High Eye – Operations manager

We are looking for structure and people leadership to strengthen our highly skilled and motivated team at High Eye. We are looking for an Operations Manager who has a passion for innovation, and a knack for managing technical projects in a scale-up environment with both challenges to tackle and successes to build on.

Star product

Currently High Eye is focused on its sole product, the Airboxer, which has been introduced earlier this year (’24), with the first deliveries to the Armed Forces in the Netherlands, the Dutch Royal Navy, and a Danish customer scheduled for later this year. This followed a 5-year development process.

The Airboxer is a fuel-powered (gasoline) VTOL UAV that can fly up to four hours, carry a payload of seven kg, and operate in harsh (weather) conditions, such as onboard of ships. The device is suitable for both commercial and military purposes (dual-use). The market segment that High Eye serves is a global niche with only a few comparable competitors, due to the complexity of the product (similar to manned helicopters).

Scale-up

High Eye is a fast-paced company, with firm roots in the world of unmanned aviation, R&D, engineering, and regulation, guided by success driven entrepreneurship. The acquisition of a high-end tender and growing demands from various markets for innovative solutions worldwide call for up-to-speed management of our technical department.

From a development-based company High Eye is on the brink of evolving into a company that manufactures and delivers products on a series production basis, while continuing to refine the product. This requires us to further expand, structure, and organize. Therefore, High Eye aims to strengthen its leadership team by adding an Operations Manager with great understanding of tech development and the management skills to empower a team to perform in a high demanding environment.

Setting and Reporting

The Operations Manager will report to the CEO Joost de Ruiter and Financial Manager Jeroen van Beek. Bringing both strong sparring skills as well as sharp and constructive criticism is expected in this role. With a keen eye on bridging research with development, strategy with workplace, and technical with commercial qualities.

Personal development opportunities

This position, in a high demand innovative environment at the forefront of technological advancements, requires the agility and eagerness to adapt, learn and grow within the perspective of plenty of career opportunities.

Responsibilities

Based on the current organizational structure the Operations Manager will be responsible for the following:

• Provide the team with a comprehensive overview of the development roadmap, ensuring everyone understands the strategic direction
• Facilitate daily stand-up meetings and weekly team meetings to ensure clear communication and alignment
• Lead the team in identifying the simplest steps that create the highest value, optimizing development efficiency
• Manage and enhance the supply chain to ensure timely research and delivery of projects
• Oversee and improve customer training programs for flight and maintenance
• Define MVPs with marketing and sales, managing their expectations
• Support marketing and sales in setting product specifications and assist with demonstrations to convert leads into sales
• Ensure timely applications for necessary mission certifications (EASA, CAA, MLA, ISO etc.)

We’re thinking someone like…

This overview should give a clear sense of our preferred professional approach towards filling this vacancy as well as personal characteristics.

• Lead with Vision

Manage and provide structure in a technical team fostering a constructive, collaborative environment with a focus on accountability and positive reinforcement.

• Governing & Project Mastery

Strong decision-making skills, with the ability to assess technical and operational risks and manage exposure effectively. Take end-to-end responsibility for project deliverables, ensuring milestones are met while maintaining technical excellence.

• Methodical Approach

Detail-oriented with a structured work methodology, capable of organizing daily stand-ups and tracking project progress.

• International

Enjoys leading a multicultural team and serving international customers.

Do you meet these requirements? Then we’re curious to meet you!

Experience

• Required: A minimum of seven years of relevant work experience within an (SME) hardware work environment
• Required: Experience in leading and managing a highly skilled technical team and a track record of successful project management
• Required: Experience in managing R&D projects from concept to MVP and beyond
• Desirable: Experience with regulatory documents and/or operational procedures related to aviation or UAVs
• Desirable: Experience in flying / building drones or manned aircrafts

Education

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, Marine, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field

Communication

Fluent reading, writing and speaking abilities in English is required. A working knowledge of Dutch is appreciated.

Applications

Does this job description match your skills and experience? We’re eager to meet you. We seek highly engaged and committed professionals. Please submit a conventional motivation letter and resume as your first introduction via info@higheye.com with subject Operations Manager.