256 – Plant Manager – Werkleiter Hungary

About Our Client:

Our client is a German-owned manufacturing group in the industrial sector, known for quality, precision, and long-term stability. The company operates several production facilities globally, including a strategically important plant in North-East Hungary, commutable from Miskolc, Eger, Nyíregyháza, or even Debrecen. With approximately 50 employees on site and a high degree of automation, this facility plays a key role in the group’s European production network. To lead this site into its next phase of operational excellence, we are seeking a permanent Plant Manager / Werkleiter who can provide strong leadership on the ground and serve as a trusted partner to Group HQ in Germany.

Project Description:

We are searching for a hands-on, production-focused Plant Manager with full responsibility for the site’s operations. Key responsibilities include: • Lead production, maintenance, logistics, quality, and on-site support functions • Manage and coach the local leadership team and be the operational head of the plant • Work in a dual leadership structure with a local commercial manager (Kaufmännischer Leiter) • Drive operational KPIs, lean initiatives, and team motivation • Ensure alignment with Group HQ in Germany and contribute to strategic improvements • Lead the site with discipline, structure, and people-focused communication The Plant Manager will report directly to the Group’s CEO and is expected to be present on-site full time.

Interim Manager Required Skills:

We are looking for a proven operations leader with the maturity and clarity to lead in a high-performance, mid-size manufacturing environment. You bring: • Minimum 10–15 years of leadership in industrial, automotive, or metal-based manufacturing • Proven experience with lean manufacturing, KPI implementation, and shopfloor improvement • A hands-on mindset: you lead from the Gemba, not the office • Fluent English is required; German is a strong asset; Hungarian is preferred • Experience navigating German-Hungarian cultural dynamics and corporate expectations • Strong interpersonal skills with clear, direct, and respectful communication • Willingness to relocate or commute daily to North-East Hungary

Key Requirements:

Lean Management, Operational Excellence, Performance Improvement

Type of Assignment:

• Permanent

Scope of Interim Assignment:

• Operational Excellence, Efficiency and Productivity

Functional Area of the Interim Manager:

• Plant Management

Location:

• North East Hungary

Duration:

• Permanent Role

Start Date:

• upon agreement

Why work with us?

CE Interim delivers proven executive interim leaders within 72 hours across borders, cultures, and industries. We specialize in high-impact interim management for private equity firms, family offices, and global corporations facing moments of transition: digital transformation, market entry, operational turnaround, post-merger integration, or crisis. What sets us apart is not just the speed or depth of our network, it’s how we lead. Every engagement is personally guided by a CE Interim managing partner: former CEOs, CFOs, or COOs who’ve been on your side of the table, steering organizations through high-stakes decisions. With a global talent pool and operational reach spanning Europe, the USA, and the Middle East, we don’t fill roles, we build trust, lead transitions, and deliver outcomes. As part of the Valtus Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of Executive Interim Management companies, we ensure seamless international execution through 25+ offices and 80+ senior partners in over 50 countries.

Executive Leadership Breaking Borders. Outcomes Without Compromise.