Production Manager

Ready to make a difference where products protect lives?

PACPROTECT develops and manufactures ballistic products, to safeguard lives for those who serve. For these products, quality and reliability are not optional; they are a requirement. To support our growth, we are looking for a Production Manager who will take our production to the next level.

What you’ll do
You have a strong grip on how a production chain works, from the moment an order comes in to the moment it ships. You understand what an order earns and what a delay costs, and you make decisions accordingly. Delivering to specification, every time, is simply non-negotiable for you.

You work in a structured, hands-on way. You translate orders from Sales into a realistic plan, keep suppliers flexible, and lead from the front. When a rush order, absence, or bottleneck demands it, you put on your gloves and work alongside the team. Nobody here is too senior for the floor.

Specifically, you will be working on:

• Ownership of the full production cycle, from handover by Sales to delivery to the customer
• Building and running a production plan that balances capacity, cost, and lead time
• Leading and developing the production team and the daily operation
• Managing and expanding our supplier network: negotiating price, lead time, and quality, and switching or scaling suppliers when demand or availability changes
• Safeguarding margins and efficiency, and making sure production decisions are made with their commercial impact in mind
• Advising Sales and management on quotes, feasibility, and order prioritization
• Ensuring quality, safety, and compliance with customer specifications and relevant standards
• Continuously improving processes: less scrap, shorter lead times, higher output
• Reducing dependency on single people and single suppliers, so we deliver predictably as we grow
• Working on the production floor yourself during peak periods or when the team needs support
• Reporting on KPIs to management and acting on what the numbers tell you

Who you are
You make a difference with a calm, confident presence: you hold your own with demanding customers, strong-minded suppliers, and a team that expects you to know the work. You’re practical and analytical, and you get to the core of a problem quickly, whether it’s a missing material, a quality issue, or a schedule that no longer works.

You have a proactive mindset. You don’t wait for a delay to happen but see it coming and act on it. You’re commercially sharp, comfortable with responsibility, and at ease working with many stakeholders at once. You also bring:

• 3-8 years of experience in a production or operations management role, preferably in manufacturing, defense, security, or a comparable technical environment
• Bachelor’s degree (industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, or similar)
• Proven experience leading a production team
• Experience in procurement and supplier management, ideally with multiple international suppliers at once
• A hands-on mentality
• Fluent Dutch and English
• A plus: knowledge of technical materials, composites, or textiles, and experience with quality systems such as ISO 9001

What we offer

• A varied, high-responsibility role with plenty of autonomy and a direct line to management
• A meaningful product and room to grow with the company
• An informal organization with short lines of communication and a strong team
• A gross monthly salary of €4,800 to €6,200, depending seniority and based on 40 hours
• Lease car 
• Pension plan via Allianz
• 25 vacation days and 8% holiday allowance
• Vitality budget 
• Laptop and phone

1. Introduction: You start with an introductory conversation with our Recruiter or Head of People.
2. Online assessment: You then complete an online assessment via Equalture.
3. Interviews: You then have at least two conversations with Tal Gelbart, MD and future colleagues.
4. Offer: Are we both enthusiastic? Then you'll receive a fitting offer.
5. Screening: Integrity and reliability are very important to PACPROTECT. A pre-employment screening is therefore part of our application procedure, including at minimum a Certificate of Conduct (VOG) and a DISA screening.