Director of Information Technology
Salina, KS
Great Plains Manufacturing (GPM) has a 50-year history of steady growth. Today, as part of the Kubota family of companies, our growth is stronger than ever. GPM is a manufacturer of agricultural planting and seeding equipment, implements for compact tractors, attachments for skid steers and a manufacturer of Kubota-branded construction power equipment.
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader in Information Technology to contribute to the success of our dynamic company with over 2,000 employees. If you have a commitment to excellence, an inquiring mind, value being part of a successful team and have a desire to be part of an ethical and global company, we invite you to consider this opportunity.
The Director of IT is part of the Senior Management Team and oversees all systems and networks to ensure high level security, efficiency and optimal workflow throughout the entire organization. The role works collaboratively with other senior managers and all staff to ensure that the Company’s strategic goals are being met and reports directly to the CFO.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
- Communicate with executive team regarding costs, value, and risk-potential of new IT projects
- Understand new and emerging technology and when to incorporate it into our operations
- Oversee contract negotiations with IT vendors, contractors, and service providers, developing maintaining a positive relationship with those providers
- Partner with Kubota entities worldwide on strategy and implementation
- Develop, implement, and monitor management information systems policies and controls to ensure data accuracy, security, and legal and regulatory compliance
- Provide support to end users in the selection, procurement, usage, and maintenance of software programs and hardware
- Manage computer operation scheduling, backup, storage, and retrieval functions
- Develop, maintain, and test disaster recovery plans
- Ensure the security, reliability, and redundancy of all IT systems within the company; coordinate with parent company for consistent security across the enterprises
- Responsible for planning, executing, and completing IT-related projects
- Lead development and implementation processes for IT, network and operations systems, creating and implementing IT policies, protocols, and standards
- Analyze infrastructure and systems performance to assess operating costs, productivity levels, upgrade requirements, and other metrics and needs; establish efficiency and efficacy standards, providing recommendations for improvement of IT, network and operations infrastructure
- Lead the IT team in designing, configuring, implementing, maintaining, and securing internal and external local and wide area networks, servers, desktops, infrastructure, IBMi and other IT related systems.
- Oversee security of systems, security risk management, protection of intellectual property and personal data, networks, and enterprise information; facilitates cybersecurity audits or investigations to ensure regulatory compliance
- Hire, train and develop IT personnel, ensuring a cohesive team spirit and commitment to customer service; ensure that work is assigned or scheduled to meet priorities and company goals
- Develop positive employee relations, promote company values and culture
Preferred Skills and Qualifications:
Technical Skills
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or related field
- 8 years of experience in a senior leadership position
- 5 years of experience in a manufacturing production environment
- Technical knowledge of programming languages and operating systems; current equipment and technologies, enterprise backup and recovery procedures, system performance-monitoring tools, virtualization, and web development
- Experience in project management, application design and integration
- Superior knowledge of production, quality and employee management functions and principles
- Strong working knowledge of business management software (e.g., SAP, ERP, CRM)
- Experience in Windows Server/virtual environment, network communications (LAN/WAN) and systems, IBMi management
- Experience with IT Sarbanes Oxley compliance
- Thorough understanding of data management and administration including information flow and business process
Key Competencies
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
- Proactive, adaptable and self-disciplined
- Skilled at strategic planning and goal-setting
- Strong relationship building and team development skills
- Superior attention to detail and accuracy
- Problem solver that sees problems as opportunities and has the drive to resolve them
- Excellent leadership, communication and interpersonal skills
- This is an on-site role based in Salina, Kansas; qualified candidates must be willing to commute or relocate to the Salina area
Great Plains Manufacturing, headquartered in Salina, KS, is a proud subsidiary of Kubota with more than 50 years as a Kansas leader in the design, engineering and manufacturing of agricultural implements, including seeding, tillage, and landscaping equipment. Our new Construction Equipment Division adds Kubota-branded skid steers, compact track loaders, and CE attachments, supported by Kubota Construction R&D Engineering in Salina. Operating in eight Kansas communities with multiple divisions, including Great Plains Ag; Land Pride; Great Plains International; and the Construction Equipment Division, we employ over 2,000 people and are committed to innovation and professional growth. If you are self-motivated, goal-oriented, and collaborative, explore our open opportunities at www.WorkForGPM.com.
Skills Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or a related field
- Eight years of experience in a senior leadership position
- Five years of experience in a manufacturing production environment
- Technical knowledge of programming languages and operating systems
- Experience with enterprise backup and recovery procedures
- Experience with system performance-monitoring tools
- Experience with virtualization and web development
- Experience in project management, application design, and integration
- Knowledge of production, quality, and employee management functions
- Working knowledge of business management software such as SAP, ERP, and CRM systems
- Experience with Windows Server and virtual environments
- Experience with LAN/WAN network communications and systems
- Experience managing IBMi systems
- Experience with IT Sarbanes-Oxley compliance
- Understanding of data management, administration, information flow, and business processes
- Willingness to work on-site in Salina, Kansas, or commute or relocate to the area
Great Plains Manufacturing Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Great Plains Manufacturing and has not been reviewed or approved by Great Plains Manufacturing.
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Pay Growth & Progression — Pay progression is often described as structured and frequent in hourly manufacturing roles, with step-based or performance reviews leading to regular increases until top-out rates. Feedback suggests this predictability supports a clearer path to higher earnings.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings include a 401(k) plan with matching that is frequently highlighted as a meaningful part of total compensation. Feedback suggests this adds long-term value alongside base wages and overtime opportunities.
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Healthcare Strength — Health benefits are commonly viewed as solid, including medical, dental, prescription, and life insurance coverage. Feedback suggests coverage quality is a notable advantage for many employees.
Great Plains Manufacturing Insights
What We Do
Great Plains Ag, a division of Great Plains Mfg., Inc., has been a leader in seeding and tillage equipment since its inception in 1976. Based in Salina, Kansas, the company is a leading producer of grain drills, vertical tillage, hybrid tillage, planters, and compact drills.
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