Head of Manufacturing

Alcott Global is working with a leading global industrial organization to search for a Head of Manufacturing based in Europe.

Role Purpose

The Head of Manufacturing will provide strategic leadership and governance across a network of international manufacturing sites. The role will define and drive the global manufacturing strategy, operational excellence agenda, footprint and capacity priorities, and make-or-buy decisions, while establishing consistent standards, KPIs, and improvement methodologies across the network. This is a global corporate leadership role requiring strong operational credibility and the ability to influence plant and regional leaders.

Key Responsibilities

1.    Global Manufacturing Strategy & Footprint

• Define and implement the global manufacturing strategy in line with business growth, customer service, quality, cost, and risk-management priorities.
• Lead strategic footprint, capacity, localization, and make-or-buy decisions across the manufacturing network.
• Develop short- and medium-term plans in response to changing market conditions, business opportunities, technology developments, and cost pressures.

2. Manufacturing Excellence & Performance Management

• Establish global operational excellence standards, KPIs, governance routines, and performance benchmarks across the manufacturing network.
• Drive measurable improvement in productivity, quality, delivery, cost, safety, asset utilization, and working capital.
• Embed Lean, continuous improvement, digitalization, automation, and data-led decision-making across operations.

3. Global Governance & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Provide strategic direction and functional oversight to manufacturing and plant leadership teams across multiple regions.
• Partner with supply chain, procurement, quality, engineering, industrialization, R&D, finance, commercial, and product-management functions.
• Influence senior stakeholders, resolve competing priorities, and ensure consistent implementation of global standards.

4. Organizational Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead and develop a high-performing global manufacturing excellence team.
• Strengthen manufacturing capability, leadership quality, succession depth, and technical expertise across the network.
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement, and disciplined execution.

Desired Candidate Profile

• Senior global manufacturing or operations leader with around 15 years of experience in complex, international industrial organizations.
• Proven track record leading multiple factories, regions, or a global manufacturing network, supported by hands-on plant leadership experience.
• Strong expertise in operational excellence, Lean, manufacturing engineering, industrialization, productivity improvement, and performance management.
• Demonstrated experience leading manufacturing footprint, capacity, make-or-buy, automation, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Effective leader and influencer with experience navigating complex cross-functional stakeholder relationships.
• High intercultural sensitivity, strong communication and conflict-management skills, and an engineering or equivalent technical background.