Overview
Chief Operating Officer Jobs in Legnica, Dolnośląskie, Poland at Wesconi
Title: Chief Operating Officer
Company: Wesconi
Location: Legnica, Dolnośląskie, Poland
For our client, an international automotive supplier and part of a German plastics technology group, we are looking for an experienced Chief Operating Officer (COO) to lead and further develop production operations in Poland.
Responsibilities:
- Overall responsibility for managing and developing a network of production plants in Poland, including P&L, budget, resources, and performance across the full value chain.
- Implementation of the local site strategy and achievement of targets related to quality, cost, timing, delivery performance, and productivity.
- Development and execution of target visions for the Polish operations in close cooperation with group management and central functions.
- Leadership and further development of all subordinate functions across the value chain.
- Ensuring stable, efficient, and scalable series production in key technologies, including plastic injection moulding, painting, and assembly.
- Responsibility for successful industrialisation, new product launches, and ramp-up phases, while meeting quality, cost, and timing targets.
- Continuous improvement of production and business processes, technologies, and organisational structures to increase efficiency, reliability, and competitiveness.
- Active leadership of change and transformation initiatives to further improve technology, quality, and performance standards.
- Consistent implementation of a LEAN culture, with a strong focus on operational excellence, shop floor management, KPI-based leadership, and sustainable process improvement.
- Further development and implementation of the group production system.
- Ensuring high standards in quality, environment, occupational health and safety, and compliance, including further development of certified management systems according to IATF 16949 and ISO 14001.
- Leadership, coaching, and development of the local management team, creating a performance-oriented, trust-based, and attractive leadership culture.
- Close cooperation with customers, central group functions, and international locations to ensure effective cross-site and cross-functional collaboration.
- Contribution to corporate strategy by supporting the development of future-oriented business models and strategic business areas together with Sales and Business Development.
Requirements:
- University degree in production technology, plastics technology, industrial engineering, or a similar field.
- 8–10 years of management experience in the automotive supplier industry, including at least 5 years in a comparable senior leadership role with full operational and financial responsibility.
- Proven experience in managing a production plant or a network of sites in series production, including P&L responsibility.
- Strong technical background in plastic injection moulding, painting, and assembly, ideally related to advanced plastic components with high functional and surface-quality requirements.
- Several years of experience in new product launches, industrialisation projects, and ramp-ups in series production.
- Strong expertise in operational excellence, LEAN management, shop floor management, and KPI-based performance management.
- Experience in the sustainable development of production systems, organisational structures, and change management processes.
- Excellent knowledge of automotive quality and management systems, especially IATF 16949, ISO 14001, and relevant customer requirements.
- Confident, results-oriented leadership style with strong analytical skills, high implementation capability, and a hands-on mentality.
- Strategic and entrepreneurial mindset combined with pragmatic, solution-oriented action.
- Experience in international corporate structures and strong intercultural competence.
- Fluent Polish and English; German language is an advantage.
