General Manager North America

About the Role

We seek a General Manager for North America to lead the U.S. operations of a European technology firm specializing in precision engineered products across medical technology, life sciences, industrial sectors, and other advanced technology fields. This leadership opportunity comes as the company embarks on significant U.S. manufacturing expansion.

Position Overview

The successful candidate will transform the North American division from an engineering-centered group into a scalable manufacturing and operations unit. This role holds comprehensive responsibility for manufacturing, operations, engineering, quality, finance, and administrative functions, working closely with commercial and engineering teams. Reporting to the Group CEO based in Europe, the General Manager will head a compact team and drive substantial growth in the coming years, with full profit and loss accountability within a technically sophisticated environment.

Key Attractions

• Senior executive role with end-to-end responsibility for the North American arm
• Chance to establish and grow manufacturing capabilities extensively
• Influence on the organizational design, culture, and long-term growth plans
• Instrumental role in broadening the company's North American manufacturing presence and executing growth strategies

Primary Duties

• Manage all facets of North American operations including manufacturing, engineering, quality assurance, finance, and administration
• Lead expansion of local manufacturing and assembly capacities to meet growth objectives
• Develop organizational frameworks, operational processes, KPIs, and discipline to facilitate rapid scaling
• Oversee full P&L operations, budgeting, forecasting, and performance management
• Formulate and implement the North American growth strategy aligned with global headquarters
• Recruit and nurture a high-performing leadership team to support business expansion
• Champion manufacturing excellence, continuous improvement, Lean methodologies, and scalability initiatives
• Ensure adherence to quality management systems and regulatory compliance including ISO 13485
• Serve as the chief operational liaison between U.S. operations and European headquarters
• Cultivate close cooperation among Engineering, Manufacturing, and Corporate teams, supporting strategic client programs
• Establish trusted executive-level relationships with key customers representing the organization

Ideal Candidate Attributes

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a closely related technical field; advanced degrees such as Master's or MBA preferred
• Proven track record of leadership with comprehensive operational management experience
• Expertise in manufacturing, operations, and leading organizations within precision or advanced engineering industries
• Experience in scaling manufacturing organizations and driving operational expansion
• Demonstrated capability in managing P&L, financial planning, and operational oversight
• Background spanning precision manufacturing, medical devices, photonics, industrial automation, scientific instruments, semiconductor equipment, or similarly high-tech production settings preferred
• Experience within international corporations, with familiarity or experience in European corporate culture regarded as advantageous
• Knowledge of ISO 13485 standards and regulated manufacturing environments highly valued
• Leadership style that is pragmatic, transparent, communicative, and capable of combining strategic vision with operational execution