Program Director - MES Transformation

Key Responsibilities: Serve as the executive leader for the overall MES transformation program. Establish credibility and trusted advisor relationships with executive sponsors and senior leadership. Provide strategic guidance to the client, implementation partner, and project leadership team. Lead executive steering committee meetings and governance forums. Drive timely executive decision-making and issue resolution. Program Governance Establish and maintain program governance, operating model, and delivery standards. Ensure alignment between business objectives, project scope, budget, schedule, and expected outcomes. Monitor overall program health and proactively address delivery risks. Maintain executive dashboards, KPIs, and status reporting. Ensure adherence to program governance and quality standards. Delivery Leadership Drive program execution across multiple workstreams. Keep the implementation on track by identifying issues early and leading corrective actions. Remove organizational roadblocks and facilitate cross-functional collaboration. Hold internal teams, client resources, and implementation partners accountable for commitments. Monitor critical milestones and dependencies across all project phases. Executive Communications Provide concise, executive-level communications regarding program status, accomplishments, risks, financials, and key decisions. Present complex information in a manner that supports informed executive decision-making. Prepare materials for executive leadership meetings and steering committees. Escalate significant risks and issues with recommended mitigation strategies. Partner effectively with the third-party system integrator and client leadership. Foster a collaborative, high-performing environment among all project stakeholders. Manage executive relationships while balancing competing priorities. Ensure alignment across business, IT, manufacturing, and operational leadership. Risk & Financial Management Oversee program budget, forecasts, resource planning, and financial performance. Monitor program risks, assumptions, dependencies, and issue resolution. Lead recovery planning when schedule, scope, or budget variances occur. Ensure program decisions align with strategic business objectives.

Required Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field. 15+ years leading large-scale enterprise technology programs. 10+ years of program leadership for ERP, SAP, MES, manufacturing, or digital transformation initiatives. Experience leading multi-million-dollar technology implementations. Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional programs involving multiple vendors. Strong executive presence with exceptional presentation and communication skills. Experience working directly with C-suite executives and executive steering committees. Proven ability to influence without direct authority. Strong financial acumen, governance expertise, and risk management experience. Experience managing geographically dispersed teams and multi-site deployments.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience leading Manufacturing Execution System (MES) implementations. Experience with SAP manufacturing environments. Knowledge of manufacturing operations and shop floor processes. Experience working within highly regulated or complex manufacturing organizations. Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred. Experience with Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid delivery methodologies. Critical Success Factors Executive credibility and leadership presence. Ability to quickly assess program health and drive corrective action. Strong decision-making and conflict resolution skills. Excellent negotiation and stakeholder management abilities. Strategic thinker with strong operational execution capabilities. Ability to communicate effectively with executives while remaining engaged with delivery teams. Results-oriented with a focus on accountability, transparency, and successful business outcomes.