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 chan…

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