Operations Director – Sutures (m/w/d) 12 month ftc

Our Sutures business is supported by manufacturing locations in Neustadt, Germany, and Domazlice, Czech Republic, which have responsibility for the supply of high quality products with a revenue base of €13M+ per annum.

This role has direct responsibility for financial, safety, quality and service performance for these manufacturing sites and will lead the Site Managers.

The role requires a change agent to embed a continuous improvement culture and a cost conscious approach. It requires a hands-on approach to leadership with an element of “walking the shop floor” as well as strategic thinking and drive.

What the role will involve:

• Represents Sutures operations on the Operations Senior Leadership team, working closely with the Group functions driving improvement and standardisation.
• Responsible for managing all aspects of the end-to-end production process across the Sutures operation, and ensuring performance delivery against targets encompassing Financial, Safety, Quality and Customer Service.
• Responsible for promoting and delivering against a culture of continuous improvement leading and driving processes for initiating and executing improvement projects for the Sutures Operations. Focus on driving improvement to standard costs.
• Reducing waste in all its forms, including, but not limited to, time, material and energy consumption.
• To develop and manage departmental budgets and product standards, including accountability for performance, reporting and meeting customer service levels.
• Assuring an optimized manufacturing operation that complies with all relevant quality and other regulatory standards. Promoting effective corrective and preventative actions to eliminate gaps.
• Participating effectively in resource planning for the manufacturing sites, including active participation in S&OP processes, new product and process introduction.
• Providing leadership in EHS through regular discussions with safety teams, risk assessments and workplace inspections.
• Building collaborative relationships with principal contacts (especially peer group) and relevant external organisations. Ensuring that the team is committed to high performance, ethical behaviour and good employee relations.
• Development and implementation of the vision and long-term strategy for operations at AMS’s Sutures sites.
• Safeguarding all relevant certifications and delivering right first time quality product.
• Ensuring alignment with the Company Vision and Values within the Operations function.
• Leading and coaching the engineering functions to ensure process reliability while continuously improving processes and delivering cost reduction.
• Ensuring the operations team is supporting the product development process to deliver new product launches.
• Guide, coach and mentor employees in the execution of their roles and supporting them with their personal development.
• Jobholder will have budget setting and overall cost centre responsibility for all relevant Operations cost centres.
• Leads by example and follow AMS’s Care, Fair, Dare values.
• Delivery against all targets regards Financial, Safety, Quality and Customer Service.
• Compliance with all safety legislation and guidelines, processes and systems.
• Compliance and maintenance of all relevant certifications.
• Ensure capacity for business continuity and delivery of the business unit growth expectations.
• Site strategy for Sutures Operations is developed and supported by an action plan and objectives.
• All sites operate with clearly defined and documented standard processes executed by fully trained employees.
• Continuous improvement is demonstrated and drives to deliver a reduction in standard costs year on year and other improvements regards safety, quality, and service.
• Implementation of performance management and personal development processes.

What we’re looking for?

• Proven success in a complex manufacturing environment overseeing multiple sites.
• Experience in leading manufacturing in a regulated industry.
• Expert knowledge of continuous improvement techniques.
• Strong leadership qualities and motivational skills.
• Relevant Degree (or equivalent) or higher education with appropriate experience.
• 7 years+ of high level management within a complex operations/manufacturing in a regulated industry environment.
• Experience in deployment of continuous improvement methodologies.
• Excellent teambuilding, decision making and influencing skills.
• Sound experience and understanding of project management best practice.
• Ability to respond flexibly to change.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines.
• The role holder is expected to travel regularly between sites.
• Must speak fluent German/ English.