Digital Transformation Manager

Function: Digital Transformation Office
Reports to: Director Digital Futures
 
Shape the future of digital at HBK
HBK is establishing a new Digital Transformation Office (DTO) to accelerate its transformation as a global leader in precision measurement, sensing and industrial technology.

The role is explicitly AI-first: leveraging data, AI, and platform thinking as default design principles rather than optional add-ons.

The Digital Transformation Manager is a senior, business-facing leader responsible for shaping, prioritising and delivering digitally enabled strategic initiatives across HBK. The role works at the intersection of business strategy, technology, and execution, partnering with Product, R&D, Manufacturing, Operations, Commercial and Corporate functions to:
Identify high-value digital opportunities

Translate ideas into well-defined initiatives and programmes

Oversee delivery to measurable outcomes

Establish and operate portfolio governance and PMO disciplines

Key Responsibilities:
1. Digital Strategy & Ideation
Partner with senior business leaders to identify, frame and shape digital transformation opportunities aligned to HBK’s strategy.

Facilitate ideation workshops using AI-first, data-first and platform-led approaches.

Challenge problem statements to ensure focus on business value, scalability and reuse, not point solutions.

Translate strategic themes into discrete initiatives with clear hypotheses, value drivers and success measures.

2. Initiative Definition & Business Case Development
Lead end-to-end initiative definition including:
Problem statement and outcome definition

Target-state processes and operating models

Data, AI, platform, cyber and integration implications

High-level architecture and delivery approach

Develop robust business cases including value sizing (financial and non-financial), risks, dependencies and change impacts.

Ensure alignment with HBK standards for architecture, security, compliance, and IP protection.

3. Portfolio Management & PMO Leadership
Co-define and continuously evolve the Digital Transformation PMO methodology, covering:
Portfolio intake and prioritisation

Funding and capacity allocation

Stage gates and decision forums

Benefits tracking and value realisation

Operate portfolio-level oversight across initiatives, ensuring:
Strategic alignment

Delivery predictability

Dependency and risk management

Provide clear, executive-level portfolio reporting, including RAG status, value delivery, risks and decision requests.

4. Execution Oversight & Delivery Governance
Act as business owner or sponsor delegate for key initiatives.
Work with delivery teams (internal and partners) across:
AI & data

Platform and cloud engineering

OT/IT convergence

Cybersecurity

Ensure delivery teams apply modern delivery practices (Agile/Hybrid) while operating effectively in engineering and manufacturing contexts.

Actively remove blockers, manage escalations, and course-correct delivery where needed.

5. AI, Data & Platform Enablement
Embed AI as a core design principle, focusing on:
Decision automation

Insight generation

Engineering productivity

Customer value creation

Partner with AI, Data, Platform and Cyber Centres of Excellence to:
Reuse shared capabilities

Avoid duplication

Accelerate time-to-value

Promote responsible AI practices, data governance, and security-by-design.

6. Change & Stakeholder Leadership
Drive strong engagement across business, engineering and technology communities.

Support adoption through change, communication and capability uplift.

Act as a visible role model for digital ways of working and outcome-led delivery.

Success Measures
Success in this role will be measured by:
Realised business value from digital initiatives

Quality and robustness of initiative pipeline and portfolio

Predictability and transparency of delivery

Executive confidence in digital investment decisions

Effective reuse of AI, data and platform capabilities

Required Skills & Competencies
Core Capabilities
Digital strategy execution in complex, engineering-led organisations

Strong AI literacy – able to identify and apply AI use cases (not necessarily hands-on model building)

Portfolio and programme management at scale

Business case development and value realisation

Executive stakeholder management and facilitation

Technical & Domain Understanding
Working knowledge of:
Data platforms and analytics

AI/ML applications in industrial, engineering or manufacturing contexts

Cloud and platform architectures

Cybersecurity and compliance considerations

Experience operating across IT, OT, software, hardware and product environments is highly valued.

Delivery & Ways of Working
Strong grounding in Agile, hybrid and scaled delivery models (e.g., SAFe, Spotify-inspired, or custom enterprise models).

Comfortable balancing:

Speed vs safety

Experimentation vs standardisation

Global vs local needs

Experience working with external partners and system integrators.

Leadership & Behaviours
Outcome-oriented, pragmatic and commercially minded

Confident influencing without formal authority

Comfortable with ambiguity and complexity

Strong systems-thinking and problem-framing skills

Clear, concise communicator at executive level

Experience & Qualifications

Essential
Significant experience in digital transformation, technology strategy, or large-scale change roles

Proven experience delivering digital initiatives within:
Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial technology, Regulated or IP-sensitive environments

Track record of operating at portfolio or programme level, not only project delivery

Desirable
Experience in AI- or data-led transformation programmes

Background in management consulting, internal transformation offices, or enterprise PMOs

Exposure to global, matrixed organisations

Why This Role Matters at HBK
This role sits at the centre of HBK’s ambition to:
Scale AI and digital innovation responsibly

Leverage platforms and data as strategic assets

Align technology investment to measurable business outcomes

Transform how ideas move from concept to value across a global engineering enterprise

We Offer
At HBK, we believe in freedom with responsibility, enabling a healthy work-life balance and continuous professional development. You will join an international team in an innovative and enjoyable working environment.

About HBK
On January 1, 2019, Brüel & Kjær and HBM merged to form HBK (Hottinger Brüel & Kjær). With over 3,500 employees worldwide, production facilities in Denmark, Germany, the UK, the USA, China, and Portugal, and a presence in 80 countries, HBK is a global leader in test and measurement solutions. Learn more at https://www.hbkworld.com.