Head of Service APAC

DEUTZ is the world’s oldest engine company. In recent years DEUTZ has evolved from a manufacturer of conventional engines into a system provider for innovative and sustainable mobility and energy solutions. DEUTZ solutions are used in a wide range of applications, including construction equipment, agricultural machinery, material handling equipment such as forklift trucks and lifting platforms, stationary equipment such as generator sets (gensets) and defense applications. The Head of Service APAC is a senior leadership role accountable for the strategic direction, growth, and profitability of the regional service business across Southeast Asia, India, South Korea, Japan and Australia. Reporting to Chief Sales Officer Engines & Service Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, the role leads the regional service strategy, builds a high-performing distributor and key account network, and drives cross-functional alignment across sales, technical, commercial, and operational functions. The role covers commercial service sales as well as technical customer support, field service, warranty, training and auditing. Regional travel and full P&L ownership for Southeast Asia are core to this role. Key Responsibilities • Own the regional service growth strategy (market coverage, technical capability, revenue, customer satisfaction) and be accountable for performance against revenue and profitability targets, independently developing and implementing corrective actions where deviations occur. • Identify and close new business opportunities; lead sales processes end-to-end including quotations, contract negotiations, annual commercial reviews, distributor appointments and partnership agreements, and set market-appropriate pricing strategies as the senior representative of the DEUTZ brand with OEMs, distributors, dealers and end customers. • Establish and govern customer-specific business processes, including payment security instruments (letters of credit, credit insurance, bank guarantees) and compliance with export control and trade regulations. • Set and enforce dealer network standards for technical training, workshop capability, equipment, and corporate identity, warranty handling and service quality, including audits. • Independently lead project business activities (scope, priorities, timelines, pricing, and costs) and tenders, including customer projects requiring customized technical solutions and the negotiation of distributor and OEM self-service agreements. • Own annual and mid-term demand planning and forecasting; lead business reviews, forecast meetings, and project reviews with customers and internal stakeholders, ensuring accurate and timely planning. • Monitor market trends, distributor performance, customer demand and competitor activity to identify growth opportunities and shape the regional service portfolio in line with the company’s strategic objectives. • Drive cross-functional collaboration across service, technical support, warranty, training, logistics, finance, legal, project management and sales, ensuring structured account management and coordinated handling of contracts, logistics, and technical/commercial matters. • Directly lead a small team in Southeast Asia and indirectly lead, coach and develop the broader regional service organization (commercial and technical service, customer support, warranty, training and auditing). • Act as the senior escalation point for complex customer issues relating to technical performance, quality, warranty and delivery reliability, driving resolution through close cooperation with internal stakeholders. • Travel extensively and flexibly within the region, including to markets with developing infrastructure. Experience • 7+ years in service, sales, or business development within a technical, industrial, or capital goods environment; engine, powertrain, or heavy equipment experience strongly preferred. • 3+ years in a senior leadership or regional management role with demonstrated P&L accountability and a track record managing multi-country distributor/dealer networks. • Proven success negotiating complex commercial agreements internationally, leading cross-functional teams without direct authority, and managing senior-level customer escalations. • Strong strategic, commercial, and financial acumen (budgeting, forecasting, pricing, margin management), paired with excellent negotiation skills across diverse cultural contexts. • Working knowledge of export control regulations, trade compliance, and international payment security instruments. • Excellent stakeholder management and executive presence; strong analytical skills; decisive and resilient leadership style suited to a fast-changing, multi-market environment. • Bachelor's degree in engineering, business administration, or related field; MBA an advantage. • Fluent business English required; additional languages (e.g. German, Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Arabic) are an advantage. • Willingness to travel, and to operate flexibly across time zones and cultures.