Country Managing Director — Diagnostic-Instruments Business

The mandate

A diagnostic-instruments group has selected Galway as the future hub for final assembly, refurbishment and lifecycle support for a global analyser family. New instrument work already operates locally. Refurbishment and depot repair are currently split across two overseas facilities with different test methods, parts records and customer-loaner models. The transfer promises faster European service and better use of returned assets, but a poorly controlled move could compromise device history, configuration, safety testing and hospital continuity.

The country operation must grow while the local labour market for experienced device technicians, quality engineers and test specialists is tight. Facility modifications, equipment moves, hiring and training are proceeding on separate workstreams. Commercial teams expect shorter turnaround immediately after cutover, whereas early transfer periods often increase cycle time. The board wants one country executive accountable for the entire Galway outcome rather than a site leader receiving plans from global functions.

The Country Managing Director will own the Ireland P&L, site and country agenda and the transfer outcome. The remit spans operations, workforce, quality and regulatory interfaces, supply, service, local stakeholder relationships, finance and customer continuity. The MD will not override independent release or design authority; they will create the conditions, evidence and escalation needed for global teams to trust the Galway hub.

Approximately 600 employees and material partners fall within the country perimeter. This urgent, unplanned appointment is on site in Galway and reports to the group board and Group Chief Executive. The role requires direct engagement with employees, customers, authorities, education partners and the sending facilities throughout the transfer.

Why this seat is open

The country has been managed through separate site and functional leaders. The hub decision expands Galway from a manufacturing location into a lifecycle business with broader customer and asset accountability. The board created the MD position when transfer governance revealed decisions that could not be settled by the site director or overseas programme office alone.

What you will own

• Hold the Ireland P&L and site agenda across approximately 600 employees and partners, including transfer investment, operating cost, service and capability.
• Lead transfer of refurbishment and depot repair, covering device history, configuration, parts provenance, software, test methods, release, records and returned-product handling.
• Protect hospital continuity through realistic repair, loaner, spare-parts and escalation plans during sending-site ramp-down and Galway qualification.
• Build the workforce through hiring, apprenticeships, internal mobility, sending-site knowledge transfer and qualification rather than dependence on premium contractors.
• Align facility, equipment, systems and validation schedules to one critical path and prevent volume commitments before trained and qualified capacity exists.
• Govern local employee relations, works consultation, health and safety, community and public-authority commitments associated with expansion.
• Establish product and service economics for new, refurbished, repaired and retired assets, including parts harvesting, warranty and inventory consequences.
• Build a country leadership team that connects global functional authority to clear local execution and succession.

The first 12 months

• Days 1–90: Reconcile the transfer scope, device families, records, methods, equipment and customer commitments. Validate workforce and qualification gaps, stabilise loaner and repair capacity and agree decision rights with sending sites and global functions. Reset any cutover date unsupported by method or people readiness.
• Months 4–9: Complete equipment and system qualification, certify the first technician cohorts and execute phased product-family transfers. Run parallel and rollback arrangements, reconcile device histories and parts, and establish local education and talent partnerships. Begin sending-site ramp-down only after defined acceptance evidence.
• Months 10–12: Deliver stable repair and refurbishment turnaround for transferred families, reduce temporary capacity and prove full record and configuration traceability. Complete the country operating plan, embed lifecycle economics and establish successors for operations, quality, service and finance leadership.

What the board will measure

• Transferred devices repaired and refurbished with complete history, configuration and test evidence and no material increase in safety or quality findings.
• Hospital turnaround, loaner availability and escalation maintained through cutover against realistic service standards.
• Qualified Galway capacity ramping as sending-site dependence falls, with clear evidence before each product-family acceptance.
• Workforce hiring, training, retention and contractor use within the approved capability plan.
• Facility and transfer investment inside the authorised range, with actual lifecycle service economics visible by product family.
• Strong local governance, employee relations and leadership succession supporting the hub after programme resources leave.

The person

You are a country managing director, site-network executive, diagnostic business leader or senior medical-device general manager with at least 28 years of experience. You have expanded a regulated site into a broader manufacturing, service or lifecycle hub and managed a transfer from more than one sending location. You have owned a P&L of at least EUR 350 million and led at least 450 employees.

You understand the control requirements of returned medical devices: identification, decontamination, configuration, service history, parts, software, test and release. You have protected customers during a depot or manufacturing transfer and can explain which acceptance evidence allowed the sending facility to reduce capacity.

Relevant backgrounds include diagnostics, imaging, capital medical equipment or other regulated installed-base technology. Direct Ireland experience is helpful but not mandatory; knowledge of European employment, regulatory and manufacturing practice is essential. The board will not appoint a site operator without full country and customer accountability.

The role is based on site in Galway. International candidates may qualify if relocation is realistic. The MD must engage constructively with local institutions while refusing to base the transfer on grant, headcount or announcement milestones detached from qualified customer service.

Compensation and terms

The indicative base salary is EUR 410,000–590,000, accompanied by annual incentive and long-term participation. Measures will include transfer acceptance, customer service, workforce capability, country economics and leadership depth. This is a permanent newly created role. Relocation and substantiated forfeited awards may be considered.

Confidentiality

The client, facilities, products, employees and customers remain confidential. Identifying details will follow only after suitability and the required agreement are established. Applicants must not contact possible sites, public agencies or hospital networks to infer the company.

Each response must contain no more than 49 words.