Technical Production Manager

Technical Production Manager – Greenfield Plant China

Technical Manager for a greenfield industrial ramp-up in China, leading the setup, commissioning, and scaling of a new manufacturing operation while building local teams, processes, and operational excellence within an international group.

Your responsibilities and tasks

• Lead and develop the technical operations of a new industrial plant in China, ensuring alignment with Group production standards, operational procedures, and quality expectations during a greenfield ramp-up phase.
• Build, coordinate, and manage the local plant organization, including team setup, recruitment, training, and development of a high-performing operational culture with strong shopfloor presence.
• Oversee plant ramp-up activities including commissioning readiness, operational stability, production performance, and continuous improvement of technical and operational processes.
• Act as key interface between local operations and international Group stakeholders, ensuring effective translation of global technical standards into local execution and alignment between HQ-led project activities and on-site implementation.
• Support budgeting, investment planning, reporting, and operational decision-making related to plant build-up, capacity development, and future operational scaling.
• Ensure full compliance with safety, environmental, permitting, and regulatory requirements while representing the company towards authorities, suppliers, and external operational partners.

Your experience and background

• University degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or another relevant technical discipline; background in woodworking or wood-based industries is considered an advantage.
• Proven experience in plant or production management within an industrial manufacturing environment, ideally in technically complex or investment-driven operations.
• Strong experience in international and matrix organizations, with the ability to operate effectively across local and global stakeholder environments.
• Demonstrated experience in greenfield projects, plant build-ups, large investment programs, or industrial ramp-up environments is highly preferred.
• Strong operational background in production scaling, commissioning, start-up stabilization, and continuous improvement within manufacturing operations.
• Solid understanding of permitting, environmental, and regulatory frameworks related to industrial operations in China.
• Fluent in Mandarin Chinese and English, with strong communication and leadership capabilities in an international setting.

Interested?

For more additional information, please contact Wouter Snauwaert on

[email protected].

This recruitment is exclusively performed by Mercuri Urval.

About our client

Our client is a privately owned international industrial group and a major producer of wood-based and engineered materials for interior and construction-related applications. The group operates an extensive international production network and serves a broad range of industrial customers across furniture, interior design, architecture, and construction sectors. It is recognized for its focus on product quality, industrial efficiency, and sustainable resource use, combining large-scale manufacturing capabilities with a long-term, value-driven approach to growth.

In China, the organization is continuing to develop its market presence, with ongoing efforts to strengthen local capabilities and further build out its organizational and operational structure in line with market evolution.