Head of Production (m/f/d) – Honext x WEPA

dreibrüder.; Mittweida; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Honext x WEPA GmbH is launching a new circular fibreboard plant in Kriebstein, Saxony. As Head of Production you will lead the plant from project phase to steady operation, owning the build-up and the team that runs Europe’s next circular fibreboard facility.

You will drive safety, quality and efficiency, set lean processes and KPIs, and negotiate with international partners in English. This is a hands-on leadership role in a start-up with industrial backing from two established groups, offering

Qualifications

• Several years of leadership experience in production and team development.
• Experience coordinating projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Business fluent English, confident to negotiate.
• A degree in engineering or comparable qualification.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop production team from day one.
• Drive plant build-up from ramp-up to stable production.
• Coordinate between project management, engineering, suppliers, authorities and shareholders.
• Make decisions on safety, environment, quality and operations.
• Set up lean processes, standards and KPIs for efficiency.
• Own production budget and performance, driving continuous improvement.
• Represent the plant in English with international partners.

Skills

Leadership experience

Project coordination

Business English

Engineering mindset

Education

Engineering degree (mechanical/production)

Job description

About Honext x WEPA

Honext x WEPA GmbH is a new joint venture between two family businesses:

What You Can Expect

About Honext x WEPA

Honext x WEPA GmbH is a new joint venture between two family businesses: Honext Material (Barcelona), a pioneer in circular building materials, and the WEPA Group (Arnsberg), one of Europe's leading hygiene paper producers with more than 4,500 employees at 15 sites.

Together we are building a new production plant in Kriebstein, Saxony, right next to WEPA's paper mill. There we turn fibres recovered from waste paper recycling into HONEXT® fibreboards: resin-free, lightweight, fire-retardant, acoustically strong and fully recyclable at end of life. The boards are Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold and used in interior design, wall and ceiling cladding, acoustic panels and furniture.

The project is backed by the European Investment Bank. Now we need the person who turns it into a running plant.

Your mission

You build it. As Head of Production you are one of the first leaders in a start-up with the backing of two established industrial partners. You lead the plant from project phase to steady operation: you drive the build-up, coordinate everyone involved, make the calls and grow the team that will run Europe's next circular fibreboard plant.

This is not a role for administering what exists. It is for someone who wants to own the result, think like an entrepreneur and see their decisions turn into a working factory.

What You'll Do

• Lead people: Hire, lead and develop the production team from day one. You set the tone for a culture of ownership, collaboration and high performance.
• Drive the build-up: Push the plant project forward with drive and pace, from ramp-up to stable series production, and turn plans into results.
• Coordinate the project: Act as the central link between project management, engineering, technology suppliers, authorities and both shareholders, Honext and WEPA.
• Make decisions: Take responsibility for critical decisions on safety, environment, quality and operations, and stand behind them.
• Build structures: Set up lean processes, standards and KPIs that make the plant efficient and competitive from the start.
• Own the numbers: Take responsibility for production budget, costs and performance, and improve them continuously.
• Represent the plant: Negotiate and communicate confidently in English with international partners, suppliers and the team in Barcelona.

What We Expect From You

Must-haves

• Several years of leadership experience in production, ideally as plant or production manager, with a track record of leading and developing teams.
• Experience in driving projects and coordinating many stakeholders at once.
• Business fluent English, confident enough to negotiate.
• A degree in engineering (e.g. mechanical, process or production engineering, industrial engineering) or a comparable qualification.

Big pluses

• Experience in the paper industry, or in related fields such as pulp, board, wood-based panels or furniture.
• Start-up experience or experience building up a plant, line or organisation from scratch.

Who You Are

• You want to build something and you identify with what you build: circular production, made in Saxony.
• You are driven, hands-on and want to carry responsibility.
• You think like an entrepreneur: you weigh costs, risks and opportunities and decide.
• You lead with clarity and stay calm and solution-oriented when things move fast.

What We Offer You

• Real impact: Shape structures, processes and the team of a new plant from the very beginning.
• Start-up spirit with industrial backing: Short decision paths and high autonomy, combined with the expertise and resources of Honext and WEPA.
• A product with purpose: Help scale a circular material that turns paper industry residues into high-quality boards.
• Growth: A role that grows with the company, with room for professional and personal development.
• International setting: Close collaboration with teams in Germany and Spain.

About Us

We are PeopleX. We bring together people who fit professionally and culturally.

We are an in-house as well as external HR consultancy specializing in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. Our goal is to find, develop, and retain employees who fit both professionally and culturally, to shape a successful and sustainable future collaboratively.