Chief Operating Manager / COO (w/m/d)

Your mission

The COO will be responsible for establishing our operations function and delivering the company’s first batch production plant, forming the foundation for a future demonstration‑scale facility. This includes leading site selection, overseeing plant design and construction, securing regulatory approval, and commissioning the facility for operation.

As a core member of the executive team, the COO will shape and execute aevoloop’s industrialisation strategy, translating technical innovation into reliable manufacturing capability and preparing the company for long‑term growth and potential licensing opportunities.

This is a hands‑on executive role suited to a leader who combines deep industrial experience with entrepreneurial drive.

• Define and execute our operational and industrialisation strategy
• Lead evaluation and selection of the company’s first batch production site
• Oversee engineering, construction and commissioning of a polycondensation‑based production plant
• Take full ownership of regulatory approval, permitting and process safety compliance
• Assume accountability for the ongoing performance, stability and optimisation of the batch facility following commissioning
• Establish operational systems, KPIs and reporting frameworks to ensure stable, compliant production
• Establish initial supply chain and production planning capability
• Drive the transition from R&D to industrial production in close collaboration with technical leadership
• Develop a roadmap for further scale‑up, including continuous plant development and potential licensing
• Represent operations at executive and board level

Your profile

You are an entrepreneurial operator who takes full ownership and thrives in high‑autonomy environments. You are comfortable building from a blank slate, bringing structure, discipline and momentum without unnecessary bureaucracy.

You communicate clearly across technical, commercial and executive stakeholders, aligning teams around delivery. Pragmatic and decisive, you balance speed with safety and hold uncompromising standards around operational excellence and compliance.

Essential Skill / Experience

• Engineering background (chemical or process engineering mandatory)
• Proven experience scaling and commissioning polymer production processes, including polycondensation
• Demonstrated track record moving processes from pilot to demo scale
• Experience leading plant commissioning and operational ramp‑up
• Experience leading regulatory approval and process safety compliance within an industrial manufacturing environment
• Experience building and leading operational teams

Desirable Skills / Experience

• Experience operating within German or European regulatory frameworks
• Exposure to process automation and plant optimisation
• Experience in high‑growth, scale‑up or technology‑driven environments
• Experience contributing at executive leadership level

Why us?

This is a rare opportunity to build something from the ground up. We have developed a strong scientific foundation and are now entering the most defining phase of its journey so far. As COO, you will play a central role in translating our technology into scalable industrial operations. You will define, build and lead the company’s operational foundation as it moves into production.

You will join a technically exceptional founding team with deep expertise in chemistry and industrial science. The company combines academic excellence with ambitious commercial intent and is backed by investors who believe in the long‑term potential of the technology. You will work closely with the CEO, CSO and CTO as a core member of the leadership team, shaping both operational execution and strategic direction.

For a leader who wants to build, own and shape the future of a high‑potential industrial technology, this is a defining career opportunity.

Contact

About Us

We are aevoloop – a fast‑scaling deep‑tech startup pioneering next‑generation plastics for a circular economy. We re‑engineer polymers from the ground up to combine high performance with true circularity and biodegradability – turning plastic waste into valuable new materials.

Guided by our values Pioneering, Conscientious, Disruptive, Transparent and Contributive , we unite science with entrepreneurial execution to drive sustainable material innovation at scale.

You want to find out more?

• Breaking Lab Video on YouTube (German) | Deutsches Start‑Up denkt Plastik molekular neu
• Press release | aevoloop has secured €8.25 million
• Article from MDR (News media) (German) | Plastik neu denken: Aevoloop entwickelt nachhaltige Kunststoffe aus Leipzig
• Video on YouTube (German) | Forscher fragen: Die Plastikwende (2024) mit Manuel Häußler
• SPRIN‑D Podcast (German) | Interview with our Co‑Founder Manuel Häußler

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