Director of Manufacturing Operations

About the role

Metech is looking for an Operations Director to lead operations management, planning and supply chain for its Smederevo plant, which has around 500 employees. The role reports directly to the CEO and joins the local directors' team, working close to both the CEO and the shop floor. It leads and coaches the Operations Manager, who handles day-to-day production and supply chain, including planning.

Key responsibilities

• Deliver against safety, quality, delivery, productivity and cost targets, turning operational data into priorities with clear ownership.
• Lead operations planning and supply chain performance, aligning demand, capacity, materials and production schedules.
• Improve productivity and efficiency through practical, measurable and sustainable ways of working.
• Take overall responsibility for maintenance, technical reliability, facility management and site infrastructure, strengthening preventive maintenance.
• Develop and manage the CAPEX plan, from identifying needs and preparing business cases to implementation and results review.
• Support industrialisation and the ramp-up of new products, technologies and customer projects, keeping the operation responsive to demand and customer changes.
• Work closely with Engineering, Quality, HR, Finance and Commercial to align decisions and resolve cross-functional issues.
• Develop the Operations Manager and the wider Operations and Supply Chain teams, strengthening leadership, accountability and succession planning.

Required profile

• Master's degree in Engineering or equivalent technical education, with 10-15 years of experience in manufacturing operations and substantial leadership responsibility.
• Experience leading a large, operationally complex manufacturing organisation; high-mix/low-volume production, contract manufacturing, metal processing, machinery, industrial equipment or complex assembly is particularly relevant.
• Strong business and financial understanding, including budgets, operational KPIs, investment business cases and cost-improvement targets.
• Track record of developing managers and teams and planning succession within Operations and Supply Chain.
• Analytical, structured approach to problem solving and change, with a track record of Lean and continuous improvement.
• Fluent Serbian and English, with a commitment to be based at the Smederevo site.