Global Head of Operations – Motion Drive Products Division

At ABB, we help industries run leaner and cleaner—and every person here makes that happen. You’ll be empowered to lead, supported to grow, and proud of the impact we create together. Join us and help run what runs the world.

This position reports to:

Division President, Motion

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ABB Drive Products serves the industries and infrastructure segments with world-class drives and programmable logic controllers (PLC). With its products, global scale and local presence, the Division helps customers to improve energy efficiency, productivity and safety.

Our culture and benefits reflect our values: courage, care, curiosity and collaboration. The most appreciated benefits according to our personnel are at the moment e.g. an annual performance bonus, employee share acquisition program, continuous learning opportunities, and wellbeing and family benefits.

In this role, you will lead the Operations function for ABB’s Drive Products division in line with the division’s operating model. You will be accountable for the full value chain—from planning and procurement to production and logistics—while ensuring excellence in health, safety, and environment (HSE), as well as continuous development of processes and systems.

As Global Operations Manager, you will define the strategic direction and set operational targets for the function, working closely with local teams to drive alignment and execution.

You will also lead the global footprint strategy, supporting local units in its implementation, including involvement in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and divestment projects to ensure sustainable growth and operational efficiency.

Location

This role is open globally, with preferred locations in Drive Products main locations in Finland, China, India, USA. The work model is hybrid.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the global Operations strategy in alignment with Division objectives, ensuring strong collaboration across local units
• Lead and continuously optimize the end-to-end value chain, from supplier to customer and from order to delivery, delivering excellence in safety, quality, delivery, inventory, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
• Drive operational excellence and resilience through continuous improvement, process standardization, governance, and compliance across strategic programs and initiatives
• Shape and advance the manufacturing and digital technology roadmap for Operations, partnering with R&D to enable Design for Excellence (DfX) and long-term competitiveness
• Lead global footprint strategy and support local units in execution, including mergers, acquisitions (M&A), and divestment projects
• Oversee capital investment planning (CapEx) and operational budgets to ensure sustainable growth, resilience, and value creation across the global operations network

Qualifications

• M.Sc. degree in a relevant field
• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience in operations within a global industrial or technology environment
• Proven experience across manufacturing, engineering, supply chain, and customer-facing operations
• Strong track record of cross-functional collaboration and delivering results through teamwork
• Strategic mindset with the ability to translate vision into actionable plans
• Dynamic leadership style with excellent stakeholder engagement skills
• Fluent written and spoken English

What’s in it for you?

We empower you to take initiative, challenge ideas, and lead with confidence. You’ll grow through meaningful work, continuous learning, and support that’s tailored to your goals. Every idea you share and every action you take contributes to something bigger.

Call to action

Join us. Be part of the team where progress happens, industries transform, and your work shapes the world. Run What Runs the World.

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We value people from different backgrounds. Could this be your story? Apply today or visit careers.abb to read more about us and learn about the impact of our solutions across the globe.

Building a cleaner, smarter future takes all kinds of minds: the curious, the courageous, and the creative. That's why we welcome people from all backgrounds and experiences.

Ready to make an impact?

Apply today or visit https://www.abb.com to learn more about the impact of our solutions across the globe.