoT technologies.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience in the dairy or food manufacturing industry.
• Knowledge of industry-specific regulations and standards.
• Certification in project management or relevant technology fields.

The Person:

• Ability to develop and guide a business in executing on strategies.
• Ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholder groups across the business.
• Ability to communicate at all levels.
• Able to identify risks and define plans to control or remediate these risks.
• Experience working in complex manufacturing environment.
• Experience in data visualisation and report development.
• Experience in understanding business processes.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.
• Good communicator - able to communicate technical information to non-technical audiences.
• Ability to effectively plan and prioritise workloads.
• Self-motivated and proactive.

In return, the successful candidate can embark on this excellent opportunity for both career and personal development.

The company also provides an excellent benefits package including competitive salary, pension, and life assurance.

To learn more about the company and to apply for this position please visit:

Dalefarm.co.uk/careers

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer

Only applications from EU Nationals or those with a valid permit to work in the UK will be accepted