Director of Operations – Europe

About the role

GroupeSTAHL is seeking a Director of Operations for its European manufacturing network. Based in Germany, Italy, Spain or the UK, you will travel regularly to oversee multiple sites and drive operational excellence across the region.

Key responsibilities

• Lead safety and EHS performance, promoting a zero‑incident culture and ensuring compliance with UK, EU, German, Spanish and Italian regulations.
• Deliver regional service, quality, productivity and conversion cost targets by monitoring KPIs and implementing robust daily management systems.
• Identify operational risks, develop corrective actions and standardise processes across all facilities.
• Coach and develop site operations leaders, support succession planning and collaborate with HR on workforce planning.
• Drive lean manufacturing, operational excellence and quality improvement initiatives while ensuring adherence to global standards.

Required profile

• Proven senior leadership experience in manufacturing operations, preferably within a multi‑site, multi‑country environment.
• Strong track record of improving safety, quality, productivity and cost performance.
• Ability to work across diverse regulatory frameworks and cultural contexts.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder‑management skills, with fluency in English; additional European language skills are a plus.

Required skills

• Lean manufacturing methodology
• Quality improvement techniques
• EHS compliance management