Operations Manager

Location: North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

About the client and role

• Our client, a manufacturing company, is in search of an Operations Manager to oversee and coordinate day-to-day operational activities across the site. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring efficient, safe, and reliable operations while supporting production, quality, cost, delivery, and continuous improvement objectives.
• This role will involve leading operational teams, improving processes, coordinating cross-functional activities, and supporting the overall performance and development of the manufacturing operation.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operational activities across production and related manufacturing functions.
• Lead, support, and develop operational teams to achieve safety, quality, delivery, productivity, and cost targets.
• Monitor operational performance and implement improvement measures where required.
• Coordinate activities across production, maintenance, quality, logistics, engineering, and supply chain functions.
• Ensure operational plans are aligned with customer requirements and wider business objectives.
• Identify operational issues, production bottlenecks, and areas for improvement, and coordinate corrective actions.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across manufacturing processes and site operations.
• Monitor key performance indicators and provide regular performance updates to senior management.
• Support workforce planning, resource allocation, capacity management, and operational scheduling.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable health, safety, environmental, and quality standards.
• Support budgeting, cost management, efficiency improvement, and operational expenditure control.
• Work closely with internal stakeholders to support new product introductions, process changes, and operational projects.
• Drive a culture of accountability, teamwork, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Support the development and implementation of operational procedures, standards, and best practices.

Skills and Qualifications

• Possess a degree in engineering, operations management, manufacturing, business, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Have several years of experience within manufacturing, industrial operations, production, or a comparable operational environment.
• Demonstrate strong leadership and people-management skills, with experience managing operational or production teams.
• Have a good understanding of manufacturing operations, production planning, quality, maintenance, logistics, and continuous improvement.
• Experience working with operational KPIs, productivity targets, cost control, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, operational excellence, or similar continuous improvement methodologies is advantageous.
• Demonstrate strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Demonstrate a hands‑on, proactive, and results-oriented approach.
• Experience within automotive, battery, industrial, or high-volume manufacturing environments would be advantageous.