Position
Strategic and hands-on driver of industrial scale-up
As COO, you are the executive owner of end-to-end execution across the Simera Sense Group operations, serving as the CEO's natural second-in-command.
You are responsible for translating high-level strategy into predictable, scalable execution while ensuring that industrial and operational systems are fit for sustained growth and rigorous investor scrutiny. In other words:
* You will lead and scale all operational functions—including supply chain optimization and resilience, assembly, integration, testing, and production—while translating company strategy into actionable operational plans, KPIs, and capacity roadmaps.
* You drive production throughput, yield, and quality across global sites by leading local Managing Directors and establishing a central Group PMO Project Management Office (PMO) to ensure delivery predictability and cross-site coordination.
* Ensure high performance and resilience across the global supplier ecosystem while maintaining rigorous quality assurance, compliance, and industrial discipline.
* You’ll serve as a permanent member of the Defence Programme Office (DPO) to enforce export control. Represent the company’s operational strengths to partners, investors, and institutional stakeholders.
* And finally you lead the transition to a digitally integrated operating model using AI-supported tools and live reporting to establish an Industry 5.0 organization.
Profile
* You understand that a company is driven by its values, and as an executive leader you understand and accept that you have a key role to live out and also constantly help refine our binding values.
* You have a technical or engineering background, ideally complemented by an MBA or equivalent qualification.
* You are an executive leader with a hands-on approach and the authority to drive decision-making at the center of a fast-growing organization.
* You possess the strategic insight to navigate complex, regulated environments and the pragmatic discipline necessary to maintain quality during rapid scale-up.
* You have strong communication skills to align diverse cross-functional teams and represent the company effectively in high-stakes environments.
* You have 10+ years of senior operational leadership experience within the aerospace, defence, or high-tech manufacturing sectors.
* You have a proven track record of scaling production, industrial operations, and supply chain systems in international settings.
* You have deep expertise in program execution, quality management systems, and operational compliance in mission-critical environments.
* You are willing and able to travel regularly to international sites, including South Africa, France, and the UK. This role is bases in Leuven (Belgium).
Offer
* Simera Sense offers an entrepreneurial and high-authority role at the core of a global space-tech pioneer.
* You will join an international team where the culture is driven by innovation, digital integration, and the empowerment of people through intelligent systems.
* A key position providing the autonomy to (re)shape the operating model of a Group that is positioning its European headquarters as the high-value core of its global footprint.
* A core seat on the executive leadership team with delegated decision-making authority and the opportunity to act as the CEO’s proxy in critical operational, industrial, and program matters.
* Professional growth within an organization rapidly expanding from approximately 126 to 280 employees over the next three years.
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