Director of Field Operations (f/m/d)

About This Opportunity

We are representing a confidential deep-tech organization scaling advanced imaging systems across Europe and the United States. Our client delivers high-value hardware installations integrated into production environments where uptime directly impacts customer operations. We are seeking a Director of Field Operations based in Munich to lead installation, service, and maintenance delivery across both continents.

This is a leadership role where technical credibility, operational maturity, and the ability to scale distributed teams matter equally. You will own how multi-million-euro systems are installed, maintained, and kept running at customer sites—transforming an already functional operation into one that scales consistently across geographies without relying on individual heroics.

Responsibilities

Running Operations (≈40%)

• Own end-to-end delivery of installations, on-site service, and scheduled maintenance across Europe and the US
• Empower Regional Leaders and Project Managers to orchestrate complex site deliveries involving customers, equipment suppliers, and automation partners
• Serve as the escalation point for critical issues, including on-site presence when go-lives are at risk
• Own operational KPIs and customer commitments, keeping technical support, business development, and executive leadership informed

Building the Operating System (≈35%)

• Raise SOP maturity across internal teams, partners, and customer contractors
• Implement a continuous improvement engine in collaboration with the Operational Excellence team
• Drive adoption of field service management tools, installation documentation, spare parts planning, and capacity forecasting
• Establish and enforce quality and safety standards, holding the line under schedule pressure

Leading and Scaling the Team (≈25%)

• Lead Field Engineers, Project Managers, and regional team leads, building ownership and depth in each region
• Design the organization ahead of the growth curve: hire, structure teams, and determine the right mix of internal capacity, partner networks, and variable resourcing models
• Define and operationalize the Field Operations roadmap with a corresponding capacity and hiring plan
• Build a culture of high standards, low ego, no blame, and a bias toward fixing things properly

What We're Looking For

Essential Experience and Skills

• 10+ years in field or service operations, leading installation, on-site service, and maintenance for complex technical products
• Deep understanding of hardware-plus-service business models where uptime and installation quality are as critical as the product itself
• Experience operating at scale within organizations with mature SOPs, field service tooling, quality processes, and clear team structures
• Multi-region leadership experience building and developing geographically distributed teams and empowering regional leaders
• Hands-on and strategic: capable of designing operating models and roadmaps while also traveling on short notice to resolve site issues
• Continuous improvement mindset with methods to back it up—seeing every error as an opportunity to strengthen systems
• Technical fluency to engage credibly on site planning, requirement specifications, installation, and commissioning with engineers, suppliers, and customers
• Proactive drive: you move before being asked, resolve ambiguity rather than escalating it, and make decisions with incomplete information
• Senior communication skills to build trust with customers, partners, and internal stakeholders, delivering difficult messages without damaging relationships
• Willingness to travel to European and US sites; EU Class B driver's license required
• Fluent English; additional languages (German, Spanish, Italian, French) are a plus

What Makes You Stand Out

• Experience in venture-capital-backed, private-equity-backed, or similarly execution-driven environments with serious operational discipline and delivery tracking
• You have led field operations through a step change in scale—doubling geographies, product lines, or installed base—and can describe what broke and how you fixed it
• Formal continuous improvement or quality credentials (Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent) applied to service organizations
• Hands-on experience implementing field service management or service data tooling and driving team adoption
• Experience in high-growth deep-tech or capital-equipment companies where the product evolved underneath the operation
• Obsession with customer experience, with operational choices you made to protect it

How We Work With You

Candidates apply directly through Get A Job.ai. Our recruiting team will screen applications and conduct initial interviews. Qualified candidates are then submitted to our client for consideration. Please do not attempt to contact the client organization directly, as all communication and coordination is managed through our talent team to ensure a professional and confidential process.

Pay

This role does not include specific compensation details provided to Get A Job.ai. Compensation will be discussed directly with our client during the interview process and is expected to be competitive for senior operations leadership roles in the Munich market.

Get A Job.ai is an equal opportunity recruiter. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic.