Planning and production Director W/M/D

Overview

Symrise is a global supplier of fragrances and flavors, cosmetic active ingredients as well as functional ingredients. Its customers include manufacturers of perfumes, cosmetics, food and beverages, the pharmaceutical industry, as well as producers of dietary supplements and pet food.

With sales of approximately €5.0 billion in fiscal year 2025, the company is among the global leaders in its sector. Headquartered in Holzminden, Germany, the Symrise Group operates more than 100 sites across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, the United States and Latin America.

In close collaboration with its customers, Symrise develops new ideas and market‑ready concepts for products that are an integral part of everyday life. Economic success and corporate responsibility are inseparable.

A subsidiary of the Group, and a key player in fine chemicals specializing in flavors and fragrances, SFA NEROLI has, for decades, been a center of creative and technical excellence, bringing together passionate talents in the world of fragrance composition. With operations in France, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand, SFA NEROLI supports the perfume, cosmetics, home care and detergency industries by combining innovation, authenticity and creativity.

Responsibilities

Your role

Reporting to the Site Management, you define, lead and implement the company\'s planning and production strategy , in line with commercial, financial and Supply Chain objectives. You are accountable for the overall industrial performance in terms of safety, quality, cost, delivery and productivity .

You oversee all activities related to planning, production control (PCP), manufacturing, internal logistics and production supply . In this context, you develop and steer the master production plan , in close collaboration with Sales, Finance and Supply Chain teams, ensuring an optimal balance between industrial capacity, service level and cost control.

You manage a large operational organization of more than 70 employees (supervisors, team leaders, operators and planners). You ensure the availability and optimal allocation of human, technical and material resources, while actively supporting the upskilling and development of teams .

You drive industrial performance through rigorous KPI monitoring, preparation and analysis of scorecards, daily performance reviews and the deployment of structured action plans. You foster and embed a strong culture of operational excellence, continuous improvement and safety , relying on LEAN, TPM, Kaizen and 5S methodologies .

In a context of transformation, you lead capacity and efficiency improvement projects , support the digitalization and automation of workshops, and optimize the use of automated production management systems (SWAR or equivalent). You work closely with technical teams to develop connected solutions, ensure equipment reliability, and implement work standards and autonomous maintenance practices.

You operate in close collaboration with support functions (planning, logistics, purchasing, quality, HR and finance) as well as with internal stakeholders such as Sales and Business Units, to align priorities, secure industrial flows and address specific operational needs, including sample order processing .

Finally, you actively contribute to the definition and deployment of the site and company Supply Chain strategy , bringing a structured, global vision focused on sustainable performance.

Qualifications

With an engineering degree in mechanical engineering or chemistry , you have at least 10 years of experience in managing production teams within demanding and international industrial environments, imperatively in the flavors and/or fragrance industry . Your background includes experience in both SME and large group environments , giving you a comprehensive understanding of the sector\'s operational and strategic challenges.

Recognized for your inspiring leadership , you are able to mobilize and unite large, multidisciplinary teams around shared objectives. You strike the right balance between strong shopfloor presence and strategic perspective , while embodying a strong safety culture and a rigorous, responsible approach to industrial performance.

You bring deep expertise in manufacturing processes and industrial systems , acquired within the flavors/fragrances environment, along with strong command of continuous improvement tools and methodologies (LEAN, TPM, Kaizen, 5S ). Structured, well‑organized and results‑driven, you are capable of leading complex and transforming organizations.

Comfortable in cross‑functional environments , you collaborate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders (operations, Supply Chain, quality, finance, HR, sales) and anchor your actions in a business‑oriented and collective mindset. You play an active role in industrial transformation , including digitalization and automation initiatives.

You are fluent in English , both written and spoken, and comfortable working in an international, multicultural environment .

Our offer

The Director Planning & Production position is part of a broader industrial structuring and maturity growth journey for the site. The key objective is to develop the organization and teams , implement robust Group processes and sustainably strengthen operational performance.

You play a central role in structuring the organization , clarifying roles and interfaces, and ensuring the adoption of standards and best practices, while maintaining close shopfloor engagement. You actively contribute to the deployment of a safety‑driven and continuous improvement culture , focused on long‑term performance.

The role also carries a strong human dimension: retaining key talent , developing internal capabilities and creating an engaging working environment that enables teams to gain autonomy and efficiency within a demanding and transforming industrial context.