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.

• 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.

• 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.