DigITal Product Owner - MES

Introduction: A Career at HARMAN Automotive

We’re a global, multi-disciplinary team that’s putting the innovative power of technology to work and transforming tomorrow. At HARMAN Automotive, we give you the keys to fast-track your career.

- Engineer audio systems and integrated technology platforms that augment the driving experience

- Combine ingenuity, in-depth research, and a spirit of collaboration with design and engineering excellence

- Advance in-vehicle infotainment, safety, efficiency, and enjoyment

What You’ll Be Part Of

Join the DigITal Automotive Manufacturing team to shape and drive the next generation of Manufacturing Execution Systems across HARMAN Automotive. In this role, you will own the product direction for MES and guide the transformation from the current MES landscape to a new, future-ready MES platform that supports standardized, traceable, and efficient manufacturing execution across global plants. As the DigITal Product Owner - MES, you will define the MES product vision, roadmap, priorities, and milestones in close alignment with business stakeholders, manufacturing engineering, operations, IT architects, project managers, and regional execution teams. You will translate business strategy and plant needs into executable product capabilities, ensuring that the MES roadmap creates measurable business value while remaining technically feasible, scalable, secure, and supportable.

This role requires strong MES expertise, a solid technical background, and the ability to connect business requirements with end-to-end digital manufacturing architecture. You will act as the key bridge between manufacturing stakeholders and IT delivery teams, helping HARMAN move from fragmented, legacy, or locally customized solutions toward a more standardized and globally scalable MES capability.

How You’ll Make An Impact

- Act as the global product owner for MES within the DigITal Automotive Manufacturing team.
- Define and maintain the MES product vision, roadmap, priorities, and capability lifecycle.
- Drive the transformation from the current MES landscape to a new global MES platform.
- Translate business goals, manufacturing requirements, and plant needs into actionable product capabilities, epics, user stories, and priorities.
- Align closely with manufacturing stakeholders, plant representatives, AME, operations, quality, IT architects, service delivery teams, and project managers.
- Own and continuously refine the MES product backlog, ensuring that priorities are clear, value-driven, and aligned with the global roadmap.
- Plan and track key milestones for MES transformation, rollout, migration, capability delivery, and adoption.
- Drive global execution together with project managers, regional leads, architects, implementation partners, and internal delivery teams.
- Balance global standardization with justified local plant requirements, ensuring scalable and maintainable solutions.
- Work with IT architects to ensure that MES capabilities fit into the broader Digital Manufacturing architecture, including ERP, PLM, shopfloor systems, equipment integration, data platforms, reporting, and analytics.
- Support decision-making on MES scope, technical dependencies, integration complexity, risks, sequencing, and implementation trade-offs.
- Ensure that MES solutions support traceability, production execution, quality control, routing, genealogy, equipment integration, production reporting, and shopfloor process governance.
- Partner with business and technical teams to define measurable value, including productivity, quality, traceability, standardization, operational efficiency, and reduction of manual or fragmented processes.
- Prepare and present roadmap updates, decision proposals, risks, and status summaries to leadership and key stakeholders.
- Support global rollout readiness by helping define deployment approach, migration priorities, adoption needs, training considerations, and change-management impacts.
- Collaborate with service delivery and support teams to ensure that new MES capabilities are sustainable after go-live.
- Monitor market and technology trends related to MES, smart manufacturing, digital thread, shopfloor integration, and Industry 4.0.

What Makes You A Strong Fit

- Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing, Business Informatics, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
- Strong experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems in a global, multi-site manufacturing environment.
- Deep understanding of MES capabilities such as production execution, routing, work order execution, product genealogy, traceability, in-process quality control, equipment integration, exception handling, production reporting, and shopfloor inventory control.
- Solid understanding of manufacturing processes and the role of MES in connecting business processes, shopfloor operations, and enterprise systems.
- Experience with transformation programs, system replacement, migration planning, or global platform rollout.
- Experience defining product roadmaps, prioritizing requirements, managing backlogs, and translating business needs into executable delivery plans.
- Proven ability to align with business stakeholders, IT architects, project managers, implementation teams, and operational support teams.
- Strong technical understanding of system integrations, data flows, enterprise application landscapes, and shopfloor connectivity.
- Experience working with ERP, PLM, automation systems, equipment interfaces, reporting, analytics, or data platforms connected to MES.
- Ability to drive global execution across multiple plants, regions, teams, and stakeholders.
- Strong capability to structure complex topics, make trade-offs transparent, and support decision-making with clear recommendations.
- Global mindset and ability to work effectively in a multi-location, multicultural team environment.
- Structured, proactive, and persistent problem-solving mindset.
- Strong communication and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate with both technical experts and senior business stakeholders.
- Excellent English language skills.
- We see AI as an important part of how work gets done. While tools may vary, a baseline familiarity with using AI to support efficiency, problem-solving, and quality is expected.

