Danone Specialized Nutrition is launching a major greenfield investment to build our next‑generation liquid nutrition facility, incorporating advanced high‑hygiene, aseptic, and state‑of‑the‑art filling and packaging technologies.

The IT/OT Lead – Automation is a key technical role responsible for delivering all automation, control systems, and IT/OT convergence for Danone’s new greenfield manufacturing facility. This role ensures that PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, MES interfaces, historian layers, and industrial networks are designed, installed, integrated, commissioned, validated, and handed over successfully.

You will act as the single point of accountability for automation and industrial OT systems throughout project execution—working closely with EPCM teams, OEM suppliers, Global IT/OT, and site Engineering. The role ensures the new plant’s automation architecture is cyber‑secure, compliant, robust, and scalable, enabling efficient start‑up and future digitalization.

This position offers a unique opportunity to shape the digital backbone of a flagship new manufacturing site. It is essential in ensuring all automation solutions meet Danone’s expectations for safety, reliability, quality, and operational excellence, supporting the plant’s journey into Industry 4.0.

As part of the plant project team, you will play an important role in technical execution, commissioning readiness, documentation, and troubleshooting during start‑up. This role provides an excellent pathway for internal development into broader engineering, IT/OT or operations leadership positions within Danone.

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

1. IT/OT Strategy & Architecture

• Define the IT/OT architecture for the greenfield facility, ensuring alignment with Danone Global IT/OT Standards.
• Lead network segmentation design (IT, OT, DMZ), cybersecurity architecture, and integration points for MES/SCADA, PLCs, HMIs, and business systems.
• Ensure infrastructure readiness (LAN/WAN/WiFi, switches, firewalls, servers, storage, UPS, device security).

2. Project Execution

• Own the end‑to‑end delivery of all IT/OT scope, including design reviews, installation planning, FAT/SAT, commissioning, testing, and cut‑over activities.
• Lead integration between EPCM partners, automation vendors, MES suppliers, IT teams, and Operations.
• Monitor installation quality, compliance, network performance, and system reliability.

3. Operational Technology (OT) Enablement

• Oversee OT systems including SCADA, historians, PLC/HMI networks, alarm management, and industrial cyber‑security controls.
• Ensure OT connectivity and data layers enable MES, traceability, OEE, electronic batch records, and digital quality systems.

4. IT Enablement

• Lead deployment of site IT systems (computers, servers, domain integration, identity management, endpoint protection, printing, backups).
• Own IT readiness for plant start‑up including user access, asset management, profiles, and hardware commissioning.

5. Cybersecurity & Compliance

• Implement and enforce Danone cyber‑security standards (firewalls, segmentation, patching, antivirus, backups).
• Ensure compliance with global governance, cybersecurity assessments, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain documentation and audit readiness for all IT/OT systems.

6. User Support & Training (Start‑Up Phase)

• Support user acceptance testing, troubleshooting, and system stabilization during commissioning and ramp‑up.
• Train key users on new systems, digital workflows, and OT system interaction.
• Support troubleshooting of MES/SCADA/automation integration.

7. Documentation & Governance

• Ensure all system documentation (network diagrams, architecture, user guides, change logs, validation files) is fully up to date.
• Maintain a complete IT/OT asset register for handover.

8. Continuous Improvement

• Identify digital opportunities for efficiency, automation, predictive maintenance, and data analytics.
• Drive improvement initiatives during commissioning and post‑start‑up.

Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering, Automation/Control Engineering, Electronic/Network Engineering, or related field.

• 5+ years in IT/OT, or automation roles within industrial, FMCG, dairy, pharma, or food manufacturing.

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  Proven experience delivering IT/OT scope in capital projects or greenfield/brownfield environments.

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  Experience with MES/SCADA, PLCs, HMIs, networks (LAN/WAN/WiFi), cybersecurity, and industrial automation connectivity.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

Interpersonal

• Strong cross‑functional collaboration

•  Clear communication with technical and non‑technical stakeholders

• Ability to influence decisions in a matrix environment

• High resilience and adaptability in a fast‑paced project delivery environment

• Strong relationship‑building and vendor‑management skills

Technical

• Strong understanding of IT/OT integration, automation, network architecture, cybersecurity, industrial protocols (EtherNet/IP, Modbus, OPC‑UA), and virtual/physical server environments.

• Experience delivering FAT/SAT, commissioning, and validation

• Network infrastructure knowledge, LAN, Wi-Fi and working on Cisco, Fortinet, HP, Rockwell, SCADA, PLC, HMI’s and Stratix.

• Knowledge of GMP, data integrity, and digital validation concepts preferred.

Danone is a large, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company with market leading brands across four divisions: Essential Dairy and Plant Based Products, Waters, Specialised Nutrition and Medical Nutrition. Specialised Nutrition offers nutritional solutions with the shared goal of improving the health and well-being of vulnerable individuals, from the first day of pregnancy into old age. We are looking for high calibre, dedicated and experienced personnel to complement our existing workforce.

At Danone we are passionate in our commitment to sustainability with the belief in building a healthier future through food. Our eating and drinking choices have an impact on our own health, the health of our society and the health of our planet. 

Ensuring an inclusive working culture that is accessible to all is important to us. Danone Infant Nutrition Macroom is an Equal Opportunities Employer. 

Please note, owing to the high volume of applications we receive, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.