As pioneers and global leader, Hiab is ambitious to write forward our success story, inspiring and shaping our industry. The world in which we operate with our class-leading products, intelligent services and innovative digital solutions is constantly changing.
Purpose of the position
The Operations Director is responsible for developing, leading, and continuously improving all aspects of Division Operations, ensuring sustainable performance in Safety, Quality, Delivery, Inventory, and Productivity.
This role drives operational excellence through strategic leadership, stakeholder engagement, and disciplined execution of lean manufacturing and business processes, aligned with the Division and Hiab Business Line growth strategies.
Main tasks and responsibilities
Safety
1. Promoting the importance of Environmental, Health and Safety culture, with the responsibility of securing own and co-workers’ safety and health at all times in line with the Company’s Health and Safety statement, policy and Risk Assessments
Quality
2. Responsibility and ownership of PSC product quality processes and drawing specifications in line with customer expectations
3. Embrace a zero-defects and right-first-time culture within an overall total cost of quality framework
Delivery & Capacity Management
4. Develop long and short-term capacity plans to meet customer demand
5. Secure resources and competencies to manage the strategy and day-to-day operations
6. Ownership of the SMR/ S&OP process to balance Supply to Demand
7. Develop long and short-term capacity plans to meet customer demand
Inventory
8. Ensure the delivery of a material replenishment strategy in line with the PSC inventory policy
Productivity & Operational Excellence
9. Determine and implement annual plans and budgets to achieve overall strategic objectives
10. Develop and monitor performance goals (KPI’s) to achieve overall financial targets and initiate corrective and preventive actions when necessary
11. Create and embrace a true culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement
12. Develop and deliver a sustainable operations roadmap to embrace Industry 4.0 and digitization for the PSC.
13. Develop and monitor performance goals (KPI’s) to achieve overall financial targets and initiate corrective and preventive actions when necessary
14. Implement World-class principles to secure the most cost-efficient production in the business
15. Direct, support and coach your teams to secure continuous improvement of the right competencies, efficient working methods and stimulating working environment
People Leadership
16. Lead by example, embodying and promoting Hiab values and leadership behaviors
17. Build, develop, and coach a high-performing operations team
18. Ensure organizational design aligns with business needs (right-sizing and competence management)
19. Secure and develop critical competencies for future business needs.
What you’ll need to succeed
Education
20. Bachelor’s degree and/or Master’s degree in a relevant engineering or business discipline
Experience
21. Minimum7-10 years of relevant Technical Industry experience (i.e. truck, construction machines, agriculture, or automotive) in production and supply chain management
22. At least 5–7 years in a modern factory management role, including 3–5 years at a senior management level within a multinational/global organization
23. Deep understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles and their link to business strategy
24. Experience in unionized environments and employee relations management preferred
25. Cross-functional exposure to Supply Chain, R&D, Sourcing, Sales & Service
26. Flexible to travel as required
Core Competencies
27. Strategic Thinking: Clarifies and translates strategy into actionable plans and measurable results
28. Organizational Awareness: Considers historical context and stakeholder impact in decisions
29. Results Orientation: Drives accountability, performance, and timely decision-making
30. Continuous Improvement: Champions innovation and change; challenges the status quo constructively
31. Leadership & People Development: Inspires, motivates, and develops teams; builds a performance culture
32. Communication & Influence: Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills; effective cross-functional collaborator
33. Problem Solving: Analytical, data-driven, with a pragmatic “can-do” approach
34. Business Acumen: Customer-focused, commercially astute, and ethically driven.
You will be part of
As part of a global organization, you will gain access to an extensive network and exciting development projects. At the same time, we value personal development and the close collaboration that characterizes our local operations. Cooperation, commitment, quality, and order are the guiding principles we work by. We are constantly working to maintain a pleasant and enjoyable work environment for our employees with opportunities to grow in your role and develop it further.