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Head of Global Manufacturing

Black Swans Exist • 2d ago

Job Title: Head of Global Manufacturing

The opportunity

A fast-growing life science tools company headquartered in Denmark is transitioning from primarily relying on third-party manufacturing to moving most assembly in-house. The company is seeking a Head of Global Manufacturing to build and scale the operational backbone across procurement, assembly, inventory/warehouse, and order management to support continued growth.

This is a hands-on, player-coach role. The Head of Global Manufacturing will build the operating system, execute where needed, and scale a small team and supplier base over time.

Location: Greater Copenhagen area (Søborg), with collaboration across local labs in Boston and San Francisco.

Reporting line

Reports to: CEO
Partners closely with: R&D/Engineering, Quality, Customer Support/Service, Commercial Operations, Finance

What the role will own (core responsibilities)

1) In-house assembly & manufacturing execution

Stand up and run in-house instrument assembly (workstations/cells, tooling, test benches, ESD controls, QC gates, packaging).
Own day-to-day execution to meet build targets (~60 units in 2026 and readiness for 100+ units in 2027).
Establish and maintain standard work, work instructions, routings, and training/certification for technicians.
Drive first-pass yield, root-cause problem solving, and practical deviation handling during ramp.

2) Procurement & supplier management

Own procurement for electromechanical BOMs and critical components, including RFQs, negotiation, and supplier performance management.
Build and maintain a critical parts strategy (lead-time control, second sourcing, alternates, supply risk mitigation).
Collaborate with engineering on specification clarity, manufacturability, and change timing that protects delivery commitments.

3) Inventory, warehouse & material flow

Build and operate the end-to-end material flow: receiving, put-away, kitting, cycle counting, line replenishment.
Implement inventory discipline (locations, labeling/barcoding, transaction accuracy, cycle count cadence).
Design warehouse layout and processes that support speed, accuracy, and predictable build flow.

4) Order management, fulfillment & logistics

Own the order-to-ship process: confirmed order – build slot – assembly – QC release – pack/ship.
Manage logistics and shipping partners and ensure smooth export documentation where needed.
Create reliable delivery promises through clear build planning and stakeholder alignment.

5) Operating system & cadence (moving beyond spreadsheets)

Select and implement a fit-for-purpose ERP/MRP/light ops stack that the team actually uses day-to-day.
Establish the weekly operating rhythm: demand/build plan, shortages, supplier ETAs, shipment outlook, yield/rework, inventory accuracy.
Build dashboards and mechanisms that drive decisions—not reporting theater.

6) Team leadership

Recruit, train, and lead a small operations team (technicians and ops support) as volume ramps.
Set a culture of ownership, quality, and continuous improvement with practical processes.

What success looks like (12–24 months)

In-house assembly is live, stable, and scalable with predictable throughput and quality.
Production targets are met (~60 units/year) and the organization is operationally ready for 100+ units/year.
Supply is reliable: lead times are understood and controlled, critical components are second-sourced, and shortages are reduced.
Inventory accuracy is high and kitting/material flow prevents line stoppages.
Order-to-ship performance is dependable with clear QC release and logistics execution.
A lightweight system replaces spreadsheet-driven ops, enabling planning and execution with clean data.

Must-have experience & capabilities

Proven hands-on leadership in manufacturing/assembly operations for electromechanical products (instruments, automation, robotics, devices, etc.).
Strong procurement and supplier management experience (RFQs, negotiation, lead times, quality expectations).
Demonstrated ability to set up inventory/warehouse processes and kitting for assembly environments.
Experience implementing and driving adoption of operational systems (MRP/ERP or lightweight alternatives).
Ability to build structure (standard work, cadence, metrics) in a scaling environment without over-bureaucratizing.
Comfortable operating close to the work—player-coach mindset.