IT Applications Manager

Job Description – IT Applications Manager

FSLA Status: Exempt

Location: Lordstown, OH

Reports To: IT Director

Direct Reports: IT Specialists 

Primary Function: The IT Applications Manager provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the organization’s enterprise applications portfolio and technology solutions. This role holds end-to-end accountability for the architecture, deployment, maintenance, and continuous enhancement of core commercial software systems, with a dedicated focus on SAP, MES, and ERP platforms. Managing both internal engineering talent and strategic vendor partnerships, the Manager drives technical development and collaborates cross-functionally with business units to deliver high-impact solutions aligned with corporate goals.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership and guidance to the cross-functional SAP, MES, PLM, and Application Development teams at Foxconn, Ohio.
• Manage, mentor, and develop a team of technical professionals, balancing structured team management with a strong interest in staying hands-on with technology.
• Formulate comprehensive competency and scaling plans to support the long-term expansion and evolution of the SAP and MES ecosystems.
• Oversee and delegate critical milestones across core platform implementations, ensuring resource optimization and high team productivity.
• Act as the primary IT liaison, facilitating clear and proactive communication between business users, key stakeholders, and project execution teams.
• Partner with cross-functional business leaders to analyze requirements, identify operational needs, and deliver tailored enterprise IT solutions.
• Collaborate with business and IT stakeholders to prioritize, plan, and schedule application development pipelines and system enhancement requests.
• Deliver comprehensive project status reports and executive-level insight presentations to various tiers of management.
• Drive stakeholder satisfaction by delivering stable, quality applications backed by rigorous, planned organizational change management.
• Lead large-scale IT projects, driving the end-to-end design, deployment, and adoption of new systems and enterprise architecture.
• Establish and execute project delivery frameworks to ensure successful, on-time implementations and robust system maintenance.
• Partner with leadership across disciplines to guarantee that proposed application solutions seamlessly align with information, infrastructure, business, and cybersecurity architectures.
• Maintain end-to-end accountability for the availability and performance of the enterprise applications portfolio, managing the full Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) and custom application lifecycles.
• Own the incident, problem, and release management processes to ensure operational continuity and minimal business disruption.
• Monitor IT system performance to continuously analyze cost-versus-productivity levels and deliver data-driven recommendations for applications and infrastructure improvements.
• Evaluate external vendors and consultants, establish strategic partnerships, and develop robust testing methodologies for new hardware and software procurement.
• Enforce technical governance and standard adherence by conducting thorough code reviews and technical specification audits.
• Foster a culture of continuous innovation, bringing a strong passion for experimenting with emerging technologies to drive business value.
• An interest in staying hands-on technical as well as wearing that team management hat.

Required Education

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Industry standard technical certifications or equivalent field experience may substitute.

Required Experience

• 7+ years of relevant work experience. 
• Expertise in business process analysis, requirements gathering, solution design and development, vendor management, SAP, Manufacturing Execution System (MES), enterprise applications support (ERP), and a strong business understanding.
• Experience in a management or supervisory role on an applications delivery team
• Experience leading and managing large IT projects and rolling out IT systems across various technologies.

Required Competencies

• Communicates Effectively - Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Develops Talent - Developing people to meet both their career goals and the organization’s goals.
• Ensures Accountability - Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Plans & Aligns - Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
• Optimizes Work Processes - Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.

 Requires Skills/Licenses/Certifications

• Automotive manufacturing experience is a plus.
• Excellent project management skills and strong ability to prioritize.
• Proven ability to assess business needs and translate them into relevant solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Able to communicate well, verbally and in writing, and have strong reading comprehension and listening skills. 
• Strong critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Safety

Must embrace Safety as a personal best practice by adhering to all safe work practices and following all applicable rules and regulations. 100% participation in Safety training activities is required.