Vice President Operations📣 Job Ad

About Sapphire

Sapphire is a joint venture located in the Special Integrated Logistics Zone (SILZ) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The company is dedicated to manufacturing advanced industrial robots and fostering the next generation of automation and smart manufacturing within the Kingdom.

The Role: Vice President Operations

Sapphire is seeking a Vice President Operations for a full-time position in Riyadh. This leadership role encompasses Operations, Technical Support & Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, and Logistics. The Vice President will be instrumental in guiding Sapphire from project completion and operational readiness through to commercial production, controlled ramp-up, and sustained manufacturing operations. The primary accountability involves establishing a safe, reliable, efficient, and scalable operating environment, while simultaneously developing the necessary organizational structure, systems, capabilities, and operational disciplines for long-term manufacturing excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead integrated Operations, including manufacturing, technical support, maintenance, quality, supply chain, warehousing, and logistics.
• Manage the transition from project completion and operational readiness to commercial production, covering operational handover, production-line readiness, commissioning interfaces, testing, pilot production, process validation, and controlled ramp-up.
• Establish and manage manufacturing performance across safety, quality, delivery, productivity, cost, equipment reliability, and operational efficiency, supported by KPIs and performance routines.
• Develop and continuously improve the Operations management system, including policies, procedures, SOPs, work instructions, quality controls, and maintenance practices.
• Build robust asset reliability and maintenance capabilities, such as preventive and predictive maintenance, critical spare-parts planning, and equipment lifecycle management.
• Lead production planning, materials and inventory management, warehousing, logistics, and supply-chain execution.
• Establish strong quality-management and operational-excellence practices, including product and process quality, testing, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, Lean principles, and continuous improvement.
• Lead Operations functional readiness and adoption of ERP, MES, WMS, QMS, CMMS, and other digital manufacturing tools.
• Build the Operations organization and workforce through manpower planning, recruitment, onboarding, technical training, competency development, and knowledge transfer.
• Ensure Operations fulfills applicable contractual, governance, regulatory, and compliance obligations.
• Develop and execute Operations strategic initiatives, manage operational risks, and provide executive reporting to the CEO.
• Manage Operations OPEX and CAPEX, including annual planning, forecasting, cost control, and resource optimization.
• Own operational safety performance and ensure safe manufacturing, maintenance, warehouse, and logistics activities.
• Collaborate with the CEO, cross-functional leadership, shareholders, technical partners, OEMs, and suppliers.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, Mechatronics, Electrical, Electronics, Automation, Control Engineering, or a relevant engineering discipline.
• A Master’s degree in Engineering Management, Operations, Supply Chain, or an MBA is an advantage.
• Minimum of 15 years of relevant manufacturing and operations experience, including at least 5 years in senior leadership roles managing multi-functional operational teams.
• Strong experience in manufacturing excellence, with exposure to automation. Focused experience in discrete manufacturing, ideally within industrial automation, electronics, advanced equipment, automotive, or high-technology manufacturing, is a major advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in greenfield manufacturing, operational readiness, production-line commissioning, facility/equipment handover, start-up, or production ramp-up.
• Strong working knowledge across manufacturing, maintenance and asset reliability, quality, supply chain, warehousing, and operational excellence.
• Proven ability to build and scale organizations, operating processes, and workforce capabilities in fast-paced or start-up environments.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, with experience managing OPEX, CAPEX, budgets, forecasts, and operational cost performance.
• Experience with ERP and digital manufacturing systems (*, MES, WMS, QMS, CMMS).
• Knowledge of Lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and structured problem-solving methodologies; relevant professional certifications are an advantage.

Required Competencies

• Strategic thinking combined with hands-on operational leadership.
• Manufacturing start-up, scale-up, and transformation capability.
• Strong execution discipline and results orientation.
• Operational problem-solving and sound decision-making.
• Strong people leadership, coaching, and capability development.
• Effective stakeholder management in complex and multicultural environments.
• Commercial and financial awareness.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration and communication.
• High adaptability and resilience in dynamic environments.
• Uncompromising commitment to safety, quality, reliability, and operational excellence.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The salary for this role will be discussed during the interview process as it is not disclosed in this posting.