Smart Manufacturing & AI Transformation Director

CPS (Commercial Products Supply) manufactures concentrates and beverage bases for bottling partners around the world and operates a global network of 19 manufacturing plants. This role is based at one of the most technologically advanced concentrate plants.

We are seeking a Director Lighthouse Project in Liberia to drive next‑generation transformation within the Lighthouse plant. The role leads initiatives focused on Industry 4.0 and 5.0, advanced analytics, artificial intelligence, and agentic AI, enabling predictive, prescriptive, and autonomous decision‑making across operations.

This critical position ensures that digital and AI‑driven transformation initiatives are delivered on time and on budget through strong project management, rapid experimentation (MVPs), and effective stakeholder engagement. Acting as a key liaison between AI and analytics stakeholders, the Digitization Center of Excellence, plant teams, vendors, and external partners, the role also identifies and scales transformational, data‑ and AI‑enabled opportunities to drive productivity, efficiency, and decision‑quality improvements across the Lighthouse plant and the CPS Americas network, aligned with CPS strategy and long‑term value creation goals.

If you are passionate about digital transformation, AI, and shaping the future of manufacturing in a world‑class environment, we would love to talk to you.

What you will do for us:

• Lead the Digital & AI transformation of the Lighthouse plant, implementing advanced analytics, AI, and agentic AI solutions aligned with CPS strategy and delivering measurable business impact.

• Ensure on‑time and on‑budget delivery of digital initiatives through strong project management, agile ways of working, MVPs, and effective risk management to support productivity and sustainable OPEX reductions.

• Identify, prioritize, and scale high‑value data and AI use cases, developing business cases and implementation roadmaps to enable full deployment.

• Apply advanced, data‑driven problem solving to address complex operational challenges and drive improvements in productivity, efficiency, and capacity.

• Integrate AI and analytics into Operational Excellence practices (Lean, Visual Management, SPC, DMAIC) and embed digital solutions into daily operations and decision‑making.

• Ensure strong data, technology, and governance foundations, including data quality, systems integration (SAP, MES, IoT), cybersecurity, and compliance with corporate standards.

• Define, track, and communicate value realization using clear KPIs such as OPEX reduction, OEE, quality performance, and schedule adherence.

• Collaborate and influence across all levels of the organization and with external partners (Digitization COE, vendors, consultants), translating complex technical topics into business impact.

• Build local digital, analytics, and AI capabilities, fostering a culture of data‑driven decision‑making and reducing dependency on external resources.

• Drive innovation and benchmarking, ensuring the Lighthouse remains at the forefront of Industry 4.0/5.0 best practices and emerging technologies.

• Lead reporting, dashboards, and insights to support informed decision‑making and progress tracking.

• Ensure compliance with Food Safety, Integrated Management Systems, Corporate Standards, data governance, cybersecurity, and responsible AI requirements.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Data Science, Computer Science, Industrial or Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.

• Master’s or postgraduate degree in Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Engineering Management, Operations, or similar is a plus.

• 7–10 years of experience in manufacturing, industrial operations, digital transformation, advanced analytics, or engineering‑based roles.

• 3–5 years of proven experience leading teams and/or managing complex, cross‑functional transformation projects.

• Fluent Spanish and advanced English required.

• Demonstrated success delivering complex digital, analytics, or AI‑driven transformation initiatives in industrial or manufacturing environments.

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with hands‑on experience applying data‑driven and advanced analytics solutions to operational challenges.

• Proven ability to translate business needs into scalable digital, automation, or AI solutions that deliver measurable value.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder‑management skills, including experience influencing senior leadership and diverse cross‑functional teams.

• Customer‑focused, collaborative mindset with the ability to build strong partnerships across the organization and with external partners.

• Results‑oriented, adaptable, and driven by continuous improvement with a strong focus on execution and value delivery.

• Experience working with global Centers of Excellence, consultants, system integrators, or technology partners is highly desirable.

• Experience enabling adoption of analytics and AI capabilities at the plant or business level is preferred.