Director of Manufacturing

Morgan Latif is a specialist leadership search & development consultancy. We help our clients across the Medical & Dental Technology, Packaging, Consumer, E-mobility, and Industrial Technology sectors to deliver on their transformation and diversity goals. Our mission is to combine traditional recruitment and coaching methods with new technology, to provide a tailored and innovative solution to our clients and candidates.

Our client, a leading global Food Manufacturer, currently undergoing a global transformation, is seeking a Regional Manufacturing Director to drive efficiency and synergies across multiple manufacturing sites in the region. This critical leadership role will drive operational excellence, ensuring safety, quality, and sustainability while managing both day-to-day operations and long-term strategic goals.

Scope of Responsibility:

• Operational Leadership: Manage day-to-day operations across two plants in Germany, with a focus on one major flagship site, and work towards centralizing functions and establishing synergies.
• Synergies & Standardization: Focus on standardizing processes, sharing best practices, and improving KPIs across the plants, including optimizing production capabilities and resource utilization.
• Leadership Development: Lead a team of two junior plant managers and one regional leader. In 2-3 years, the role will evolve as plant operations mature and leadership talent is developed, moving towards a more balanced regional leadership model.
• Future Growth: The role is designed to grow as the business expands, with the potential for the director to take on more responsibilities and eventually oversee a DACH cluster, including new micro-sites.
• Change Management: Drive a cultural shift towards \’one team\‘, fostering standard processes, systems, and ways of working across plants.
• Commercial Relationships: Own the commercial relationships, working proactively with other departments to drive business and operational success.
• Transformation : Lead and manage the ongoing transformation of operations, focusing on continuous improvement and aligning plants to the company’s long-term strategic goals.

Candidate Profile Requirements:

• Experience in Manufacturing Leadership : Strong operational leadership experience in manufacturing, particularly in FMCG or similar fast-paced, multi-site environments. Previous experience in a multi-plant or regional management role is highly desirable.
• Proven Leadership Ability : Ability to lead and develop teams, including managing junior leaders and building leadership pipelines for future growth.
• Process Improvement Expertise : Experience in streamlining operations, driving efficiency, and improving key performance indicators (KPIs) across multiple sites. Familiarity with lean manufacturing and standardization initiatives.
• Change Management: Strong capability in driving cultural and operational change, particularly in environments transitioning from traditional to modern processes and systems.
• Proactive and Strategic Leadership: A leader who can act with urgency, is comfortable in fast-paced environments, and can work closely with commercial teams to drive results.
• Business Acumen: Proven ability to manage P&L, optimize costs, and drive financial performance while maintaining a focus on quality and safety.
• Experience with Centralization : Proven ability to centralize functions, build synergies across locations, and create scalable solutions for future growth.
• Entrepreneurial mindset : Capable of being proactive business leader, not just an operational professional

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