Director, IT - Manufacturing & Quality

Company Description

Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. is an industry-leading innovation company focused on creating smarter, safer and more beautiful homes and improving lives. Our driving purpose is that we elevate every life by transforming spaces into havens. We believe our work and our brands can have incredibly positive impacts for not just our business and shareholders, but for people and the planet, too. When you join Fortune Brands, you become part of a high-performing team who are empowered to think big, learn fast and make bold decisions. We support an inclusive and diverse culture where everyone is encouraged and empowered to be their authentic selves, and where our differences and unique perspectives are a key strength. Explore life at Fortune Brands here

Job Description

Job is Hybrid in the Deerfield, IL Office. 

The Business Technology Leader / Director - Manufacturing & Quality is a strategic IT partner responsible for transforming manufacturing processes using ERP applications and also digital transformation using Agentic AI, Industry 4.0, and Smart factory solutions across both discrete and process manufacturing operations globally across the organization.

The leader will work closely with business and IT stakeholders to reimagine production workflows, elevate product quality, and enhance operational resilience.

This role focuses on building next-generation manufacturing and quality capabilities and practices using cloud based ERP solutions, Industry 4.0 technologies, smart factory systems, and agentic AI.

Key Responsibilities:

Business & IT Collaboration:

• Collaborate with manufacturing and quality leadership team member and act as a trusted technology advisor.
• Own the business-IT relationship for global manufacturing and quality organizations.
• Own system enablement of end-to-end business processes in line with industry leading practices.
• Collaborate with IT and come up with pragmatic IT solutions to meet the strategic objectives and address operational challenges through strong cross-functional collaboration.

Digital Transformation & Innovation:

• Develop Technology strategy and 3 Yr. roadmaps for Mfg and Quality, aligned with business strategy, impact and value.
• In close collaboration with key manufacturing and IT stakeholders, execute and own IT enabled transformation for manufacturing and quality processes and capabilities in line with enterprise Supply Chain and manufacturing goals and broader Supply Chain IT strategy.
• Execute and own transformational initiative to digitize and optimize end-to-end manufacturing quality processes and capabilities using cloud based ERP (SAP, Oracle), MES, IIoT, digital twins, predictive maintenance, agentic AI, and smart factory technology solutions tailored for both discrete and process manufacturing environments.

Change Management & Project Delivery:

• Own change management and project management for IT enabled transformational and continuous improvement initiatives for Manufacturing and Quality.
•  Drive effective implementation of IT-enabled change, using structured project management and change management methodologies to ensure user adoption, process integration, and sustained business value.
• Deliver key transformational initiatives in the agreed upon time and budget.
• Own the initiatives for business to realizes the value from these transformation initiatives. Drive user adoption and refine business operating system.
• Define, measure, and own key metrics and work with Manufacturing and quality organization and enable organization to realize the improvement in performance and value through these key metrics.

Continuous Improvement and compliance:

• Collaborate with business and IT and drive continuous improvements.
• Evaluate and prioritize business IT requests based on strategic impact, ROI, and operational urgency. Facilitate demand governance processes to manage IT capacity and resource alignment.
• Ensure regulatory requirements across diverse manufacturing models.
• Champion the use of real-time data, KPIs, and analytics to improve yield, reduce variability, increase throughput, and ensure consistent quality in both batch and discrete production environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Industrial Technology, or related field. (Master’s preferred)
• Deep understanding of both discrete (e.g., assembly, machining) and process (e.g., chemical, food, pharma) manufacturing processes.
• Deep expertise and 10+ years of experience in successfully transf