Exosens is an international high-tech company specializing in advanced imaging and detection technologies.
As high-tech companies scale their production, the complexity of their supply chains often increases significantly. Higher production volumes require reliable sourcing, material availability, effective planning and close coordination with specialized suppliers.
For its operations in Tirlemont, Belgium, Exosens was looking for a Director of Supply Chain, a business-critical leadership position responsible for preparing the supply chain for increasing production volumes.
The challenge? Exosens did not simply need an experienced supply chain executive.
They needed someone who could define and develop the supply chain strategy while remaining closely involved in day-to-day execution during an important growth phase.
Why this hire was important
Scaling high-tech production places significant demands on a company’s supply chain.
As production volumes increase, sourcing, supplier management, material availability and planning all need to develop alongside the business.
For Exosens, this meant the Director of Supply Chain would play an important role in preparing the organization for its next stage of growth.
The successful candidate needed to help build the structures and processes required for higher production volumes while simultaneously addressing immediate operational requirements.
This required a leader who could move comfortably between strategic decision-making and practical execution.
Securing the right person was therefore important not only for the supply chain function itself, but also for Exosens’ broader ability to scale its production successfully.
The Challenge
This search required a particularly balanced leadership profile.
The ideal candidate needed to:
Bring strong supply chain leadership experience
Prepare the organization for significantly higher production volumes
Develop and shape the future supply chain strategy
Remain closely involved in operational execution
Understand sourcing, material availability and production planning
Work effectively with specialist suppliers and complex components
Fit successfully into Exosens’ organization and leadership environment
Finding this combination was not straightforward. Some senior supply chain professionals operate primarily at a strategic level and are less involved in operational execution.
Others bring strong hands-on experience but may not have the leadership background required to shape a supply chain organization during a major scale-up.
For Exosens, both capabilities were essential.
At the same time, management availability for interviews was limited. This made candidate quality particularly important: every introduction needed to be carefully assessed and genuinely relevant before entering the hiring process.
Our Approach
For a leadership search like this, defining the position correctly was an important part of the recruitment process.
Before focusing exclusively on candidate sourcing, we worked with Exosens to clarify how the position should be structured and positioned within the organization.
Based on the scope of responsibility and the company’s growth plans, we advised on positioning and advertising the role at Director level.
The search itself combined targeted direct outreach with advertising campaigns designed to reach experienced supply chain leaders.
Our focus was not simply on professionals with senior supply chain titles.
We specifically looked for candidates who could combine strategic leadership with the willingness and ability to remain operationally involved.
✅ Advising on the positioning of the role
An important part of the project was helping define how the position should sit within the organization. Given the responsibility for preparing the supply chain for production scale-up while managing immediate operational priorities, the seniority and positioning of the role needed to reflect its business impact.
We therefore supported Exosens in defining and communicating the position at Director level.
This helped ensure that the opportunity accurately represented the level of responsibility and attracted candidates with the appropriate leadership background.
✅ Targeted outreach to experienced supply chain leaders
We directly approached supply chain professionals whose backgrounds matched the strategic and operational requirements of the position.
Rather than focusing only on seniority or job titles, we looked closely at candidates’ experience with scaling supply chains, managing complex sourcing environments and remaining involved in operational execution.
This allowed us to concentrate on professionals who could realistically support Exosens during its next stage of growth.
✅ Targeted advertising campaigns
Alongside Active Sourcing, we used targeted advertising to expand the reach of the search.
Combining both approaches helped us access experienced supply chain professionals through multiple channels while maintaining a strong focus on the specific requirements of the role.
Because management availability for interviews was limited, candidate relevance remained a priority throughout the process.
First candidates introduced within approximately three weeks
Following the intake briefing at the end of February, we introduced the first candidates to Exosens by mid-March.
For a senior leadership role requiring a combination of strategic supply chain expertise, operational involvement and strong organizational fit, carefully assessing potential candidates before introduction was particularly important.
Rather than generating a large shortlist, our focus was on presenting professionals who could realistically meet Exosens’ requirements and justify the management time needed for the interview process.
The search ultimately resulted in the successful appointment of an experienced Director of Supply Chain.
The Result: A supply chain leader to support Exosens’ production scale-up
Exosens successfully hired a Director of Supply Chain who could connect long-term supply chain strategy with day-to-day operational execution.
The hire strengthened the company’s ability to align sourcing, material availability and planning with increasing production volumes.
For Exosens, this meant adding leadership capacity at an important point in the company’s growth.
Rather than focusing exclusively on future strategy, the new Director could also support the immediate operational requirements involved in preparing the organization for higher production volumes.
The VP Operations described the successful candidate as a perfect match, highlighting CareerBee’s understanding of both the professional profile required and the type of person who would fit successfully within the organization.
The result was therefore not simply the appointment of an experienced supply chain professional, but the addition of a leader capable of supporting Exosens through a critical scale-up phase.
Conclusion: Recruiting supply chain leadership for high-tech growth
Recruiting senior supply chain professionals becomes particularly challenging when a business is moving through a period of rapid production growth.
Companies often need leaders who can think strategically while remaining close enough to operations to solve immediate problems and build the structures required for future scale.
For Exosens, finding this balance was central to the search.
By combining targeted Active Sourcing and advertising with advice on the positioning of the role itself, we were able to identify candidates who matched both the leadership requirements and the operational realities of the position.
Following the intake briefing at the end of February, the first candidates were introduced by mid-March, ultimately resulting in the successful appointment of a Director of Supply Chain.
The successful hire now helps Exosens align its supply chain capabilities with increasing production volumes and strengthens the organization’s ability to scale its high-tech operations.
Looking to hire supply chain or operations leaders in Europe?
Whether you are scaling production, building a new supply chain organization or searching for senior professionals who can combine strategic leadership with hands-on execution, we can help you identify and approach the right talent.
Get in touch with CareerBee to discuss your hiring project.
