Head of Manufacturing (all genders)

Blackwave GmbH; Taufkirchen; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Germany ticket

Egym Wellpass

Tax-free Give Card

Lunch culture

Job summary

Blackwave GmbH is seeking a manufacturing leader to build and run a scalable operation that supports fast growth in Germany and the US. You will own production architecture, team development, cost control, and industrial scaling from the shopfloor up.

You will drive lean initiatives, set performance targets with cross-functional teams, and ensure safety, quality, and on-time delivery while reducing waste and cost across the manufacturing value chain.

Qualifications

• 5+ years leading manufacturing teams with 30+ staff.
• Proven serial production ramp-up of complex tech products.
• Strong understanding of lean and industrial production systems.
• Hands-on lean manufacturing, production planning, and control.
• Track record of improving KPIs like OEE, throughput and capacity.
• Fluent German and English for executive and shopfloor comms.

Responsibilities

• Build and scale the manufacturing system for future growth.
• Define targets with Sales, Quality, Supply Chain, PM.
• Increase output, utilization, and capacity with automation.
• Own tooling lifecycle, maintenance strategies, readiness.
• Lead and coach manufacturing teams across units.
• Establish quality systems, traceability, and safety culture.

Skills

Leadership in manufacturing

Serial production ramp-up

Lean manufacturing

Production planning

OEE optimization

German & English

Education

Mechanical Engineering degree

Job description

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

THE WHAT You build and operate the manufacturing system that enables Blackwave to move from prototype development to reliable serial production without sacrificing quality, speed, or people. You own the full manufacturing organization - from production architecture and operational performance to team development, cost control, and industrial scaling.

THE WHY Blackwave is scaling. Fast. The next phase of our mission depends on one thing: a manufacturing operation that can match the ambition of our engineering. This role exists to build that operation from the ground up - not inherit it, not maintain it. Build it. You own the architecture, the team, the performance, and the culture on the shopfloor. If production doesn't scale, we don't scale. It's that simple.

YOUR IMPACT You don't join a manufacturing organization. You build the one that makes our growth possible.

You ensure:

• manufacturing scales from prototype production to industrialized serial production
• production systems, teams, and infrastructure support future growth in Germany and the US
• quality, delivery, safety, and cost targets are achieved simultaneously
• production performance is transparent, measurable, and continuously improving
• manufacturing becomes a competitive advantage rather than a constraint

YOUR tasks in detail and by priority:

Build and scale the manufacturing system Develop and implement the manufacturing architecture for Garching, support international scaling initiatives, and establish the production systems required for future growth, including Lean Manufacturing, 5S, Kanban, SOPs, and industrial operating standards. High Performance: Build a production system that scales without heroics.

Drive production performance and capacity Define production targets together with Sales, Quality, Supply Chain, and Project Management. Increase output, equipment utilization, and manufacturing capacity while driving automation and operational excellence. Accountability: Production performance is measurable, transparent, and owned.

Build robust supply chain and production infrastructure Establish end-to-end production and material flow concepts, ensure material availability, and own tooling, equipment lifecycle, maintenance strategies, and manufacturing readiness. Candor: Solve bottlenecks before they become problems.

Lead and develop the organization Lead and coach manufacturing team leads across Production Control, Production Engineering, Towpreg, Liner, Overwrap, and Inspection & Test. Create a high-performance culture on the shopfloor and establish structured qualification and training systems. Togetherness: Strong teams outperform strong individuals.

Own quality, safety, and continuous improvement Establish robust manufacturing quality systems, full traceability, audit-ready documentation, and a measurable zero-accident safety culture. Continuously improve processes, reduce scrap, downtime, and inefficiencies, and ensure manufacturing readiness is built into product design decisions. Playfulness: Improve the system every day.

YOUR PROFILE

Must-Haves

• 5+ years of leadership experience in complex manufacturing environments with responsibility for teams of 30+ employees.
• Proven experience in serial production and production ramp-up of complex technical products.
• Strong technical understanding of advanced manufacturing technologies and industrial production systems.
• Hands-on experience with Lean Manufacturing, production planning, resource management, and production control systems.
• Demonstrated success in building scalable manufacturing organizations and improving KPIs such as OEE, throughput, yield, scrap, or capacity utilization.
• Fluent German and English, with the ability to communicate effectively from executive level to shopfloor operators.

Nice to have

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a comparable technical discipline.
• Experience in aerospace, composite manufacturing, regulated industries, audit environments, or greenfield manufacturing projects.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Choose your own benefit: Germany ticket, Egym Wellpass, or a tax-free Give Card
• Healthy & social lunch culture: Fresh meals during shared lunch breaks
• High level of autonomy & real impact: You own a critical seam in the business - between what we sell and what we build
• Startup mindset meets aerospace innovation: Flat hierarchies, fast decisions, and space for your ideas
• Stunning views: Rooftop terrace with views of the Alps in Taufkirchen, or indoor garden in Garching-Hochbrück
• Growth opportunities: Work on technically demanding projects with real stakes
• We live our team culture: From tech talks to team events and after-work gatherings - we celebrate success together

#LI-Onsite #manufacturing #production #operations #leanmanufacturing #aerospace #copv

About us

Blackwave designs, manufactures and ships flight-qualified, commercial off-the-shelf composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) for launch vehicles and satellites. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Munich, Germany, the company delivers COPVs from a standardized portfolio with flight heritage. The approach reduces lead time from months to days while ensuring that each tank is qualified and flight-ready. Blackwave's mission is to end COPV failure in spaceflight. The company employs more than 150 people across manufacturing facilities in Germany and Texas.

More information at Blackwave.com and the procurement platform COPV.com.