Head of Production

About the role

We are seeking a hands‑on Head of Production to lead our manufacturing organization in Portugal. Reporting to the Head of Operations, you will be the operational deputy responsible for transforming the site into a modern, scalable, and competitive production hub for high‑quality luxury fine parts.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and develop ~70 employees across Polishing, Galvanic finishing, PVD, Maintenance, Assembling and Supply Chain.
• Manage end‑to‑end production flow from demand planning to on‑time delivery, ensuring material availability and quality release.
• Drive Lean management practices, visual shop‑floor routines, standard work, 5S, Kaizen, structured problem solving and bottleneck reduction.
• Improve productivity metrics such as OEE, lead time, yield, scrap, rework, delivery reliability and cost efficiency.
• Accelerate digitalisation through KPI dashboards, shop‑floor data, planning tools, traceability, automation and AI‑supported analytics.
• Ensure safe operations, HSE compliance and proper handling of chemicals, gases, precious metals and sensitive products.
• Collaborate with Industrial Engineering, Quality, Sales, HSE, HR, Finance, Procurement, IT and the broader Oerlikon network.

Required profile

• Degree in Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Production Management or Operations Management.
• 7–10 years of experience in industrial production, including several years in a leadership role.
• Background in surface finishing, polishing, galvanic processes, coatings, PVD or comparable high‑quality manufacturing.
• Proven strength in Lean management, continuous improvement, KPI management and production optimisation.
• Fluent Portuguese and strong English; French or Italian is a plus.
• Ambition to grow into a broader Head of Operations role.

Required skills

• Lean management (Kaizen, 5S, standard work)
• KPI dashboard creation and monitoring
• Production digitalisation tools and AI‑supported analytics
• OEE measurement and improvement
• Production planning and supply‑chain execution software