Managing Director Sweden– Höganäs AB

Höganäs is the world leader in the iron and metal powders market, with an annual capacity of 500,000 tons. Together with our customers, we develop tomorrow’s solutions for the automotive industry, surface and joining technologies and additive manufacturing, which contribute to a more sustainable society. Höganäs was founded in 1797 and today we employ 2,300 committed people in 15 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Our turnover in 2025 was 11,045 MSEK. Our owners are Lindéngruppen and FAM.

Managing Director Sweden– Höganäs AB

The role is central in Höganäs’ ongoing transformation. You drive improvement in operations to secure a strong foundation for safety, higher efficiency and improved profitability, while establishing a clearer local structure for site responsibility and key staff functions. Safety is a critical focus area and you take visible ownership of workplace safety and safety culture. The role is Sweden focused but with extensive interaction with other Höganäs sites and global functions and requires a high level of physical presence in Höganäs.

This is a unique opportunity to combine strategic leadership with hands-on operational excellence in one of the world’s leading industrial companies. As Managing Director, you will have full cost and end-to-end operational accountability and also an overall responsibility for the Swedish legal entity.

You will lead an organisation of approximately 700 employees across our manufacturing sites in Höganäs and Halmstad through three direct-reporting Plant Managers, driving operational excellence, safety and long-term profitability.

As a member of the Global Supply Chain & Operations PMT Management Team, you will report to the VP Global Supply Chain & Operations for the Powder Metallurgy Technologies division. The position is based at our headquarters in Höganäs.

The Role

As Managing Director, you will act as the site owner and legal representative for Höganäs Sweden AB, carrying the overall responsibility for workplace safety, environmental performance and relations with local stakeholders including Höganäs municipality, unions and other local stakeholders.

You will lead and develop operations across our manufacturing sites in Höganäs and Halmstad, with responsibility for production, manufacturing, procurement, logistics, supply chain and QES. Together with your leadership team, you will ensure that our operations consistently meet ambitious targets for safety, quality, delivery, productivity and sustainability.

Together with the global PMT Supply Chain and Operations leadership, you will align Swedish manufacturing and supply chain strategies with divisional and Group priorities while driving operational excellence through common methods, processes and performance metrics.

A key part of the assignment is to strengthen our safety culture by taking visible ownership of workplace safety and creating an environment where continuous improvement is embedded in everyday operations. You will also monitor financial performance, drive cost optimization and proactively manage operational and supply chain risks.

Qualifications & Experience

We believe you have extensive experience from leading large-scale industrial operations in an international environment, with a proven ability to create sustainable operational improvements while leading organizations through change.

To succeed in this role, you combine strategic thinking with clear and visible leadership and have demonstrated success in driving operational transformation, improving safety performance and delivering measurable business results.

• Extensive experience in global, process or large scale operations, manufacturing and supply chain management, ideally within advanced process manufacturing sectors such as steel, chemicals or the automotive value chain, or adjacent process industries with continuous production
• Proven track record of implementing advanced manufacturing methodologies such as lean, with strong skills in change management
• Experience of leading large scale operational transformations, including safety culture and digitalisation initiatives, with concrete improvements in accident rates and safety behaviour in demanding industrial environments
• Strong commercial and financial acumen with experience in profit and loss management
• Understanding of diverse cultures and international corporate operations
• Comprehensive understanding of regulatory frameworks and technological trends in manufacturing and supply chain
• Proven ability to manage large scale budgets and drive cost optimisation and productivity improvements
• Experience in leading and motivating diverse teams, building a strong company culture and nurturing talent
• Professional proficiency in both English and Swedish is highly preferred, as the role involves close collaboration with a largely Swedish-speaking local organization.
• Master’s degree in engineering, preferably in metallurgy, chemical or mechanical engineering, or in operations management

Who You Are

You have a strong drive to achieve results, keeping focus, and moving things forward in an accountable and effective way. You communicate clearly, inspire confidence and know how to engage people around common goals.

You are down to earth, unpretentious and create an open atmosphere where people feel comfortable contributing. You have the ability to translate strategic direction into clear, actionable tactics and remain resilient and adaptable in times of change. You act with high integrity, with a strong focus on ethical standards, transparency and accountability, and you are a visible and hands-on presence in the production environment who creates engagement and cohesion across plants and functions.

Working at Höganäs

We aim to offer a great and meaningful place to work where you can fulfil your potential and ambitions. We welcome all applicants and strive for diversity. We have a clear management philosophy, and just like us you believe that through collaboration and openness we develop as individuals and as a company. We see all employees, regardless of position, as leaders when we approach the challenges that the world – and we – face. Höganäs ambition is to lead the transformation to better meet the needs of tomorrow and become the preferred supplier of sustainable metal powder on a global scale – join us in our journey of sustainable change and towards net-zero climate emissions.

Application and Contact

Höganäs is collaborating with Academic Search in this recruitment process.

You can apply by clicking the ”Apply Now” button and submitting your CV and, if desired, a cover letter. We work with ongoing selection, so we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

For more information about the position, please contact:

Marcus Kleine Senior Consultant marcus.kleine@academicsearch.se or Betty Holmberg Researcher betty.holmberg@academicsearch.se

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