Supply Chain & Manufacturing Technology CoE Manager

ROLE:                                Supply Chain & Manufacturing Technology CoE Manager

REPORTING TO:           Head of IT

LOCATION:                      Kilkenny / Hybrid

ABOUT THE ROLE:

Reporting to the Head of IT, you will lead the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for applications across key business domains, including Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality & Compliance. This role is responsible for ensuring strategic alignment, driving operational excellence, and fostering continuous improvement. The Manager will oversee innovation, standardisation, and governance across the application landscape, enabling the organisation to deliver scalable, high-performing, and compliant solutions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute the roadmap for mid-office applications, ensuring alignment with overall business strategy.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify opportunities for digital transformation and process optimisation.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of applications supporting Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality & Compliance, ensuring robust governance, documentation, and change control.
• Manage relationships with strategic partners and external vendors.
• Lead a cross-functional team of analysts, acting as the primary liaison between IT and business functions to drive effective communication and engagement.
• Promote best practices, standardisation, and reuse across platforms, while evaluating emerging technologies and fostering continuous improvement.
• Ensure operational excellence through support, maintenance, and performance monitoring.
• Manage compliance, risk, and incident response in line with internal policies and relevant regulations.
• Support project planning, resource allocation, and delivery of initiatives within scope, time, and budget.
• Provide oversight on solution design and integration.
• Work with stakeholders to ensure technology investments deliver measurable benefits and align with strategic goals.

 ABOUT THE PERSON:

Key Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business Systems, or related field.
• Relevant certifications in SAP, HRIS, or digital platforms desirable.
• 5 years + experience in a similar role, managing enterprise applications in a manufacturing or agri-food environment.
• Strong understanding of mid-office functions and their technology requirements.
• Experience with SAP S4Hana, MES, LIMS, and other relevant platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage vendor relationships.
• Strategic thinker with hands-on technical capability.
• Excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in the agri-food or cooperative sector advantageous.
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks (e.g. ISO, GMP, HACCP), digital transformation programmes, and knowledge of data privacy and compliance frameworks desirable.
• Strong team player with a growth mindset.