Senior Service Department Manager

Senior Service Department Manager – High-Tech Capital Equipment

We are partnering with a global high-tech equipment manufacturer to appoint an experienced Senior Service Department Manager to lead their EMEA service organisation.

In this role, you’ll take responsibility for a team of around 20 people across EMEA, including on-site customer teams, field service engineers, and technical support specialists. The immediate priority is to raise the standard of technical support, improve responsiveness, and ensure customers feel fully supported throughout the life cycle of their systems.

What you’ll be doing

• Leading, coaching and developing a diverse service team across multiple countries and customer sites.
• Enhancing the performance and capability of the technical support function, ensuring fast response times and effective communication.
• Managing field service activities including installations, upgrades, repairs and issue resolution.
• Building strong relationships with major customers and acting as their escalation point when needed.
• Ensuring service tasks and system deliveries are completed on time and to a high standard.
• Coordinating technical resources during system preparation, installation and post-delivery phases.
• Overseeing after-sales activities such as service contracts, upgrades, complaints and warranty work.
• Improving key service metrics including uptime, mean time to repair and planned downtime.
• Supporting the wider business by helping to refine processes, reporting structures and departmental planning.
• Preparing capability, training and development plans based on service team performance and future needs.
• Travelling occasionally to customer sites.

What we’re looking for

• A proven people manager with experience leading technical service or support teams (ideally 10+ people).
• Background in capital equipment, automation systems or other complex machinery
• Technical understanding of PLC-based systems, vacuum technology, pumps, valves, flow controllers or similar.
• Comfortable working with demanding customers and able to build trust quickly.
• Strong operational awareness with experience improving service KPIs such as uptime, MTTR and response times.
• Confident in developing and coaching less-experienced technical support staff.
• Strategic leadership mindset combined with a focus on quality and accountability.
• Excellent English communication skills; German is not required (training can be provided).
• A technical degree (engineering, physics or similar) is an advantage but not mandatory.

Why this role will appeal to you

• You’ll be joining a globally recognised leader in advanced equipment for next-generation manufacturing.
• The company has a strong market position and plays a key role in the growth of emerging technologies.
• You’ll have the opportunity to shape and elevate a service organisation during a key period of development.
• A genuinely international, English-speaking team with a supportive and collaborative culture.
• Based in a region known for its great quality of life, excellent transport links, and mix of German, Dutch and Belgian cultural influences.