Key Skills

Job Description

WE'RE HIRING: HEAD OF OPERATIONS AT FIDUCIAL TwoBirds is Fiducial's exclusive recruitment partner for this position. Interested? Send your CV by Saturday 24 October to [email protected]. After receiving your application, we'll share a short questionnaire and more information about the process. Please note that applying through LinkedIn alone is not sufficient. Building technology that makes a real difference to Europe's ability to defend itself. That's what a group of ambitious engineers from Delft set out to achieve. Fiducial develops technology that allows drones and other defence systems to understand their surroundings and operate autonomously, with applications in UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) technology and C-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems). Think drones that navigate without GPS, systems that detect and track hostile drones, and interceptor drones that autonomously home in on airborne threats. Founded by two Aerospace Engineering students from TU Delft, Fiducial combines advanced technology with a hands-on, entrepreneurial approach. Its software is designed to perform in demanding real-world environments, where reliability, speed and adaptability matter. A significant part of Fiducial's operational activities takes place in Ukraine. Supporting customers and teams on the ground requires close coordination, reliable execution and the willingness to travel there when needed. The technology keeps evolving. Now the operation needs to scale alongside it. That's why we're looking for a Head of Operations. The role As Head of Operations, you'll own Fiducial's day-to-day operational performance. Your mission is to make sure operations can deliver consistently and at speed, while supporting the company's growth. You'll bring together people, capacity, production, logistics and projects, translating commercial forecasts and customer commitments into clear priorities and executable plans. You'll make sure Fiducial can support complex customer projects without compromising quality, flexibility or technical excellence. More specifically, you'll: Take ownership of project delivery, deployments, capacity planning and operational performance. Coordinate production, supply chain and international logistics to support customer deployments. Translate sales forecasts and customer commitments into realistic plans and reliable delivery. Spot bottlenecks early and improve efficiency through better tooling, automation and simpler ways of working. Lead and develop the operational team, including Forward Deployed Engineers working across Europe and Ukraine. Strengthen ownership, decision-making and team performance. Work closely with Sales, Engineering, Security and Compliance to keep commercial commitments, technical requirements and operational capacity aligned. You'll stay close to the day-to-day operation, know when to step in and when to let your team lead. The goal is an operation that runs like clockwork, without losing Fiducial's ability to move fast and adapt. Who are we looking for? We're looking for an experienced operational leader with a strong technical background and a proven track record of running, improving and scaling complex technical operations. Hands-on experience in a relevant deep-tech environment is essential. Think robotics, mechatronics, IoT, autonomous systems, UAV technology, C-UAS, deep-tech hardware and software, aerospace or defence technology. You understand how complex technical systems are developed, integrated and deployed, and can work confidently alongside engineers and product teams. You bring strong experience in: Running and improving technical operations, with tangible results in delivery performance, efficiency and operational reliability. Scaling a growing organisation, ideally through a growth phase from around 50 to 200 employees. Managing complex projects and programmes, with multiple customer projects and deployments running simultaneously. Production, supply chain and international logistics around complex technological products. Translating commercial forecasts and customer commitments into capacity planning, priorities and reliable delivery. Developing operational teams, coaching people and building independent ownership. Improving operations through better tooling, automation and data, rather than adding unnecessary processes. Willingness to travel to Ukraine when required is essential. About you You bring execution and ownership. You make decisions, set priorities and ensure things get done, even when several projects and customers compete for attention. You're decisive and adaptable. You don't need 100% of the information to make a good call, and you adjust quickly when circumstances change. You look for smarter solutions. You tackle problems at their source and prefer better tooling, automation or simpler ways of working over unnecessary processes. You make people and teams stronger. You coach capable people, give them responsibility and help them develop the confidence to make decisions independently. You think like an entrepreneur. You're hands-on, comfortable with uncertainty and take responsibility for outcomes, not just your part of the process. Practical details Location: Delft, the Netherlands (on-site) Employment: Full-time, permanent Start: As soon as possible Language: Professional fluency in English. Dutch is a plus, not a requirement. Travel: International travel is part of the role. Willingness to travel to Ukraine when required is essential. You'll join Fiducial's management team, reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the CTO, with the potential to grow into a COO role as the company scales. TwoBirds is Fiducial's exclusive recruitment partner. Interested? Send your CV by Saturday 24 October to [email protected]. After receiving your application, we'll share a short questionnaire and more information about the process. Please note that applying through LinkedIn alone is not sufficient.

Core Responsibilities

Own day-to-day operational performance, including project delivery, deployments, capacity planning, production, supply chain, and international logistics. Lead and develop the operational team while aligning customer commitments, commercial forecasts, technical requirements, and operational capacity.

Requirements

Candidates need a strong technical background and proven experience running, improving, and scaling complex operations in a relevant deep-tech environment, as well as managing concurrent projects, deployments, production, and logistics. The role also requires operational team leadership, a hands-on and adaptable approach, professional fluency in English, and willingness to travel to Ukraine when needed.