Head of Operations USA

Role description

We are seeking a proactive, technically skilled Head of Operations to lead our first USA plant through two phases:

• Renovation & commissioning: act as the primary on-site liaison between HQ, engineering, the central Project Manager, contractors, vendors, and local stakeholders; keep milestones safe, compliant, and on schedule.
• Operations & ramp-up: t ake over day-to-day plant leadership after commissioning, building routines, leading the team, managing performance, and driving safety, quality, compliance, and continuous improvement.

Your Mission

Your responsibilities will evolve over time and are grouped into two main phases: factory renovation and commissioning first, followed by plant operations, ramp-up, and continuous improvement.

• Project Coordination
  • Oversee day-to-day activities on-site and monitor contractor performance in collaboration with the local PM contractor
  • Track progress against the project schedule and escalate delays or issues
  • Support procurement and logistics for equipment and materials
  • Coordinate inspections and safety
• Technical Support
  • Review construction drawings and equipment layouts for accuracy, coordinating with the global engineering team
  • Assist in commissioning and operational readiness activities in cooperation with OEMs and the global engineering team
• Communication & Reporting
  • Provide structured weekly updates to HQ and the central Project Manager
  • Act as the first point of contact for local stakeholders and vendors

• Operational Handover & Ramp-Up
  • Take ownership of plant operations after commissioning, ensuring a structured ramp-up into stable day-to-day operations.
  • Define and implement operating routines, responsibilities, reporting lines, and escalation paths for the new site in line with global principles and local requirements.
• Team Leadership & Site Management
  • Build, lead, and develop the local operational team, including onboarding, training, performance management, leadership development, and cross-functional collaboration.
  • Manage priorities across production, procurement, quality, safety, and continuous improvement while ensuring clear communication with stakeholders.
• Operational Excellence, Safety & Compliance
  • Establish and continuously improve processes, KPIs, documentation, and standard operating procedures for reliable plant performance.
  • Drive efficiency, safety, quality, and cost discipline across the site while maintaining compliance with applicable local regulations, US workplace safety requirements, and company standards.
  • Identify operational risks, resolve day-to-day issues, and initiate improvement projects as the plant moves from start-up mode into regular operations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or a related technical field, with 8+ years’ relevant experience in plant operations, commissioning, construction coordination, or industrial project management.
• Manufacturing, laboratory, food, flavour, chemistry, or related industry background, with a solid understanding of production/lab operations, operational readiness, safety, quality, and efficiency principles.
• Proven ability to lead teams, contractors, and cross-functional stakeholders, communicate clearly across shop-floor and senior audiences, and work effectively between US site teams and international HQ.
• Hands-on knowledge of permitting, inspections, compliance, US workplace safety requirements, and the ability to manage priorities, escalate risks, and keep work on track independently.
• Experience implementing scalable processes, KPIs, documentation, continuous improvement, and data-driven decision-making.
• Proficiency with digital collaboration/project management tools such as Jira, Confluence, MS Project, or similar, plus excellent English skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience with renovation, greenfield, or brownfield industrial projects from construction through commissioning, handover, and ramp-up.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills, including working with senior leaders, contractors, vendors, and cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Strategic, analytical mindset with experience using operational data to improve productivity, safety, quality, processes, and performance.
• Experience with leadership development, organisational growth, change management, and international collaboration between local teams and HQ.
• Familiarity with US regulatory, permitting, environmental, health and safety, labour compliance, and project/collaboration tools such as Jira, Confluence, or MS Project.
• Conversational Spanish language skills.

Why you'll love working here

• Competitive salary: $110,000 – $140,000 based on experience and qualifications
• Performance-based bonus opportunities
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) fully matched + vested day one
• 20 PTO and holidays
• Fast-track career growth, Employee #1 in North America

Our Process

• Initial Screening Call with a Recruiter
• Interview #1 with the Hiring Manager
• Interview #2 with the Global Head of Production & Engineering
• Challenge (Take-home task)

About us

At Arethia, we fuse our long-standing reputation with a continual push for progress. A rapidly expanding player in the flavour industry, Arethia specialises in delivering innovative taste solutions and co-creating products that consumers love. For more than 70 years, Arethia has been known for its close collaboration with customers and the highest quality standards. With over 350 employees spread across Germany, Switzerland, Dubai, and Indonesia, we aim to shape the future of flavours with a culture that values agility, transparency, and talent.