Senior Director Operations Manufacturing Scale-Up // Hamburg, Germany
This role exists once. You won't find it on a job board. You find it because you've built something real and you're ready to build again, bigger, faster, with technology that has no precedent.
THE CONTEXT A technology company at the intersection of advanced manufacturing and consumer products is redefining how physical goods are made and delivered. Their production model, fully digitized, highly customized, zero tooling, is gaining rapid commercial traction. The Hamburg facility is the operational heart of global fulfillment, and it's scaling fast.
The company is moving from early-stage production to industrial-grade throughput. The systems, teams, and processes required to make that leap don't exist yet. That's the mandate.
THE ROLE You will own
end-to-end operations from the production floor to the customer's door. This means designing the machine, not just running it. You define KPIs that don't yet exist, build teams from scratch, and align production reality with an aggressive product innovation roadmap.
This is not a maintenance role. It's a construction role.
You will be accountable for:
Production throughput and uptime,
setting targets, closing gaps, owning the numbers Yield and quality systems,
building processes that scale without losing precision Logistics and delivery performance,
ensuring promises to customers are kept, consistently Team architecture,
hiring, structuring, and developing operational talent for 100+ headcount Lean systems and automation,
implementing MES/ERP and intelligent workflows without bureaucratic overhead Cross-functional alignment,
serving as the operational counterpart to Product and Engineering Compliance and cost efficiency,
running a tight, safe, financially disciplined operation
WHAT YOU BRING You've built something. Not just optimized someone else's blueprint. You have at least one verifiable example of scaling a manufacturing or logistics operation, from early-stage to industrial capacity, and you can speak precisely about the decisions that made the difference.
The specifics we're looking for:
Proven track record setting up and scaling manufacturing or fulfillment operations in high-complexity, fast-moving environments Deep fluency in production metrics: yield, uptime, throughput, OEE, you set these targets, you move them Experience introducing lean practices into growing teams without creating bureaucracy that kills speed Familiarity with modern manufacturing systems (MES, ERP) and the judgment to deploy them at the right moment Leadership credibility on the shopfloor and in the executive suite, you build trust with frontline teams and communicate effectively with founders Comfort operating in multinational, cross-cultural environments, you've led diverse teams and adapted your style accordingly Fluent in English; German is a genuine plus, not required
WHO THIS IS NOT FOR If you've spent your career optimizing mature systems inside large corporates, this will be a mismatch. If you need organizational infrastructure to function, this will frustrate you. If you prefer clarity over ambiguity, wait for the next role.
This is for someone who sees an unbuilt system as an opportunity, not a risk.
WHAT THIS OFFERS The honest version: this is a hard job. The operations you build here will shape how a new category of product reaches millions of people. You'll have direct access to founders, real P&L responsibility, and the rare experience of building an industrial function for a technology that has no established playbook.
The practical version: competitive compensation, flat hierarchy, a highly capable team across engineering and design, and a company that is growing, not hoping to grow.
LOCATION & LOGISTICS Location: Hamburg, Germany This is an on-site leadership role. Relocation to Hamburg is required, latest by end of probationary period. Support of visa applications and settling in is given. Language: Fluent English required. German is a plus, not a prerequisite.
NEXT STEP This mandate is handled exclusively and discreetly. If this profile fits or if you know someone it fits, reach out directly. No formal application required at this stage.
Send a brief introduction and your background to the executive search contact managing this mandate. All inquiries are treated with full confidentiality.