01Expertise / By Discipline
MES Implementation→
End-to-end MES deployment leadership
Industry 4.0→
Smart factory and connected manufacturing
02Our Focus

MES, Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing leadership. We recruit across every major platform and vertical.

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MESSMART MANUFACTURINGINDUSTRY 4.0
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01Expertise / By Client Type
Software Vendors→
MES, MOM, and industrial software companies scaling GTM and delivery teams
System Integrators→
MES integration firms and automation consultancies building delivery capacity
Manufacturers→
Discrete, process, pharma, and F&B manufacturers hiring for digital transformation
02Industries / By Sector
Pharma & Life Sciences→
Regulated MES, serialisation, batch record
Aerospace & Defence→
MRO, compliance-driven production
Food & Beverage→
Process MES, traceability, OEE
Industrial Manufacturing→
Discrete and hybrid production
Automotive & EV→
Legacy OEM and gigafactory scale-up
Energy→
Safety-critical, continuous-process environments
Semiconductor & Electronics→
Clean-room, high-yield production
03Featured Case Study
RoviSys: Lead MES Engineer

176 candidates mapped across Europe. 2 hires from a single mandate.

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Articles→
Industry analysis and hiring insights
Podcasts→
Conversations with MES leaders
Glossary→
132 manufacturing technology terms explained
Locations→
MES and manufacturing hiring by market
Roles→
Key leadership and technical roles we place
Comparisons→
MES platform head-to-head breakdowns

Expertise / By Topic

MES Recruitment: The Complete Guide

Manufacturing Execution Systems require a rare hybrid of manufacturing domain expertise and enterprise software capability. Find the people who truly understand both.

250+
Critical hires delivered
9,000+
Candidate interviews conducted
10+
Years of MES specialisation

Why MES recruitment is different

MES sits at the intersection of manufacturing operations and enterprise IT. Candidates need domain expertise in regulated manufacturing environments (pharma GMP, food safety, discrete manufacturing contexts) alongside technical depth in SQL, API integration, specific platforms and ISA-95 architecture. Generic recruiters miss this. They search for "software engineers" or "manufacturing managers" but not the hybrid.

The people who build, sell, implement and operate these systems understand batch records, URS and FDS documentation, validation protocols, and the operational reality of a three-shift manufacturing plant. This combination is what makes MES hiring so difficult and why generalist recruiters cannot assess whether a candidate truly has the depth required.

Explore the MES recruitment ecosystem

Go deeper

MES expertise deep-dive

Platform breakdowns, role taxonomies, and what to look for in MES hires

Software vendor recruitment

Hiring for the companies building MES platforms

System integrator recruitment

Building implementation teams with hybrid technical and domain skills

Manufacturer recruitment

Digital transformation hiring for the companies running MES

Pharmaceutical MES

GxP-validated talent for PAS-X, PharmaSuite, and regulated manufacturing

Food & beverage manufacturing

Multi-site rollouts, traceability, and AVEVA MES implementations

Industrial manufacturing

Discrete production, automation, and smart factory hiring

Aerospace & defence MES

iBASEt, Solumina, AS9100 compliance, and cleared talent

All case studies

7 retained searches, 7 results across vendors, SIs, and manufacturers

How we work

Our retained critical hire search process, timelines, and deliverables

Platforms we recruit for

MES platforms and the talent profiles

Korber Werum (PAS-X)

Advanced batch processing and serialisation for pharma and life sciences manufacturing.

iBASEt Solumina

Cloud-native MES for discrete manufacturing, aerospace and defence, and complex supply chains.

Siemens Opcenter

Integrated MES and execution suite for smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 operations.

AVEVA MES

Enterprise MES for process and discrete manufacturing with OT integration.

Rockwell FactoryTalk & Plex

MES solutions from the automation leader, serving discrete and process manufacturers.

SAP MES

Digital manufacturing suite integrated with enterprise ERP for global operations.

MES roles we place

MES Engineer

MES Architect

MES Consultant

MES Project Manager

VP Manufacturing IT

Head of Digital Manufacturing

MES Business Analyst

Director of Operations Technology

Critical hires delivered for
iBASEtKorberRockwellPOMSRoviSysAizonAgropuriBASEtKorberRockwellPOMSRoviSysAizonAgropuriBASEtKorberRockwellPOMSRoviSysAizonAgropuriBASEtKorberRockwellPOMSRoviSysAizonAgropur
Case studies

Recent MES placements

iBASEt

VP Sales hire for cloud MES platform in aerospace

6 weeks
Rockwell

Multi-seat MES sales search across Europe

4 seats
Agropur

Programme director for multi-site dairy MES rollout

9 weeks
Korber Werum

Pre-sales director for PAS-X in North America

5 weeks
RoviSys

Lead MES Engineer to build European practice from scratch

7 weeks
POMS

Leadership replacement for decade-long MES role

8 weeks
Free resource

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150 MES Qualification Questions

The interview framework refined over 250+ MES searches. Covers technical depth, delivery track record, manufacturing acumen and cultural fit.

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Frequently asked questions

What is MES recruitment and why is it different?

+
Manufacturing Execution Systems recruitment is the specialised search for leaders and technical experts who build, sell, implement and operate MES platforms. MES sits at the intersection of manufacturing operations and enterprise IT. The talent you need understands batch records, URS documentation, ISA-95 integration, validation protocols in regulated environments, and the operational reality of a three-shift manufacturing plant. This combination is what makes MES hiring fundamentally different from generalist software recruitment.

What roles do you place in MES?

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We place roles across three segments. At software vendors: VP Sales, VP Engineering, VP Professional Services, Head of Pre-Sales, Chief Product Officer, VP Customer Success. At system integrators: Practice Directors, Delivery Directors, Principal Consultants, Senior Project Managers. At manufacturers: Programme Directors, Directors of Manufacturing IT, VPs of Operations Technology, Heads of Digital Manufacturing, and MES technical specialists.

How deep is your MES network?

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We have mapped over 9,000 MES professionals globally across software vendors, system integrators and manufacturers. This includes candidates at every major MES platform including Korber Werum, iBASEt, Rockwell, AVEVA, Siemens Opcenter, SAP, and others. Many of these relationships have been built over 10+ years of continuous market engagement.

Which MES platforms do you recruit for?

+
We recruit for the full spectrum of MES platforms including PAS-X, Solumina, Opcenter, AVEVA MES, Rockwell FactoryTalk and Plex, SAP MES, and other enterprise manufacturing execution systems. We also recruit across adjacent systems including MOM (Manufacturing Operations Management), SCADA, HMI, quality management systems, and production scheduling.

What geographies do you cover?

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MES is a global market and our searches span North America, Europe (particularly DACH, UK, Benelux and the Nordics), the Middle East and APAC. Around 60% of our searches involve cross-border placements or candidate relocation. We have particularly deep networks in the US, UK, Germany, and the Nordics.

How long does an MES search take?

+
Our average time to hire is 42 days from kick-off to accepted offer. We typically present a qualified shortlist within 3 to 4 weeks. The MES talent market is niche, so the speed advantage comes from our existing network and market knowledge rather than starting from scratch on each search.

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