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

Responsibilities

We are representing a confidential space-tech organization seeking a Head of Production to take full ownership of their manufacturing operations in München. In this role, you will ensure stable, quality-driven, and on-time production while building a scalable production system to support rapid growth.

Your core responsibilities include:

• Overall accountability for production output, quality, schedules, and productivity
• Hands-on management of daily operations through consistent shopfloor management practices
• Building and leading a KPI-based production system tracking plan fulfillment, first-pass yield, scrap rates, rework, cycle time, and on-time delivery
• Structuring the production organization with clear roles, responsibilities, decision authority, and escalation paths
• Ensuring robust capacity and workforce planning while systematically eliminating operational bottlenecks
• Maintaining adherence to standardized processes across all production activities
• Driving lean management principles and continuous improvement initiatives
• Leading, developing, and upskilling production team members
• Serving as the primary interface between production and quality, supply chain, sales, planning, and program management functions
• Providing transparent performance reporting and escalating significant risks to executive leadership
• Ensuring production issues are systematically analyzed, clearly assigned, and sustainably resolved

What We're Looking For

Professional Experience:

• Multiple years of leadership responsibility in operational production as Production Manager, Head of Production, Operations Manager, or similar role
• Experience in technically demanding production environments with high quality and process requirements, preferably in aerospace, space, medical devices, automotive, defense, or precision engineering
• Proven track record building and scaling production organizations during growth phases
• Background in low-to-mid volume production with assembly, inspection, and testing processes
• Competence in capacity planning, production control, workforce planning, and bottleneck management
• Experience collaborating across quality, supply chain, and customer-facing functions

Technical Competencies:

• Strong understanding of shopfloor management and operational production leadership
• Experience establishing and managing production KPIs
• Solid knowledge of lean management, continuous improvement, standard work, 5S methodology, problem-solving, and root cause analysis
• Track record improving scrap rates, rework, cycle times, and delivery performance
• Sound understanding of quality management, traceability, process discipline, and documented work instructions
• Familiarity with ERP, MES, or digital production planning systems
• Strong technical comprehension of assembly, manufacturing, and testing processes

Leadership and Personal Attributes:

• Pronounced hands-on mentality with high visibility on the production floor
• Clear, reliable, and consistent leadership style with strong results orientation
• Ability to define responsibilities, make decisions, and ensure follow-through
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a structured, data-driven, and pragmatic approach
• Capability to develop, train, and engage team members around clear standards
• Resilience and composure in a dynamic, fast-growing environment
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills with ability to represent operational requirements to executive leadership
• Entrepreneurial mindset, high sense of responsibility, and willingness to personally drive operational change

Education and Languages:

• Completed technical or engineering degree in mechanical engineering, production technology, mechatronics, or related field
• Alternatively: technical vocational training with master craftsman, technician certification, or comparable qualification plus extensive relevant leadership experience
• Fluent German and English language skills required

How We Work With You

Our talent team partners with candidates seeking leadership opportunities in advanced manufacturing. When you apply through Get A Job.ai, one of our recruiters will conduct an initial screening to understand your background and assess fit for this opportunity. If we mutually agree to move forward, we will submit your profile to our client for their consideration.

Please do not contact the client organization directly. All communication regarding this position should go through Get A Job.ai to ensure proper representation and coordination.

Pay

Compensation details will be discussed during the screening process based on your experience and qualifications.

Additional Benefits from Client: Immediate and flexible start date, autonomous work with opportunity to shape processes and decisions, professional development opportunities, permanent full-time position (40 hours/week), 30 vacation days annually, flexible working hours, bicycle leasing, wellness subsidy, public transport subsidy, complimentary beverages, and company events.

Get A Job.ai is an equal opportunity recruiter. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic.