Global Head of Production & Engineering (m/f/d)

Job description

Role description We are looking for an experienced, hands-on and internationally minded leader to join our Executive Leadership Team as Global Head of Production & Engineering. Your mission is to create a world-class manufacturing organisation that combines operational excellence, safety, quality, innovation and scalability. You will be responsible for the performance of our production facilities, engineering projects, automation initiatives, maintenance programmes and continuous improvement efforts. As we continue to grow internationally, you will play a key role in standardising production processes, building capabilities and ensuring our production network is ready to support future expansion. This position requires a leader who can move seamlessly between strategy, execution and people development. We are looking for a leader with genuine technical depth in process manufacturing who can run reliable operations today while building the manufacturing system we will need tomorrow. Your Mission Set Strategy & Deliver Performance You are part of the executive leadership team, representing technology, capacity, and operational feasibility. Balance the network: allocate products and volumes across sites, manage capacity, and prepare make-or-buy and footprint decisions for the executive team. Run S&OP end-to-end with the Head of Supply Chain: one demand picture, one capacity picture, one plan. Own the global manufacturing budget and conversion cost, and deliver productivity gains year over year. Lead People & Transformation Build a strong, connected, high-performance, global community for our 100-people strong Production and Engineering organisation across sites and functions, encouraging the sharing of problems and solutions. Develop technical talent deliberately: succession for critical roles, expert paths for engineers and process specialists, and a pipeline of future managers. Inspire our shopfloor teams to be part of our automation and digitalisation journey by building strong relationships and a deep understanding of their needs and concerns Shape Investments & Technical Direction Set the manufacturing investment agenda from our business plan: define the capacity, technology, and footprint needs to back our Sales and Expansion roadmap. Act as business owner and technical authority for investment projects delivered by Capex/PMO — you set requirements, scope, and acceptance criteria; PMO executes; you own the outcome and ramp-up. Define next-generation production systems with your industrial & process engineering team: technology, maintenance and reliability strategy, and asset lifecycle management across the network. Deepen our process technology edge with R&D — from compounding to flavour delivery systems and isolation & concentration. Build the engineering and scale-up capability that turns novel technologies into reliable manufacturing. Run the Network & Protect the License to Operate Lead the site production leaders and set the standard for how our factories run: safety-first, audit-ready, performance-driven. Define what "good" looks like across sites through common KPIs, global (daily) management practices, and operational excellence, and make performance transparent and comparable. Carry executive accountability for safety, health, and environment across all sites, including process safety and hazardous materials (ATEX). Keep every site permanently audit-ready (FSSC 22000 / IFS, GMP, customer, authority) and partner with independent Quality while respecting the independence of release decisions. Own the manufacturing sustainability roadmap covering energy, water, waste, and CO₂, with targets. Minimum Qualifications Degree in Process, Chemical, or Engineering, Food Technology, or a related field; an advanced degree or MBA is welcome, but results matter more. 10+ years of manufacturing leadership in flavour, fragrance, food ingredients, or fine chemicals, ideally including multi-site or international responsibility. Demonstrated ownership of major capital projects like capacity expansion, automation, or new process lines; from business case through ramp-up. Real process technology depth: you can challenge an engineering concept, read a P&ID, and ask the question the project team hoped nobody would ask. Fluent in lean and operational excellence as a system, and experienced in GMP/food-safety-regulated manufacturing (FSSC 22000, IFS, HACCP, allergen management). Executive presence: strong financial acumen, sharp communication, and the standing to represent manufacturing at board level. Strong personal commitment and resilience: this is a demanding role that will ask for exceptional energy, flexibility, and availability during critical phases such as ramp-ups, escalations and audits. Fluent English; German is a strong asset. International travel approx. 10%. Why you'll love working here Exciting tasks in an internationally operating, growing family business with flat hierarchies Flexible working hours and a hybrid working model 4 weeks remote work from other EU countries 30 days paid vacation per year Salary bands for a fair corporate culture Monthly allowance of €50 for your BAV Annual 360° feedback loops with clear promotion criteria and an individual career path Responsibility from day one in a company that encourages personal responsibility and growth Relocation costs can be reimbursed on a pro rata basis Regular company events such as summer party, Christmas party Paid team dinners or activities for each team twice a year Free parking right outside the door Perks and benefits: JobRad, subsidized lunch, subsidy for the Deutschlandticket, free language courses and discounted memberships at several gyms and for the Wellpass Fresh fruit, free drinks and snacks in the office