Central Operations Director - Field Service Organisation

About the role

Applied Materials is seeking a Central Operations Director to support its growing Field Service Organisation (FSO) in Europe. This is a key regional leadership role within the Strategic Program Office (SPO), focused on operational alignment, effective communication and strategic program execution across European FSO teams during a period of significant growth and transformation. Reporting to the Regional SPO Head, the role leads the Central Operations team and works with the expanded FSO SPO, which covers strategic projects and program management. The position is based at one of the company's European locations, preferably in France, Ireland, Germany or Italy.

Key responsibilities

• Provide leadership within the team and functional areas delivering strategic focus to the AGS FSO.
• Own the development, quality and delivery of quarterly operational reports, with accurate performance tracking and actionable insights aligned to company objectives.
• Drive the implementation of operational objectives by FSO leaders so that SPO KPIs and productivity project/program targets are met.
• Manage headcount for Customer Engineers, Field Managers and Site Operations Administrators, allocating resources to meet productivity and financial goals.
• Account for operational performance outcomes such as gross margin, engineer utilization and productivity, driving corrective actions and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in the region and at headquarters on decision-making and change management.
• Define project and program objectives, complete preliminary work such as feasibility studies and resource planning, and ensure projects are delivered on time, within cost and to specification.
• Ensure documentation of project, program and process development and compliance with policies on engineering notebooks, patents, confidentiality and safety.
• Assign work to team members, support their professional development and maximize productivity.
• Spearhead research and development of new technologies and incorporate new processes, designs and methodologies into products and services.

Required profile

• Ability to act as a key influencer and change agent, driving continuous process improvement.
• People management experience, field operational knowledge, understanding of the service business and knowledge of key financial fundamentals preferred.
• Field Service experience at Applied Materials preferred.
• Strong project management skills, able to lead multiple global projects, with an analytical approach to decision-making and a solution-oriented approach to complex programs.

What we offer

• Salary range of EUR 104,000 to EUR 143,000 depending on location, hire grade, knowledge, skills and experience.
• A comprehensive benefits package, with possible eligibility for a bonus and a stock award program.
• Travel of up to 20% of the time; relocation is not eligible.