Global Engineering Director (m/f/d)

RIMOWA GmbH; Köln; Hybrid; EUR 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days vacation

Discount on assortment

Company pension

Canteen

Urban Sports Club and transit

International opportunities

Job summary

RIMOWA GmbH is seeking a Global Engineering Director to lead the international engineering function, set capex strategy, and elevate manufacturing excellence across all sites. This executive role is based at the Cologne head office and reports to the COO.

The candidate will drive standards, lifecycle management, and digitalization initiatives while mentoring plant engineering teams and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant technical field.
• At least 10 years of progressive leadership in industrial management.
• Deep knowledge of manufacturing processes, lean initiatives, and productivity improvement.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and align cross-functional teams.
• Fluent in English and German.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive global engineering and capex strategy across production sites.
• Strengthen industrial competitiveness with consistency and scalability.
• Govern manufacturing standards, BOP, and BOE for best-in-class execution.
• Oversee new products and processes through robust project management and validation.
• Lead lean and digital manufacturing initiatives across all plants.

Skills

Leadership experience

Bilingual English/German

Strategic thinking

Lean manufacturing

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Master's in Mechanical/Industrial Eng.

Job description

Welcome to RIMOWA, the first German Maison of the LVMH Group. We are a global lifestyle brand with a mission to create
the essential tools for a lifetime of travel.
For more than 125 years, we've dedicated ourselves to develop unique products where function coexists with luxury, heritage with innovation, and craftsmanship with design.

At RIMOWA we believe that great ambitions demand resilient companions. It's why our tools are created with longevity in mind. Because the most meaningful journeys last more than a trip, they last a lifetime. Please join us to discover your own.

AsGlobal Engineering Director (m/f/d) you lead our global engineering function, drive our industrial Capex strategy, and elevate our manufacturing excellence across all production sites. The position is located in our Head Office in Cologne, Germany.

YOUR TASKS:

• Strategic Leadership: Define and drive RIMOWA's global engineering and Industrial Capex strategy across all production sites, ensuring full alignment on manufacturing standards, processes, equipment, and continuous improvement priorities.
• Global Industrial Competitiveness: Strengthen our market position by building consistency, scalability, and operational excellence across all regions.
• Standards & Governance: Define, implement, and govern global standards for manufacturing processes, equipment, Bill of Process (BOP), and Bill of Equipment (BOE) to ensure best-in-class execution.
• Industrialization & Lifecycle Management: Oversee the successful introduction of new products and processes through robust project management, validation discipline, and "right first time" execution.
• Continuous Improvement & Digitalization: Lead continuous improvement initiatives using lean methodologies, time studies, and productivity enhancement programs, while steering our digital manufacturing transformation across all plants.
• Gap Analysis & Action Planning: Assess manufacturing site capabilities, identify performance and competency gaps, and lead cross-functional action plans to close them sustainably.
• Organization & Talent Development: Lead and mentor plant engineering teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance while driving succession planning.
• Technology & Innovation: Partner with internal stakeholders and external suppliers to evaluate and implement advanced manufacturing solutions and engineering innovations.
• Senior Stakeholder Collaboration: Act as a key escalation point for complex engineering topics and provide data-driven recommendations to the COO and senior leadership team.

Profil

YOUR PROFILE:

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a comparable technical field.
• At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience in industrial management, with extensive background in engineering, manufacturing, process development, and industrialization.
• Deep knowledge of manufacturing processes, process optimization, equipment solutions, lean initiatives, and productivity improvement.
• Proven capability to lead through complexity and change, influence senior stakeholders, and align cross-functional teams.
• Strategic mindset combined with a strong execution focus, sound technical judgment, and a passion for continuous improvement. Exceptional analytical skills and the ability to inspire diverse teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with full professional fluency in both English and German.
• Willingness to travel internationally as required by global operations.

OUR BENEFITS:

• 30 days paid vacation per year
• RIMOWA Essential Cabin suitcase as a gift after the probationary period
• Corporate benefits and 30% discount on the RIMOWA assortment
• Company pension scheme with a high employer contribution or other capital-forming benefits
• Great canteen with freshly cooked and affordable food
• Urban Sports Club membership, public transportation ticket & job bike (partly subsidized)
• International environment and development opportunities within LVMH

Celebrating our inclusive and diverse culture is core to RIMOWA's DNA. We know that for our business to thrive, we depend on having diverse talent with a range of backgrounds, skills and capabilities in each of the countries in which we operate and to reflect our broad consumer base. We view diversity as one of the key enablers that helps our business to grow.