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Director of Operational Technology

Location:3200 Fruit Ridge Ave, Walker, MI 49544

Who We Are:
Challenge Manufacturing’s mission is to manufacture with operational excellence by empowering our employee-owners. As a leading tier 1 supplier of complex metal assemblies for the global automotive industry, we drive innovative solutions for future mobility. We believe the best ideas come from individual unique perspectives. These ideas combined with the teamwork of industry leaders allow us to accomplish any challenge. Our team members take pride in the work we do and embody our core values of safety, ownership, and teamwork every day; they are the true driving force in our operations.

Challenge is proud to be one of the largest employee-owned automotive companies in North America. One of the many benefits of joining the Challenge team is the ESOP program. This program allows Challenge to give shares of the Company to all employee-owners annually. These shares are an additional retirement benefit that will continue to grow during your time at Challenge. Being part of an ESOP means our employee-owners share in Challenge’s success!

Challenge is #QualityDriven and #PeoplePowered!

Who We Want:
A strategic and innovative OT leader to define and execute our enterprise-wide operational technology strategy across multiple automotive plants. This individual will spearhead Industry 4.0 initiatives—integrating advanced automation, IIoT, robotics, digital twins, and predictive analytics—to drive production efficiency, quality, and safety. They will oversee cross-functional OT teams, ensure secure, resilient, and scalable OT infrastructure, and support new vehicle program launches and high-volume production schedules. Acting as the OT thought leader, this role represents OT at the executive table and shapes our smart-factory future.

What You'll Do:

  • Develop and implement a multi-year OT strategy aligned with corporate objectives and Industry 4.0 roadmaps.
  • Lead multi-site OT teams: Automation & Robotics, Smart Manufacturing, Analytics & IIoT, Field Support, and Infrastructure & Cybersecurity.
  • Oversee deployment, integration, and optimization of MES, SCADA, HMI, robotics, IIoT, AI/ML, and predictive maintenance solutions.
  • Ensure compliance with OT cybersecurity, safety, and automotive quality standards (IATF 16949, ISO/SAE 21434, IEC 62443).
  • Partner with IT to enable secure OT/IT convergence, real-time data availability, and cloud/edge integration.
  • Establish, monitor, and report OT KPIs including uptime, production efficiency, quality metrics, and incident response.
  • Drive continuous improvement using data analytics, root-cause analysis, and lean manufacturing principles.
  • Support new vehicle program launches and plant expansions with OT system readiness.
  • Evaluate and pilot emerging technologies (AI, robotics, digital twins, AR/VR, smart sensors) and recommend adoption.
  • Manage OT budgets, resource allocation, and vendor relationships across sites.
  • Ensure OT systems are scalable, standardized, and adaptable for future production growth.
  • Represent OT in executive leadership meetings and strategic planning sessions.
  • Mentor and develop OT leadership and technical teams; build a pipeline of talent.
  • Maintain OT documentation, SOPs, risk registers, and disaster-recovery plans.
  • Lead initiatives to reduce operational risk, improve quality and efficiency, and support sustainability goals (energy monitoring, waste reduction).
  • Champion change management to successfully roll out smart-factory technologies across plants

When and Where:
This position is located at our Corporate Office in Walker, MI.

Occasionally, this may require you to arrive early, stay late, or work on weekends, outside of our regular hours, to ensure we successfully meet customer needs, deadlines, or urgent requests.

What You Need to Have:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial, or Computer Engineering or Technology Management
  • Master’s degree in Engineering, Technology Management, or an MBA
  • 10+ years of progressive OT leadership experience in automotive or high-volume manufacturing
  • Proven track record of Industry 4.0 and smart-factory implementations
  • Deep expertise in MES, SCADA, PLCs, robotics, IIoT, AI/ML, and digital twins
  • OT cybersecurity knowledge (ISO/SAE 21434, IEC 62443)
  • Multi-site leadership experience managing diverse OT teams.
  • Clear written and verbal communication skills with a customer-focused mindset
  • Strong troubleshooting, diagnostic, and documentation skills
  • Demonstrated ability to own initiatives, follow through, and deliver results
  • Project/program management certifications (PMP, PgMP)
  • Hands-on AI/ML deployment experience in manufacturing environments
  • Deep knowledge of automotive quality standards (IATF 16949, ISO 9001) and launch readiness
  • Global or multi-plant OT operations experience, including vendor and partner management
  • Strong leadership, strategic thinking, and change-management skills
  • Familiarity with access-control systems, surveillance technologies, and integrated physical security in plant settings

What We Offer:
We’re excited to offer a range of awesome benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a Health Savings Account with annual employer contributions, Flexible Spending Accounts, company-paid Short-Term Disability and Basic Life Insurance, Voluntary Life and Long-Term Disability options, an Employer 401k Match, ESOP shares, tuition reimbursement, a Referral Bonus Program, Challenge Incentive Program, and paid time off.

Please note, while these benefits are part of what we offer, they may not all apply to this specific role. The details shared in this job description are intended to give you a general idea, but duties and responsibilities may evolve over time, with or without notice. And of course, we’re happy to provide reasonable accommodations to help individuals with disabilities succeed in their role.