Operations Manager China

The organisation

Our client, AWL China, is a branch of AWL-Techniek in Harderwijk, The Netherlands, a leading global company in the manufacturing industry. AWL designs and builds production systems for the automotive and metalworking industries where automated (laser) welding machines play a vital role. AWL is an open, progressive and innovative organization with a culture highlighted by 700 dedicated employees who put the customer first.

AWL China (Wuxi, Jiangsu – 2 hours from Shanghai) was established in 2013 and is growing fast. In 2018 AWL China employs more than 100 employees and the revenue will grow beyond 100 million RMB (13 M€). AWL expects this growth to continue in a similar pace as the last couple of years. We are looking for an Operations Manager China.

The position

In this position you are responsible for the entire operational process. This comprises managing about 70-80 people, working in the local Project Management, Engineering, Assembling and Logistic departments.

You translate company strategy into policy and development plans for the organization. Optimizing the organization is daily work, whereby you follow the business process and adjust where necessary for finances, planning, quality and safety. You ensure correct planning for the required capacity and translate the planning from a strategic to an operational level.

Your natural leadership qualities enable you to get the best out of people, to motivate staff and you are actually visibly present on the shop floor. Together with the team leaders, you improve the assembly processes by among others the application of Lean manufacturing principles. You have a critical eye for signalling bottlenecks and are able to proactively find solutions for them. You also ensure proper coordination with the mother company in the Netherlands and branch offices. This will entail regular international travel.

You will report to the (Dutch/Chinese) General Manager and work closely together with him and the Chinese Sales Manager.

Candidate profile

You have a completed bachelor or master’s degree in technical/industrial engineering. You are a technically/analytically motivated manager with professional and intellectual abilities for higher management positions. You have a solid background and work experience in the field of mechatronic engineering. You are a  team builder with over 5 years of experience in leading professionals, able to empower professionals to reach excellent performance. You have knowledge and experience in organizational effectiveness and Lean management. Experience with regular contacts to (external) customers and suppliers.

You have excellent communication skills, both verbal and in writing, in English language. Knowledge of Dutch or Chinese is a plus, as is experience within the automotive industry. You already have some years of working experience in China, and are familiar with cultural differences and how to handle them.

The offer

AWL offers a challenging position in an attractive, innovative and growing company. The company is well known for its excellent training and career opportunities.

Interested?

If you are interested in this position please use the link below. For more information please contact the consultants in charge Gertjan van de Groep and Wim de Kruijf,  +31 346 – 87 00 20.