Vice President for Operations

Do you want to dive in the fast-growing industry of drones and get a rewarding experience in a dynamic start-up environment?

At Flyability, we believe that robots should be sent into hazardous places and dangerous situations instead of humans. To support our belief, we created Elios, the world’s first collision-tolerant flying robot that for the first time allows remote entry to complex and indoor spaces. With more than 130 employees, Flyability is the pioneer and market leader in the UAV indoor inspection industry. Joining Flyability is not just taking on a new job, it is seizing the opportunity to improve the life of millions of people and build the future of robotics.

To complete our creative and dynamic team in Lausanne, we are seeking a

Vice President for Operations

Starting date: as soon as possible

Your role:

As our Vice President of Operations, you will be a member of our executive committee, reporting directly to the CEO. You will be responsible for the leadership of our 25-30 people operations team, with 4 direct reports, ensuring efficiency, scalability, and excellence across all aspects of our value chain. This encompasses the seamless flow of our innovative robotic solutions from sourcing and manufacturing to customer delivery, ongoing support, and adherence to the highest quality standards. You will be instrumental in optimizing our processes, fostering collaboration across international teams, and driving continuous improvement to support our ambitious growth trajectory. Your ability to inspire and lead teams to achieve tangible results will be critical in translating our strategic vision into concrete operational achievements.

What you will own:

• Supply Chain Management: Developing and executing robust sourcing strategies, managing supplier relationships, optimizing inventory levels on various sites, planning manufacturing, and ensuring a reliable and cost-effective supply of components.
• Manufacturing Operations: Overseeing our production processes, ensuring efficiency improvements, scaling manufacturing capabilities to meet growing demand, and maintaining optimal production flow.
• Quality: Leading and developing our quality assurance and control functions, establishing and enforcing quality standards, implementing robust quality management systems, and ensuring product reliability and costs.
• Customer Support & Customer success: Leading our customer support teams, ensuring exceptional service delivery for both hardware and software products, developing effective support strategies, and developing customer success.
• Operations-Related Projects: Spearheading and overseeing cross-functional projects aimed at improving operational efficiency, implementing new technologies, and optimizing our global footprint.
• Team Leadership and Development: Building, mentoring, and empowering a high-performing operations team across different functional areas and geographical locations, fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability.
• Budget Management: Developing and managing the operations budget, ensuring cost-effectiveness and maximizing resource utilization.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Working closely with other executive team members and department heads to align operational strategies with overall business objectives.
• Global Coordination: Facilitating effective communication and collaboration between our offices in Switzerland, Denver, Singapore, and Shanghai to ensure seamless global operations.

Your profile:

We are looking for a highly experienced and results-oriented leader with a proven track record in scaling operations within a technology-driven environment. The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• A university degree in Engineering (e.g., Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial) or Business Administration with a strong technical aptitude.
• A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in operations leadership roles, preferably within the robotics, automation, or a related high-tech industry with a hardware manufacturing component
• Demonstrated success in managing global supply chains, manufacturing processes, industrialization, quality departments, and customer support functions.
• Proven ability to develop and implement operational strategies that drive efficiency, quality, and scalability, with a strong focus on achieving measurable results.
• Exceptional ability to inspire and motivate teams to achieve ambitious goals, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills 1 with the ability to build strong relationships and influence stakeholders 2 across different cultures and time zones.
• Fluency in English is essential. Proficiency in French is an asset.
• Experience working in a scale-up environment and navigating the challenges and opportunities associated with rapid growth.
• A strategic mindset with the ability to think both tactically and strategically.

Perks & Benefits You'll Love:

• Enjoy 25 vacation days per year, plus all public holidays to recharge and explore
• Stay secure with comprehensive accident insurance covering medical treatments and hospitalization
• Work your way with flexible schedules and the option to work remotely up to 2 days per week
• Boost your well-being with discounts on gym memberships and sports events
• Access exclusive benefits through Swibeco, our platform that offers discounts and rewards at a wide range of retailers and services.
• Connect with your team at exciting events like our ski weekend, summer barbecue, and after-work gatherings

… and so much more! Apply now to discover all we have to offer.

Flyability is a young Swiss company that values independent thinking combined with a collaborative spirit. Every day, you will have the opportunity to share your ideas and contribute to solving problems. We all work together, and each voice is important to move forward.

Ready to join?

We know the confidence gap and impostor syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates, so please don't hesitate to apply —regardless of your past experience or resume, we'd love to hear from you.

* Note for recruitment agencies: We are not engaging with recruitment agencies for this position. We appreciate your understanding and request no outreach.