IT Manufacturing Systems Architect / MES Integration Lead

Nextpower Inc; Fremont, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

Equity compensation

Professional development

Job summary

Nextpower seeks an experienced IT Manufacturing Systems Architect / MES Integration Lead to define and implement the systems and data capabilities for global manufacturing operations. The role requires MES expertise, analytics, OEE, and factory automation knowledge to enable traceability, quality management, and operational excellence across sites.

The candidate will lead MES strategy, data governance, and integration with ERP/PLM/QMS/WMS, while supporting cyber and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in IT/CS/Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years in manufacturing IT, MES or systems integration.
• Strong understanding of MES, analytics, OEE, and data platforms.

Responsibilities

• Define manufacturing systems and IT architecture for production, quality, maintenance, traceability, and supply chain.
• Lead MES strategy, implementation, integration, enhancement, and global consolidation.
• Collaborate with manufacturing, engineering, quality, operations, supply chain, and IT to translate requirements into scalable tech solutions.
• Establish manufacturing data standards, governance, master data, and integration patterns.
• Design and support manufacturing data warehouse and analytics initiatives.
• Enable end-to-end product and component traceability across materials, processes, equipment, and test results.
• Support quality systems including nonconformance, defects, rework, root-cause analysis, and process capability.
• Integrate MES with ERP, PLM, QMS, WMS, TMS, data warehouses, and analytics platforms.
• Evaluate and integrate factory automation tech (SCADA, PLCs, robotics, IIoT).
• Define real-time and batch data integration between shop-floor systems and enterprise apps.
• Support roadmaps for new facilities, lines, and plant standardization.
• Establish common processes, data models, interfaces, and reporting standards across sites.
• Lead vendor evaluations, solution design, implementation planning, testing, deployment, and production support.
• Ensure systems meet cybersecurity, availability, scalability, auditability, and regulatory requirements.

Skills

MES expertise

Manufacturing analytics

OEE metrics

Factory automation

Data platforms

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT/CS/Engineering

Tools

ERP integration

Data warehouse design

ETL/ELT

Job description

Job Description: IT Manufacturing Systems Architect / MES Integration Lead Onsite: Fremont, CA

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced IT Manufacturing Systems Architect / MES Integration Lead to support the company’s expansion into manufacturing. This role will be responsible for defining, implementing, and integrating the systems, data, and technology capabilities required to support global manufacturing operations. The ideal candidate will have strong experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), manufacturing analytics, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), factory automation, industrial controls, and manufacturing data platforms. The role will help establish scalable solutions for production visibility, product traceability, quality management, equipment performance, and operational excellence across global manufacturing sites.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the manufacturing systems and IT architecture supporting production, quality, maintenance, traceability, and supply chain operations.
• Lead MES strategy, implementation, integration, enhancement, and global consolidation initiatives.
• Partner with manufacturing, engineering, quality, operations, supply chain, and IT teams to translate business requirements into scalable technology solutions.
• Establish manufacturing data standards, governance, master data, and integration patterns across plants and production systems.
• Design and support manufacturing data warehouse and analytics initiatives.
• Enable end-to-end product and component traceability across materials, processes, equipment, operators, test results, and finished products.
• Support quality systems and analytics, including nonconformance, defects, rework, root-cause analysis, and process capability.
• Integrate MES and manufacturing systems with ERP, PLM, QMS, WMS, TMS, data warehouses, and enterprise analytics platforms.
• Evaluate and integrate factory automation technologies, including SCADA, PLCs, robotics, industrial equipment, sensors, and IIoT platforms.
• Define real-time and batch data integration solutions between shop-floor systems and enterprise applications.
• Support technology roadmaps for new manufacturing facilities, production lines, and global plant standardization.
• Establish common manufacturing processes, data models, interfaces, and reporting standards across sites.
• Lead vendor evaluations, solution design, implementation planning, testing, deployment, and production support.
• Ensure manufacturing systems meet requirements for cybersecurity, availability, scalability, auditability, and regulatory compliance.
• Develop project plans, architecture documentation, data flow diagrams, integration specifications, and operational procedures.
• Drive continuous improvement through automation, digitization, analytics, and standardization of manufacturing processes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing IT, MES, industrial systems, systems integration, or a related discipline.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing analytics and OEE metrics, including availability, performance, quality, downtime, yield, and utilization.
• Experience designing or implementing manufacturing data warehouses, data lakes, operational data stores, or analytics platforms.
• Experience integrating MES with ERP, PLM, QMS, WMS, and enterprise data platforms.
• Knowledge of manufacturing data models, ISA-95 concepts, equipment hierarchies, production orders, routings, work instructions, genealogy, and traceability.
• Experience with data integration technologies, APIs, event-based integration, ETL/ELT, SQL, and industrial data protocols.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with OPC UA, MQTT, Modbus, REST APIs, message brokers, or similar industrial integration technologies.
• Knowledge of manufacturing quality standards, statistical process control, process capability, and corrective action processes.
• Experience with cloud platforms such as Microsoft Azure, AWS, or Oracle Cloud.
• Experience with Power BI, Tableau, Snowflake, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, or similar analytics and data platforms.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity standards and practices for operational technology and industrial control systems.
• Experience leading global MES consolidation, template design, plant rollouts, or manufacturing transformation programs.
• Project management experience, including working with system integrators and global technology vendors.

Pay

Pay is based on market location and may vary based on factors including experience, skills, education and other job-related reasons. The annual salary range for this position is $175,000-$200,000. This role is also eligible for bonus and equity as part of the total compensation package.

About Nextpower

At Nextpower, we are driving the global energy transition with an integrated clean energy technology platform that combines intelligent structural, electrical, and digital solutions for utility-scale power plants. Our comprehensive portfolio enables faster project delivery, higher performance, and greater reliability, helping our customers capture the full value of solar power. Our talented worldwide teams are redefining how solar power plants are designed, built, and operated every day with smart technology, data-driven insights, and advanced automation. Together, we’re building the foundation for the world’s next generation of clean energy infrastructure.

Nextpower is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

We are Nextpower At Nextpower, we are driving the global energy transition with an integrated clean energy technology platform that combines intelligent structural, electrical, and digital solutions for utility-scale power plants. Our comprehensive portfolio enables faster project delivery, higher performance, and greater reliability, helping our customers capture the full value of solar power. Our talented worldwide teams are redefining how solar power plants are designed, built, and operated every day with smart technology, data-driven insights, and advanced automation. Together, we’re building the foundation for the world’s next generation of clean energy infrastructure.