IT Manager (m/f/d) - Greenfield Automotive Manufacturing Plant

IT Manager (m/f/d) | CAIP Hungary

CAIP Group is a global Tier 1 automotive supplier for premium interior components — instrument panels, door panels, and decorative trims — for leading European OEMs. As part of our European expansion we are building a new manufacturing facility in Nyíregyháza.

There is no IT landscape here yet. You will build it: infrastructure, core systems, security architecture, and the local IT organization. What you decide in the first year will run the plant for the next decade.

Your first 18 months

• Set up plant IT infrastructure from scratch — network, shopfloor connectivity, server and cloud footprint, end-user environment.
• Bring SAP, MES, and WMS live for start of production, integrated with our group systems and with OEM EDI interfaces.
• Establish the security and governance framework required for TISAX assessment and GDPR compliance.
• Build the local IT team and the external partner network that will support 3-shift operation.

Your ongoing responsibilities

Systems and operations

• Own the plant's core business systems — SAP, MES, APS, WMS, SRM, EDI — and their availability during production hours.
• Run IT infrastructure and asset lifecycle: procurement, deployment, maintenance, upgrades, decommissioning.
• Ensure operational continuity for a plant running around the clock, including a defined on-call and escalation model.

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Cybersecurity and compliance

• Define and enforce IT security policies, access control, and data protection standards.
• Run risk assessments, vulnerability testing, and disaster recovery planning — and test the recovery, not just the plan.
• Maintain TISAX and GDPR compliance and lead incident response with internal and external partners.

Digitalization

• Drive system integration, shopfloor data transparency, and process digitalization in line with the group's Industry 4.0 roadmap.
• Work with Production, Quality, Supply Chain, Engineering, and Finance to turn operational problems into IT solutions — not the other way round.
• Feed IT investment priorities into plant and group planning.

Team and partners

• Build and lead the local IT team; steer external service providers against clear SLAs.

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• Manage vendors, integrators, and contracts with a focus on cost and service quality.
• Represent IT in customer audits, OEM assessments, and internal reviews.

Your profile

• Degree in Computer Science, Business Informatics, Network Engineering, or comparable technical qualification.
• 7+ years in IT management in manufacturing, ideally automotive; experience in a greenfield setup or plant ramp-up is a decisive advantage.
• Hands-on knowledge of SAP and manufacturing systems (MES, WMS, APS, SRM) and of OEM EDI communication.
• Solid grounding in infrastructure, OT/IT security, and automotive compliance requirements — TISAX experience strongly preferred.
• Fluent Hungarian and English. Chinese is a clear advantage in daily work with our headquarters.
• Able to operate in a matrix: you set the local direction while working within group IT standards.

What we offer

• Full ownership of the IT landscape of a new plant — greenfield, not maintenance.
• Direct reporting line to [Plant Manager / Group IT], short decision paths, real budget responsibility.
• Long-term perspective in a fast-growing global Tier 1 organization.
• Competitive package including relocation support