Senior SMART Factory Manager

• 21. sep. 2025
• 3 min læsning

At Arla, they are dedicated to achieving world-class standards in operational excellence anchored and accelerated by digital transformation, and they are now seeking a Senior Smart Factory Manager to join their central operational excellence and digital transformation team.

“ As the Senior Smart Factory Manager, you will lead the development and implementation of the

Smart Factory programme, collaborating with Operational Excellence Teams, IT, Central

Engineering, Factory Automation Colleagues, and lighthouse sites. This role will lead and drive the

Smart Factory Programme defining the strategy, standards, and roadmap to enable a successful

digital transformation programme for our Arla Production Sites and will play a key role in moving

our production capabilities towards our vision of ZERO losses, ONE team and 100%

engagement ”, says David Dons, Head of Operational Excellence and Digital Transformation.

How you will make an impact

Your focus will be on developing a connected and efficient factory environment that empowers

data-driven decision-making. You will lead a dedicated Digitalisation development Team and

directly manage relationships with external service providers to support this development and

achieve the organisations strategic goals.

The role will initially focus on 5 key lighthouse factories to unlock focussed business value and

Return on Investment (ROI) to enable future fast global scaling across many sites enabled by the

right site IT architecture and infrastructure pre-requisite programmes.

Key Responsibilities

• Programme Development & Integration: Design and implement frameworks for digital production teams for scalable solutions.

initiatives using lighthouse pilot sites, ensuring seamless integration with IT and

• Leadership in Digitalisation & Automation: Lead a team in executing the Smart Factory automation strategies and building external partnerships.

strategy, focusing on team engagement and self-development, while representing

• Data Utilisation & Industry 4.0 Integration: Champion real-time data tools for decision- collaborating on IT initiatives like MES and SCADA systems.

making and support the adoption of SMART Factory Industry 4.0 principles,

• Collaborative Engagement & Community Building: Foster a network of experts to share best practices, drive competency development, and ensure integration of global digital use cases.
• Skills Development: Develop training programs to address skills gaps and foster innovation through practical approaches.

What Will Make You Successful

To excel in this role, you should possess a degree in engineering, dairy science, economics, or supply

chain management, along with 7-10 years of relevant experience in manufacturing, leadership, and

operational excellence.

You have a robust understanding of digital transformation within manufacturing settings,

particularly in the food and beverage industry, and are well-versed in automation, robotics, and

emerging technologies.

Your expertise includes

• Strong knowledge of IT/OT networking, IT architecture, and operational technology (OT) solutions.
• Experience with AVEVA SCADA, PLCs, HMI, and industrial networks.
• Familiarity with Industry 4.0 and IIOT technologies.
• Preferred expertise in process control systems engineering and automation, with a solid grasp of machinery safety.
• Fluency in English is required, and you should be able to work from Viby J, Denmark, with an expectation of up to 25% travel.

What Arla offers

At Arla, you will be part of a forward-thinking organization that is committed to pushing the

boundaries of operational excellence. In this role, you will have the opportunity to make a significant

impact by leading critical improvement initiatives across multiple sites and shaping their long-term

operational strategy.

They're committed to professional development and have a positive and collaborative culture.

You will work alongside passionate and skilled colleagues who are dedicated to delivering high-

quality products and driving continuous improvement across all aspects of their operations.

Would you like to join Arla?

If you are ready to take the next step in your career and drive operational excellence at Arla, we

would love to hear from you. Please contact Core Search at +45 7026 0326 or send us an email at [email protected]