IT Manager (Networking, VMware & Storage)

IT MANAGER – Manufacturing Infrastructure (Networking, VMware & Storage) Position Type:

Direct Hire

Location:

Windsor, ON

Position Summary We are seeking a hands‑on IT Manager to lead infrastructure operations across automotive manufacturing facilities. This role is responsible for ensuring

high availability, low‑latency, and resilient IT systems

that directly support production lines, plant floor systems, and global manufacturing operations.

The ideal candidate will bridge traditional enterprise IT with

operational technology (OT) , ensuring seamless integration between infrastructure, MES, and plant systems.

Key Responsibilities Manufacturing Infrastructure Leadership

Lead IT infrastructure strategy and operations across multiple manufacturing plants and datacenters.

Partner with manufacturing, engineering, and operations teams to align IT capabilities with production goals.

Standardize infrastructure across plants to improve scalability, reliability, and supportability.

Design and manage

highly resilient plant networks

(industrial LAN, WAN, SD-WAN).

Support

low‑latency, high‑availability connectivity

for robotics, PLCs, MES, and sequencing systems.

Implement

network segmentation (IT/OT separation)

to enhance security and performance.

Manage firewalls, VPNs, and secure remote access for plant support and vendors.

Ensure redundancy and rapid failover to avoid production disruptions.

Architect and operate VMware environments supporting

plant and enterprise workloads .

Manage ESXi, vCenter, HA/DRS clusters with a focus on

uptime for production‑critical systems .

Implement and maintain

disaster recovery solutions

(SRM, replication) for manufacturing continuity.

Drive virtualization standardization across plants and datacenters.

Storage & Data Management

Design and manage

high‑performance, highly available storage solutions

(SAN, NAS, HCI).

Ensure

real‑time data availability

for MES, production tracking, and analytics systems.

Implement robust

backup, replication, and disaster recovery strategies

aligned with production SLAs.

Optimize storage performance to support high‑throughput manufacturing environments.

Manufacturing Systems Integration

Support and integrate infrastructure with:

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

SCADA and plant floor systems

Ensure real‑time data flow between production systems and enterprise platforms (ERP, analytics).

Partner with application teams to improve system reliability and performance.

Operations & Reliability

Establish proactive monitoring for infrastructure supporting plant operations.

Lead incident response with a focus on

minimizing production impact .

Conduct root cause analysis on outages affecting manufacturing systems.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase uptime and efficiency.

Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity

Design and maintain

fully redundant, DR‑capable environments

for manufacturing systems.

Conduct regular DR testing with plant stakeholders.

Ensure rapid recovery capabilities to meet strict production SLAs.

Lead and develop a team of infrastructure engineers supporting plant and enterprise environments.

Foster a

no‑blame, collaborative culture

across IT and manufacturing teams.

Coordinate support across multiple sites and time zones.

Security & Compliance (IT/OT)

Implement cybersecurity best practices across IT and OT environments.

Ensure segmentation, patching, and vulnerability management for plant systems.

Support compliance with automotive and manufacturing standards.

Qualifications Required

Bachelor’s degree in IT, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent experience).

7+ years of infrastructure experience, with leadership responsibility.

Strong expertise in:

Industrial and enterprise networking

VMware (ESXi, vCenter, HA/DRS)

Storage (SAN/NAS, backup, replication)

Experience supporting

manufacturing or plant environments .

Preferred

Experience with MES, SCADA, or plant automation systems.

Knowledge of

OT networking and industrial protocols .

Experience with hybrid cloud and edge computing in manufacturing.

Certifications

VMware (VCP/VCAP)

Deep understanding of

production‑critical environments

Ability to operate under

high‑pressure, uptime‑driven conditions

Strong cross‑functional leadership (IT + Operations + Engineering)

Strategic mindset with hands‑on execution

Focus on

standardization, resiliency, and scalability

Success Metrics

Production system uptime (targeting 99.99%+ for critical systems)

Reduction in plant‑related IT incidents and downtime

Mean time to recovery (MTTR) for production‑impacting issues

Successful DR test execution and recovery times

Standardization and scalability across manufacturing sites

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