Bonus Points If You Have

- Experience with SAP ME, SAP MII, SAP Digital Manufacturing, Critical Manufacturing, Siemens Opcenter, or other enterprise MES platforms.
- Experience in automotive, electronics, or high-volume discrete manufacturing.
- Experience with MES modernization, legacy MES replacement, or standardization of customized manufacturing applications.
- Knowledge of Industry 4.0 concepts, digital thread, smart factory, IIoT, edge integration, and manufacturing analytics.
- Familiarity with integration technologies and protocols such as REST APIs, OPC-UA, MQTT, Kafka, RabbitMQ, databases, and message-based architectures.
- Experience with cloud, containerized platforms, high availability concepts, cybersecurity, and enterprise architecture governance.
- Experience working with external vendors, implementation partners, and managed service providers.
- Experience defining KPIs and business value measures for manufacturing digitalization initiatives.

Things To Know

- Be willing to travel up to 10%, including domestic and international travel.
- Be willing to work in a hybrid office setup.

What You Can Expect

- A hybrid work environment that balances flexibility with in-person collaboration, with most office-based roles onsite three days a week.
- Access to employee discounts on world-class HARMAN and Samsung products (JBL, Harman Kardon, AKG and others).
- Learning and development opportunities through our award-winning HARMAN University programs
- An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development
- Work on best-in-class emerging technologies and an atmosphere that motivates you to give your best.

#LI-Hybrid

#LI-AJ1

Pay Transparency
The above represents the annual gross base salary range for this role.
Variable compensation and allowances: Dependent on the position offered, other forms of compensation may also be available, such as quarterly or annual bonus pay, commission payments, long term incentive compensation, or certain allowances. Further details will be made available as part of the recruitment process.
How we set pay: The pay posted is a reasonable estimate of the wage range anticipated for this position. Pay is determined using objective, job-related criteria such as relevant experience, skills, role scope/responsibilities, and location-based market factors (where applicable). In appropriate circumstances, based on objective, job-related factors, the final determination on pay may deviate from the posted range.
Pay history: Please do not include current or past pay information in your application. We do not request pay history as part of our recruitment process.
Benefits: HARMAN is interested in supporting the health and wellbeing of employees and offers a range of benefits. Offerings vary by country and employment arrangement and reflect a combination of statutory requirements and company-provided programs. These may include paid time off and holidays, sick and family leave, as well as health and wellbeing support and retirement or savings plans where applicable, along with other locally relevant benefits. Further details will be made available as part of the recruitment process.

About HARMAN: Where Innovation Unleashes Next-Level Technology Ever since the 1920s, we’ve been amplifying the sense of sound. Today, that legacy endures, with integrated technology platforms that make the world smarter, safer, and more connected.
Across automotive, lifestyle, and digital transformation solutions, we create innovative technologies that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary experiences. Our renowned automotive and lifestyle solutions can be found everywhere, from the music we play in our cars and homes to venues that feature today’s most sought-after performers, while our digital transformation solutions serve humanity by addressing the world’s ever-evolving needs and demands. Marketing our award-winning portfolio under 16 iconic brands, such as JBL, Mark Levinson, and Revel, we set ourselves apart by exceeding the highest engineering and design standards for our customers, our partners and each other.
If you’re ready to innovate and do work that makes a lasting impact, join our talent community today! (https://harmanglobal.avature.net/talentcommunity)

Important Notice: Recruitment Scams
Please be aware that HARMAN recruiters will always communicate with you from an '@harman.com', ‘@careers.harman.com’ or ‘@harmanglobal.avature.net’ email address. We will never ask for payments, banking, credit card, personal financial information or access to your LinkedIn/email account during the screening, interview, or recruitment process. If you are asked for such information or receive communication from an email address not ending in one of the above email domains about a job with HARMAN, please cease communication immediately and report the incident to us through: [email protected]. (mailto:[email protected])
You Belong Here HARMAN is committed to making every employee feel welcomed, valued, and empowered. No matter what role you play, we encourage you to share your ideas, voice your distinct perspective, and bring your whole self with you – all within a support-minded culture that celebrates what makes each of us unique. We also recognize that learning is a lifelong pursuit and want you to flourish. We proudly offer added opportunities for training, development, and continuing education, further empowering you to live the career you want.
HARMAN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. HARMAN strives to hire the best qualified candidates and is committed to building a workforce representative of the diverse marketplaces and communities of our global colleagues and customers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. HARMAN attracts, hires, and develops employees based on merit, qualifications and job-related performance.(www.harman.com (https://www.harman.com))
HARMAN is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process, please contact us at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]). Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable law.