IT Head - Manufacturing/FMCG/Food Ingredients/Flavours/Fragrance Industry

Key Responsibilities:
IT Strategy & Leadership
- Develop and execute a 3-5-year IT roadmap aligned with business goals (manufacturing efficiency, traceability, customer responsiveness).
- Lead and mentor a small IT team; manage external vendors and service providers.
- Drive digital transformation initiatives such as automation, cloud adoption, and data analytics and AI adoption.
Infrastructure & Systems Management
- Oversee all core IT infrastructure: networks, servers, cloud services, end-user devices, backup systems.
- Ensure high availability of critical systems supporting production, R&D, and commercial teams.
- Manage ERP ensuring smooth integration with production, QA, and supply chain workflows.
- Oversee implementation and maintenance and other specialized flavour industry tools.
Data Governance & Analytics

- Define data standards, master data governance, and data quality processes.
- Enable dashboards and analytics for Sales, Operations, Finance, and R&D.
- Ensure secure and compliant data storage, retention, and retrieval.
Vendor & Budget Management
- Manage IT budgets, procurement, and cost optimization.
- Evaluate and negotiate with technology vendors, consultants, and service partners.
- Ensure SLAs are met for uptime, support, and project delivery.
Qualifications & Experience:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.
- 15 years of IT experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
- Experience in manufacturing, FMCG, food ingredients, or flavours/fragrance industry preferred.
- Strong understanding of ERP systems, cybersecurity frameworks, and cloud technologies.
- Proven track record of leading digital transformation in mid-sized organizations.
Key Competencies:
- Strategic thinking with hands-on execution capability.
- Strong stakeholder management across Operations, R&D, QA, Sales, and Finance.
- Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
- High integrity, reliability, and commitment to data security.
Success Indicators (KPIs)
- ERP uptime and user adoption.
- Reduction in IT incidents and resolution time.
- Cybersecurity posture (audit scores, incident prevention).
- On-time delivery of digital transformation projects.
- Cost optimization and vendor performance.
- Improved data accuracy and reporting quality.