Head of Production / Production Manager (m/f/d)

With this role, you will take responsibility for the stable, quality-compliant, and on-time operation of production, as well as the establishment of a scalable production system for our growing space-tech company in Munich.

Core Responsibilities:

• Overall responsibility for production output, quality, deadlines, and productivity.
• Hands-on management of day-to-day operations through consistent shop floor management.
• Establishment and leadership of a KPI-based production system, particularly for plan fulfillment, FPY, scrap, rework, lead time, and delivery reliability.
• Structuring the production organization with clear roles, responsibilities, decision-making powers, and escalation paths.
• Ensuring robust capacity and personnel planning, as well as consistent elimination of operational bottlenecks.
• Responsibility for adherence to standardized processes.
• Consistent implementation of Lean Management and continuous improvement.
• Leadership, qualification, and further development of production employees.
• Interface with Quality, Supply Chain, Sales, Production Planning, and Program Management, as well as representing production interests within the company.
• Transparent reporting of production performance and escalation of significant risks to C-level.
• Ensuring that production problems are systematically analyzed, clearly assigned responsibility for, and sustainably solved.

Professional Experience

• Several years of leadership responsibility in operational production as a Production Manager, Head of Production, Operations Manager, or equivalent.
• Experience in a technically demanding production environment with high quality and process requirements, preferably Aerospace, Space, MedTech, Automotive, Defense, or Precision Engineering.
• Proven experience in building growing production organizations.
• Experience in a high-mix small-batch or series production with assembly, testing, and inspection processes.
• Proficient in capacity planning, production control, personnel planning, and bottleneck management.
• Experience in collaboration with Quality, Supply Chain, and customer-oriented functions.

• Very good understanding of shop floor management and operational production leadership.
• Routine in establishing and controlling relevant production KPIs.
• In-depth knowledge of Lean Management, CI, Standard Work, 5S, problem-solving, and root cause analysis.
• Experience in improving scrap, rework, lead time, and delivery reliability.
• Solid understanding of quality management, traceability, process discipline, and documented work instructions.
• Experience with ERP, MES, or digital production planning systems, as well as a strong technical understanding of assembly, manufacturing, and testing processes.

• Strong hands-on mentality and high presence on the shop floor.
• Clear, binding, and consistent leadership with a high degree of result orientation.
• Ability to define responsibilities, make decisions, and follow up on their implementation.
• High problem-solving competence as well as a structured, data-driven, and pragmatic approach.
• Ability to develop and qualify employees and to win them over for clear standards.
• Resilience and composure in a dynamic, rapidly growing company environment.
• Strong communication and interface skills, as well as persuasive representation of operational requirements to C-level.
• Entrepreneurial thinking, a high sense of responsibility, and willingness to personally drive operational changes.

• Completed technical or engineering degree, e.g., Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering, Mechatronics.
• Alternatively, a technical vocational training with a master craftsman, technician, or comparable further education and extensive relevant leadership experience.
• Very good German and English language skills.

• Immediate and flexible start.
• Autonomous work with the opportunity to actively shape processes and decisions.
• Diverse opportunities for professional and personal development, as well as career advancement.
• Permanent full-time position (40 hours per week).
• 30 vacation days per year and flexible working hours.
• Bicycle leasing, subsidy for EGYM Wellpass, and for the Deutschlandticket Job.
• Free drinks, company events, and a motivated team.