GEA is one of the world’s largest systems suppliers for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors. Our portfolio includes machinery and plants as well as advanced process technology, components and comprehensive services. Guided by a strong sense of purpose, our more than 18,000 dedicated employees work to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of production processes globally. Responsibilities / Tasks Position Overview: We are seeking a dynamic and well experienced Director of Engineering and Execution, who is a strategic and operational leader responsible for overseeing the planning, execution, and delivery of new machine and service projects across the organization. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong technical understanding of our core portfolio — encompassing separators, decanters, homogenizers, valves, pumps, compressors, and heat pumps — combined with proven leadership and project management capabilities to deliver high-impact results. This individual will be responsible for leading a team of 25–30 employees and managing end-to-end project execution, converting order intake from the Customer Success team into sales, and maintaining customer satisfaction and retention. Hybrid role – based at our Milton Keynes office. Leadership & Strategy: Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team of managers, (field service) engineers, project managers, workshop employees and support staff. Collaborate with executive leadership to prioritize initiatives and allocate resources effectively. Project Execution & Delivery: Ensure the full lifecycle of projects from handover from the “Customer Success and Business Development” team through execution and delivery. Ensure project timelines, budgets, quality, health and safety standards are met and compliance requirements are not compromised. Identify and mitigate risks affecting project timelines, quality, or budget. Technical Oversight: Ensure projects delivered meet both technical specifications and business needs. Assist Customer Success Team in technical queries during quotation phase. Liaise with the Business Units and Business Lines wherever necessary. Guide the development and integration of engineering systems, tools, and methodologies. Team Development & Change Management: Continuously challenge and develop the team to improve their technical skillset and capabilities. Conduct inhouse trainings as well as organising external trainings wherever required. Foster a culture that puts the customer first. Customer Satisfaction: Embrace and drive customer satisfaction throughout all touchpoints. Embed customer satisfaction as a cornerstone within the entire team. Support customers with technical questions along their journey. Perceptively, develop a new product offering for customer trainings. Cross-functional Collaboration: Closely collaborate with the “Customer Success and Business Development” team to ensure a smooth customer journey. Work closely with other departments such as the Business Units, Finance and other departments to ensure alignment and successful execution of projects. Closely align with Finance on the sales forecast for NM and SER. Serve as a key point of contact for technical queries across the organization. Operational Excellence: Develop and manage sales conversion (sales budget), ensure that project timelines and cost budgets are met and other relevant KPIs and operational metrics are achieved. Optimise workflows and resource planning to increase efficiency and productivity. Continuous Improvement: Implement best practices in project management, risk assessment, and performance tracking to continuously improve organisation. Workshop Excellence: Oversee the local workshop and drive continues improvement by improving turnover times and first-time right rates. Your Profile / Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, or a related field is a plus Minimum of 5 years’ combined experience in both sales and service across our core technologies — ideally including separators, decanters, homogenizers, valves, pumps, compressors, and heat pumps — with demonstrated leadership and project management experience. Change management Technical Acumen: Strong understanding of separators, decanters and homogenizers Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels IT skills should include CRM, effective use of the MS Office suit including MS Teams– Gain good understanding of GEA matrix & networking opportunities across all divisions & apply Travel: Willingness to travel as required to meet with clients Did we spark your interest? Then please click apply above to access our guided application process.