Job Description
Alcott Global is retained by an international consumer goods company to search for a Global Head of Engineering based in Germany.
The Global Head of Engineering leads the worldwide capital-investment agenda for all factories, ensuring every innovation, expansion, upgrade, and greenfield build delivers best-in-class productivity, sustainability, and return on invested capital. You will own the full CapEx life-cycle from early business case to start-up, acting as the single point of accountability for a multi-million-dollar portfolio of projects across our global FMCG network.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and execute a global factory investment strategy aligned with long-term business, innovation, and sustainability goals
- Build and manage a 3–5 year capital expenditure (CapEx) roadmap for factory expansions, upgrades, and greenfield developments
- Oversee the full project lifecycle of major investments, from feasibility through to commissioning and performance tracking
- Lead the implementation of new processing, packaging, and manufacturing technologies across global facilities
- Ensure all investments contribute to sustainability goals, including energy efficiency, carbon reduction, waste minimization, and water stewardship
- Partner with regional and site leadership to prioritize and deliver CapEx projects that enhance capacity, resilience, and flexibility
- Monitor project performance, ensuring delivery on time, within budget, and according to agreed KPIs (IRR, ROI, payback, etc.)
- Establish and enforce global standards for engineering, project governance, and safety compliance
- Manage relationships and contracts with engineering firms, equipment suppliers, and construction partners
- Champion innovation and continuous improvement in factory design and project delivery processes
- Lead and develop a high-performing, cross-regional team of project managers, engineers, and investment planners
- Report regularly to senior leadership and the board on capital investment progress and outcomes
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial) or related field; MBA desirable.
- 15 + years in multi-site manufacturing or engineering within FMCG/CPG; minimum 5 years at regional or global leadership level.
- Proven track record of delivering large-scale capital programmes (> US$ 100 m per year) across multiple countries.
- Deep knowledge of lean manufacturing, utilities, automation, and digital plant technologies.
- Demonstrated expertise in embedding sustainability targets into CapEx master plans
- Professional certifications such as PMP, PRINCE2 or IPMA are advantageous.
Key Competencies:
- Strategic & commercial acumen
- Influencing & stakeholder management across the C-suite and site level
- Cross-cultural leadership & team development
- Data-driven decision making, strong financial literacy
- Change management & continuous-improvement mindset