After a recent merger a client of ours who manufacture complex testing equipment are looking for a dedicated Operations Director who will be responsible for all operational functions on site in the Frankfurt region.
The Operations Director will provide site leadership and will be a key player in our ambitious growth and market expansion strategy. They will be responsible for all plant operations activities including, but not limited to, deployment of the Environmental, Health and Safety Strategy, the implementation of the Quality Management System, along with driving improvements in our customer quality experience, execution to the customer delivery requirements using Material Management Strategies through sponsorship of tools like SIOP.
They will lead the wall to wall manufacturing and facility cost control and ownership for aligning spend with demand, control and execution of the plant cash optimization strategy. They will be responsible for the successful design, sustaining support and launch into manufacture for new sensor products. The candidate will organize and drive results through the deployment of Lean Operating System and have experience of overseeing an integrated Materials Management Strategy. The candidate will manage a team in excess of 400 on a plant with over 800 employees.
We expect the Operations Director to have solid experience running in leading a similar sized operation in a high precision engineering manufacturing company. The appreciation of how to meet customer expectations through the deployment of supply chain strategies in a High Mix Low Volume calibrated to a Make to Order and Make to Stock environment is key. The successful candidate will be able to lead across a complex platform, know how to engage their team and be able to influence through a multi- functional matrix organization. They will be both efficiency focused, thinking about how to continuously improve every day, whilst ensuring they keep the customer on center stage, through a customer focused enterprise. They will have experience of working with an industrial partner (Workers Council) in a German Manufacturing setting. A relationship builder, they will influence through others, creating a culture that is both collaborative and transparent, aiming to foster a climate of partnership and trust.
Responsibilities
* Lead a Safety-First Culture with the vision of Zero Incidents. Deploy a world class Safety Operating System, meeting internal and external safety standards.
* Overall responsible for daily operations including site management, planning, logistics, engineering, machining, Strain gauge, assembly, supply chain, quality and productivity.
* Ensure a high focus on continuous improvements and implementation of Lean Operating System
* Ensure effective agile day-to-day operations and change management towards both short-term and long-term goals that may be unclear or uncertain
* Create a united team with a common vision for the Plant. As a part of this, ensure motivation in all functions. Develop and prevent loss of key talent through making work fun and deploying a culture of development and succession planning.
* Participate in a cross-functional management team with responsibility for sensors, hardware manufacturing and supply chain, and through this drive planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with corporate strategies
* Engage with Strategic Product Marketing to support Product life cycle strategies for all products manufactured in Darmstadt.
* Ensure that ongoing and approved strategic projects are completed as agreed. Control of the multi-million Euro Capital Budget, allocating investments and overseeing their successful installation and payback.
* Ensure a World Class level of quality and delivery adherence is achieved, and that is predicated on an culture of year over year productivity for all departments
Professional qualifications and personal skills
* Educational background in manufacturing, supply chain management or engineer, minimum at Bachelor level
* In-depth experience from operational management position - having run a large plant, preferably in Germany
* Minimum 10 years of experience with people management and management of managers
* Documented experience with change management
* Business understanding with focus on Lean, cost control, cost optimization, value propositions and strategy
* Driven by results: planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals
* Strong stakeholder management skills: painting a compelling picture of the vision and strategy that motivates others to action
* Thrives in a dynamic working environment: operating effectively, even when things are not certain, or the way forward is not clear
* A team player with a positive and flexible open-minded attitude
* Fluency in English is required
