Digital Transformation Leader for Kulim Greenfield Factory

UST; Bayan Lepas; On-site; MYR 250,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

UST in Kulim, Malaysia is seeking a senior Digital Transformation Leader to drive a greenfield manufacturing digitalization program onsite. You will lead MES, IT/OT integration, automation, and digital factory initiatives, coordinating with global IT, plant leadership, vendors, and system integrators.

The role demands 15+ years in digital transformation, strong MES experience, multi-vendor governance, and the ability to deliver from design to go-live while maintaining global standards with local

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in digital transformation, manufacturing systems, IT, or technology leadership.
• Proven leadership of at least one major greenfield factory, plant expansion, or manufacturing transformation program.
• Strong MES implementation and manufacturing-system integration experience.
• Experience managing digital factory, automation, IT/OT, infrastructure, and enterprise application initiatives.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple vendors and system integrators.
• Strong governance, stakeholder management, financial oversight, risk management, and executive communication skills.
• Experience in semiconductor, electronics, or advanced manufacturing environments is highly preferred.
• Ability to work independently onsite and represent senior/global leadership.
• Fluent English and willingness to be based in Kulim for approximately 18 months.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary onsite technology leader and liaison between plant leadership, global IT, engineering, manufacturing teams, vendors, and system integrators.
• Translate factory ramp-up goals into an integrated digital transformation roadmap.
• Establish governance, milestones, risk management, and escalation processes across all technology workstreams.
• Drive delivery from design through implementation, testing, go-live, stabilization, and operational handover.
• MES & Manufacturing Systems Lead MES implementation readiness, governance, deployment, and operational transition.
• Ensure end-to-end integration across MES, ERP, shop-floor systems, automation platforms, quality systems, and production processes.
• Balance global standards with local manufacturing requirements while minimizing unnecessary customization.
• Define support, monitoring, ownership, and handover models before go-live.
• Digital Factory & Automation Drive adoption of connected manufacturing, automation, digital workflows, analytics, paperless operations, and real-time production visibility.
• Support autonomous manufacturing initiatives through equipment connectivity, automated decision-making, and integrated operational processes.
• Prioritize digital initiatives based on business value, scalability, safety, and operational impact.
• Vendor & Implementation Management Manage MES vendors, automation providers, equipment suppliers, infrastructure partners, and system integrators.
• Define delivery ownership, milestones, acceptance criteria, and escalation mechanisms.
• Monitor vendor performance, delivery risks, dependencies, and change requests while ensuring alignment to program objectives.
• IT/OT, Infrastructure & Cybersecurity Ensure readiness of infrastructure, plant networks, connectivity, workplace services, compute, identity management, and security platforms.

Skills

Cloud Infrastructure

Cybersecurity

Digital Transformation

GRC

Job description

UST in Kulim, Malaysia is seeking a senior Digital Transformation Leader to drive a greenfield manufacturing digitalization program onsite. You will lead MES, IT/OT integration, automation, and digital factory initiatives, coordinating with global IT, plant leadership, vendors, and system integrators.

The role demands 15+ years in digital transformation, strong MES experience, multi-vendor governance, and the ability to deliver from design to go-live while maintaining global standards with local