About Us
Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances and flavors, cosmetic active ingredients as well as functional ingredients. Its customers include perfume, cosmetics, food and beverage manufacturers, the pharmaceutical industry and producers of dietary supplements and pet food.
With sales of around €5.0 billion in the 2024 financial year, the company is one of the world’s leading providers. The Group, headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, has more than 100 locations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, the USA and Latin America.
Together with its customers, Symrise develops new ideas and market-ready concepts for products that form an indispensable part of everyday life. Economic success and corporate responsibility are inextricably linked.
Symrise is seeking a seasoned and forward-looking leader to take on the role of Site Manager for its largest manufacturing facility, located at the company’s headquarters in Holzminden, Lower Saxony. With a workforce of over 2,000 employees, this site is central to Symrise’s production and innovation capabilities.
Symrise – always inspiring more…Your Role
The Site Manager will be accountable for ensuring safe, compliant and efficient operations while driving long-term competitiveness and organizational clarity across all site functions. This role carries full responsibility for the Holzminden site and reports directly to the Senior Vice President Global Operations. While aligned with global frameworks such as the ONE Symrise program and the company’s sustainability goals, the role is firmly rooted in the local context, overseeing critical technical areas such as local engineering and maintenance, energy efficiency and regulatory compliance. Success will be measured by seamless site performance, strong governance, and the effective integration of external services into the site’s operating model.
The Site Manager will work closely with production leadership across multiple business units, as well as with corporate functions including Safety, Procurement, Engineering, and Internal Audit. The position also interfaces regularly with local and regional authorities and represents the site both internally and externally.

• Lead the Holzminden site, ensuring operations are safe, legally compliant, efficient, and cost-effective
• Develop and provide direction to the site leadership committee, promoting a culture of accountability, performance, and continuous improvement
• Implement and oversee a robust site governance model, defining clear responsibilities for all service functions in collaboration with production units
• Act as the main point of contact for all safety and environmental compliance matters, maintaining constructive relationships with authorities and managing audits
• Drive the integration and performance oversight of external engineering and process control services, ensuring service quality and cost-efficiency
• Oversee key technical areas including plant maintenance, engineering, and regulatory
• Ensure smooth transition to the updated operating model, maintaining uninterrupted production and compliance throughout the change process
• Collaborate closely with production and corporate stakeholders to align site logistics, safety standards, and service delivery
• Lead local initiatives for energy efficiency and carbon reduction, contributing to the company’s overall sustainability objectives
• Identify operational improvement opportunities and lead initiatives to enhance site-wide performance and competitiveness
• Represent the site in corporate working groups such as “Operating Model Holzminden” and “Vision 2035,” ensuring strategic alignment and local implementation

About You

• University degree in Engineering, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline; a PhD or advanced degree is advantageous
• At least 15 years of professional experience, with significant time in large-scale manufacturing environments; ideally within the chemical, food ingredients, or consumer goods sectors
• Fluency in German and English is essential, both written and spoken, for interacting with local authorities and international corporate functions
• Proven site or plant leadership experience, managing complex operations with cross-functional teams, regulatory exposure, and integrated service structures
• Experience working in a matrixed, multinational organization and collaborating across business units and geographies is highly desirable
• Strong technical expertise in areas such as plant maintenance, process control systems (PCS), automation, and regulatory technology
• In-depth knowledge of occupational safety, environmental protection, and compliance regulations within Germany and the EU
• Demonstrated success in leading organizational change and transformation, particularly in the implementation of new governance models, outsourcing strategies, or operating structures
• Strategic thinking combined with pragmatic execution and proven able to balance long-term site development with day-to-day operational demands
• Effective communicator and stakeholder manager with the ability to build trust across hierarchical levels, functions, and external partners

Our Offer
Become part of our open and transparent culture. It will give you the opportunity to flourish and to develop inspiring experiences that contribute to the health and well-being of consumers in 160 countries around the world. Putting our employees in the focus fuels our strong company growth above market rates and makes us an excellent place to develop your career.