Director of Operations

ABOUT HEIQ

HeiQ is a Swiss deeptech materials innovator, founded in 2005 as a spin-off of ETH Zurich. We turn breakthrough science into scalable, market-ready material technologies and serve more than 300 brands in over 60 countries. Our Advanced Materials business unit (AMX) develops, produces and commercializes high-performance chemistries for the textile, flooring and industrial sectors – with production in North Carolina, Georgia and Switzerland.

THE OPPORTUNITY

This is not a caretaker position. AMX is entering a new phase under new leadership, with a clear focus on innovation, customer service and operational excellence. We are looking for an ambitious operations leader who wants to take real ownership: run three plants, modernize how they work, and see the impact of every decision on margin, cash and customers.

You will join an international leadership team where your voice counts, decisions are fast and performance is visible. For the right person, this is a career-defining step: full P&L-relevant operations responsibility today, and room to grow into a broader executive role tomorrow.

YOUR MISSION

Build a safe, lean, digitally run operations network that delivers on time, at the right cost and quality, with minimal capital tied up – and that can scale with HeiQ’s innovation pipeline.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Operations leadership

• Translate AMX business priorities into operational plans, clear objectives and measurable results.

• Lead manufacturing, production planning, supply chain, procurement, logistics and inventory management across all sites.

• Establish clear responsibilities, operating routines and escalation paths.

• Align capacity, resources and production priorities with agreed demand and customer commitments.

Manufacturing excelence

• Run safe, reliable and cost-effective production in Concord (NC), Calhoun (GA) and Switzerland.
• Own and reduce raw material cost (RMC) and total production cost (TPC) per product.
• Improve asset utilization, throughput, yield and OEE; lead continuous improvement on the shop floor.
• Plan and execute maintenance, capital investment and facility projects.
• Ensure products consistently meet quality standards and customer specifications.

Digital operations & data

• Own the operational processes in the ERP (Odoo): map, standardize and continuously improve them across sites.
• Automate demand planning, production scheduling and inventory replenishment.
• Establish one source of truth for operational KPIs with real-time dashboards for management.
• Identify and introduce practical digital, automation and AI tools that make the team faster and more accurate.

Supply chain, procurement and inventory

• Optimize inventory levels and turns, and minimize net working capital and expired stock.
• Define sourcing strategies and procurement policies; negotiate with and manage key suppliers.
• Strengthen supply resilience and logistics efficiency, and minimize disruptions.

Safety, environment & compliance

• Champion a culture of safety, accountability and environmental stewardship.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, DOT and all applicable local and Swiss regulations.
• Lead risk management and business continuity planning for the operations network.

Financial performance

• Own the operations budget and the capital maintenance and expenditure plan.
• Drive margin improvement through productivity and cost initiatives; contribute to annual planning and forecasting.

People & leadership

• Lead, coach and develop the site and functional teams; build succession and grow the next generation of leaders.
• Drive change with energy and clarity – bringing experienced teams along while raising the bar.
• Work closely with the EVP and your peers VP Innovation, VP Sales, VP Marketing, VP Finance on new product scale-up, commercialization and market expansion.

DECISION AUTHORITY

You will have autonomy over day-to-day operational execution within approved business priorities, budgets, policies and delegated authority.

Structural changes, new investments, strategic outsourcing and changes to headcount or employment arrangements require the applicable approvals. Product release and approval of quality deviations remain with Regulatory & Compliance.

INITIAL PRIORITIES

First 90 days

Learn the sites, people, products and customers. Take ownership of safety, delivery and quality. Map the end-to-end operational processes and baseline the KPIs.

Months 4–12

Deliver a first wave of cost, inventory and working-capital improvements. Standardize planning, procurement and production processes in Odoo across all sites. Launch an operations dashboard.

Year 2 and beyond

Run a scalable, data-driven operations network that supports new product scale-up and growth – and take on broader leadership responsibility as the business grows.

HOW SUCCESS IS MEASURED

Profitability

Gross margin improvement; raw material (RMC) and total production cost (TPC) per unit; plant utilization

Customer

(OTIF) On-time-in-full delivery; product quality and complaint rate; customer quality satisfaction

Cash

Inventory turns; net working capital; expired / slow-moving inventory reduction

Safety & Compliance

Recordable incident rate; audit and regulatory findings closed on time

Execution

Yield and scrap; supply chain reliability; capital projects delivered on time and on budget

Digital

Share of operational processes mapped, standardized and run in the ERP (Odoo); planning automation and data quality

WHAT YOU BRING

Must-have

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering or Chemistry.
• Minimum 8 years of progressive operations or manufacturing experience in chemical or process industries, including at least 3 years leading teams.
• Hands-on track record in at least two of: production, supply chain/planning, procurement, EHS – and the drive to own all of them.
• Strong ERP experience and a genuine passion for process mapping, automation and data-driven management (Odoo strongly preferred).
• Proven results in cost reduction, inventory/working-capital improvement or Lean / Six Sigma projects.
• Solid understanding of US regulatory requirements (OSHA, EPA, DOT) in a manufacturing environment.
• Authorization to work in the United States; willingness to travel between sites and occasionally to Europe.

Nice-to-have

• MBA or equivalent business education.
• Multi-site or international operations exposure.
• Experience with BI and analytics tools (e.g., Power BI), automation or AI applications in operations.
• Lean / Six Sigma certification.

Who you are

• Owner. You take responsibility for results and do not wait to be asked.
• Digital by default. You see a spreadsheet workaround as a process waiting to be fixed.
• Hands-on leader. Equally credible on the shop floor and in the boardroom.
• Financially sharp. You understand how every operational decision hits margin and cash.
• Change driver. Energetic, structured and resilient – you build momentum and bring people with you.
• Clear communicator. Concise with executives, supportive with teams, firm with suppliers.

WHAT WE OFFER

• A visible leadership role with direct access to the EVP and Group leadership of a Swiss deeptech company.
• Real ownership and the freedom to modernize a multi-site operations network.
• An international, entrepreneurial environment working with innovative technologies and global brands.
• Room to grow into broader executive responsibility as the business develops.
• Competitive compensation package with performance-based incentive.

INTERESTED?

Apply through LinkedIn with your CV. Include a short note describing an operational improvement you led, your contribution and the measurable results.

HeiQ is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic.