Operations Technology Specialist

** Enjoy a career, packaged with care, whilst helping protect food, people and the planet
** We are a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions. We’re on a mission to make all packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable. Every day, we ensure the hygiene and safety of food and drink for people around the world. We are Huhtamaki.

You could be part of our vision. Because it’s our talented people that make it happen. Our people on the shop floor producing innovative, sustainable products. Our people in our offices delivering excellence for our customers every day. It’s every one of us working together.
** Operational Technology Specialist
**** Your opportunity
** Huhtamaki are currently looking for a Manufacturing Operational Technology (OT) Specialist to join our Food service segment in Europe.
As an OT Specialist, you would serve as the technical lead bridging Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) across our manufacturing plants.

This role focuses on the design, integration, and optimization of MES, SCADA, PLC, and related automation systems. The primary responsibility is to ensure that equipment, sensors, and software systems work seamlessly together to enable real-time visibility, data integrity, and efficient manufacturing operations.
** Where you’ll be
** You will be located at one of our Food service sites in Europe, ideally at our
** Nules site in Spain**, or one of our
** UK and Ireland sites in Gosport, Belfast or Blackburn.
**** What you’ll be doing
**** Systems Architecture & Integration
*** Lead the design, integration, and continuous improvement of MES, SCADA, and PLC systems across the manufacturing environment.
* Ensure the reliable flow of real-time data between equipment, controls, MES, SCADA, historians, and ERP.
* Serve as the plant’s subject matter expert for IT/OT convergence, industrial networking, and data model alignment (ISA-95 or similar).
** Digitalization & Automation Leadership
*** Drive plant digitalization initiatives, including automation upgrades, MES enhancements, sensor deployments, and data visibility tools.
* Provide technical leadership for capital projects involving controls, MES upgrades, or new production technologies.
* Evaluate new technologies and recommend adoption pathways for the plant’s automation roadmap.
** MES / SCADA Engineering
*** Develop, configure, and implement new MES functionalities, workflows, dashboards, and integrations.
* Guide SCADA and MES improvements aligned with corporate standards and operational needs.
* Collaborate with system integrators and corporate engineering to implement new software platforms or system enhancements.
** Controls & OT Systems Engineering
*** Provide engineering-level support for PLC logic review, HMI design updates, and control system design decisions.
* Support the development and review of control strategies for new equipment and processes.
* Oversee modifications to control systems, ensuring safety, compliance, and engineering rigor.
** Cybersecurity & Compliance
*** Ensure all OT systems follow cybersecurity policies, patching strategies, user access controls, and network segmentation.
* Partner with IT security to safeguard plant control systems, including PLCs, SCADA servers, and MES infrastructure.
* Maintain compliance with industry standards, regulatory requirements, and internal policies.
** Cross-Functional Collaboration
*** Serve as the technical liaison between maintenance, IT, corporate engineering, system integrators, and plant operations.
* Provide engineering guidance—not routine troubleshooting—to ensure long-term stability of OT systems.
* Translate operational goals into system requirements and implement solutions collaboratively.
** Documentation & Governance
*** Oversee the creation and maintenance of technical documentation, system architecture diagrams, and change management records.
* Establish best practices, standards, and governance models for OT systems and integrations.
* Provide targeted training to maintenance/operations teams when new technologies or processes are introduced.
** What you’ll bring to the role
*** A Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Automation, Industrial…