Key Responsibilities

• Lead a large production function comprising 100+ employees, including Shift Supervisors and Team Leaders.
• Take full P&L responsibility for the operation, with accountability for financial performance, cost control and delivery against budget.
• Achieve production targets across output, quality, productivity, cost and on-time delivery.
• Develop, monitor and improve key manufacturing KPIs.
• Lead and support the ramp-up of fast-growing or expanding manufacturing operations, ensuring scalable processes, capability and structure.
• Identify opportunities to increase efficiency and optimise production processes.
• Lead Lean manufacturing and continuous-improvement initiatives.
• Develop and standardise effective shop-floor management practices.
• Take responsibility for workforce and capacity planning within the production area.
• Support recruitment, onboarding and succession planning in partnership with HR.
• Work constructively with Works Councils and employee representative bodies, maintaining strong and collaborative labour relations.
• Coach and develop production managers, team leaders and operational employees.
• Drive a strong culture of accountability, quality, safety and continuous improvement.
• Support new product introductions, production trials and material testing.
• Oversee production inventory and ensure appropriate material availability.
• Maintain accurate manufacturing and operational information through ERP/SAP systems.
• Work cross-functionally with Production Planning, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality and HR.
• Deputise for senior production leadership when required.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for an established manufacturing leader with experience operating within a complex, high-volume production environment.

You will ideally bring:

• Several years of senior production/manufacturing management experience.
• Demonstrable experience leading large, multi-layered operational teams.
• A proven track record of successfully ramping up, scaling or transforming fast-growing factories.
• Strong full P&L ownership and commercial accountability.
• A degree or equivalent qualification in Manufacturing Engineering, Production Engineering, Industrial Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• Strong knowledge of Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Experience managing manufacturing KPIs covering productivity, quality, cost and delivery.
• Strong workforce planning and people-development capability.
• Proven experience working successfully with German Works Councils.
• Experience with SAP/ERP manufacturing environments.
• Strong commercial and numerical understanding.
• Excellent process and project-management capability.
• Experience within footwear, apparel, consumer goods, plastics, EVA, automotive or another high-volume manufacturing environment would be advantageous.
• Fluent German and English are essential.
• Willingness and flexibility to be based anywhere in Germany, depending on operational requirements.

Leadership Profile

This opportunity will suit someone who is:

• Visible and comfortable operating on the factory floor.
• Able to lead through other managers while remaining close to day-to-day operations.
• Highly focused on people, performance and continuous improvement.
• Comfortable scaling operations at pace and bringing structure to rapidly growing environments.
• Experienced in balancing commercial objectives with workforce engagement.
• Comfortable working closely with Works Councils and senior employee stakeholders.
• Data-driven and commercially aware.
• Passionate about delivering premium product quality at scale.