Group Manufacturing Director – Europe & Asia Manufacturing Interface

Conex Bänninger; Wetzlar; On-site; EUR 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Conex Bänninger seeks a Group Manufacturing Director to lead Europe and Asia manufacturing interfaces across multiple sites. The role directs operational, financial, and strategic performance, ensuring safe, efficient, cost-competitive, and customer-focused operations.

This senior position requires strong engineering leadership, extensive international travel, and a track record of delivering KPI-driven results across diverse markets.

Qualifications

• PHAR sector knowledge or related industrial manufacturing experience.
• Excellent spoken and written English communication.
• Willingness to travel extensively across Europe and Asia.

Responsibilities

• Ensure all facilities meet budgeted KPIs.
• Capacity Utilization: 85–95% target.
• Manufacturing Lead Time: ≤ budget target.
• Unplanned Downtime: < 2% of available hours.
• Oversee Capex delivery within approved budgets.
• Quality: regulatory compliance and COPQ targets.
• Supply Chain coordination with regional leadership.
• Health, Safety & Environment: 100% compliance and audits.

Skills

Fluent English

Willingness to travel

Job description

Group Manufacturing Director – Europe & Asia Manufacturing Interface

Wetzlar or Attendorn Germany, Cordoba Spain or Poznan Poland Full Time Competitive

The Manufacturing Director is accountable for the operational, financial, and strategic performance of all European manufacturing facilities and the effective coordination with Asian manufacturing partners where required.

The primary objective is to achieve or exceed all budgeted KPIs while ensuring safe, efficient, cost-competitive, and customer-focused manufacturing operations.

The role requires a strong engineering and manufacturing background with proven multi-site leadership experience.

Key Responsibilities & KPI Accountability
Operational Performance

• Ensure all manufacturing facilities achieve budgeted operational targets.
• Capacity Utilization: 85–95%
• Manufacturing Lead Time: ≤ Budget Target
• Unplanned Downtime: < 2% of available hours
• Attendance at Major Strategic Trade Fairs.

Cost Management & Profitability
Own all manufacturing costs and continuously improve competitiveness.

• Manufacturing Cost per Unit: ≤ Budget
• Factory Overhead Variance: ≤ ±2% to Budget
• Annual Productivity Savings: Minimum 3–5% of manufacturing spend
• Scrap & Waste Cost: ≤ 1.5% of production value
• Inventory Obsolescence: ≤ 0.5% of inventory value

Quality Performance
Ensure products consistently meet customer and regulatory requirements.

• Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ): ≤ Budget
• Corrective Action Closure: 100% within agreed timeline
• Implement necessary regulatory requirements: 100% within required timeline

Supply Chain Execution
Work closely with the Supply Chain Director to deliver customer service objectives and execute the approved production plan.

• Recovery Plans for Schedule Risks: Implemented within 24 hours

Capital Expenditure Management
Prepare, justify, execute and monitor capital investment projects.

• Annual Capex Delivery: 100% within approved budget
• Payback Achievement: Within approved business case timeline
• Monthly Post-Investment Reviews: 100% completed
• Annual Productivity Gain from Capex: ≥ Target approved in business case

Asia Manufacturing Coordination
Ensure alignment, performance, quality, cost competitiveness, and supply reliability from Asian manufacturing operations.

• Quarterly Supplier Performance Reviews: 100% completed
• Corrective Actions Closed on Time: ≥ 95%

Health, Safety & Environment
Ensure a safe working environment and full regulatory compliance.

• Recordable Incident Rate: Continuous annual reduction
• Safety Audits Completed: 100%
• Corrective Actions Closed: 100% within target date
• Environmental Compliance: Zero violations

Leadership & Team Development
Demonstrates the energy, resilience and organisational capability to successfully lead a demanding international manufacturing operation with frequent weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual business reviews, performance meetings and international travel.

• Management Succession Coverage: 100% of key roles
• Annual Training Completion: 100%
• Voluntary Employee Turnover: ≤ Budget
• Individual Performance Reviews Completed: 100%

Business Partnership & Communication
Collaborate closely with Commercial, Sales, Supply Chain and Executive Leadership teams.

• Monthly Manufacturing Performance Review: 100% completed
• KPI Reporting Accuracy: 100%
• Cross-Functional Improvement Projects: Minimum 5 per year
• Executive Action Plans Closed on Time: ≥ 95%
• Escalated Critical Issues Resolved: Within agreed timeline

Reporting & Governance
The Manufacturing Director shall:

• Deliver monthly KPI reporting against budget and prior year
• Present operational and financial performance to the CEO monthly.
• Escalate significant risks within 24 hours.
• Implement corrective action plans for any KPI below target.
• Maintain a rolling 12-month manufacturing improvement plan.

Customer Relationship Management

• Ensure that the BUDs and their teams have a disciplined approach to call planning (and CRM usage?)

Experience & Qualifications

• Ideally possesses knowledge and experience within the Plumbing, Heating, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration (PHAR) sector or closely related industrial manufacturing sectors.
• Excellent communication skills with fluent spoken and written English.
• Willingness and ability to undertake extensive international travel across Europe and Asia.

Success Measure
The Manufacturing Director will be considered successful when:

• Budgeted EBITDA contribution from manufacturing is achieved or exceeded.
• All manufacturing facilities meet or exceed agreed operational, quality, service, safety and financial KPIs.
• Capital investments achieve approved returns and payback periods.
• Customer service commitments are consistently met.
• Continuous year-on-year improvements are delivered in productivity, cost, quality, and safety.