Application Guide

How to Apply for Head of Service

at GEA

🏢 About GEA

GEA stands out as a global leader in sustainable technology solutions, specifically focusing on efficient food processing and diverse industrial applications. The company combines engineering excellence with a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, making it an attractive workplace for professionals passionate about impactful technology. Working at GEA offers the opportunity to contribute to essential industries while driving innovation in sustainable practices.

About This Role

As Head of Service for GEA's Food & Healthcare Technologies division, you'll lead a team of 14 professionals while shaping the company's service strategy to drive commercial growth. This role involves balancing field-based work across the UK with strategic planning at the Milton Keynes headquarters, making it both hands-on and leadership-focused. Your impact will directly strengthen GEA's established service ethos while unlocking new commercial value through exceptional service performance.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve morning strategy sessions at Milton Keynes HQ, followed by travel to a client site to oversee equipment service operations, then virtual team meetings with your 14-member service team. You'll balance analyzing service performance metrics with hands-on field leadership, while developing plans to strengthen GEA's service offerings across the UK.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who GEA Is Looking For

  • Has 8+ years of service leadership experience with a proven track record in the food processing or capital equipment industries
  • Possesses an engineering background with hands-on experience managing service teams for complex industrial equipment
  • Demonstrates success in cross-departmental collaboration to develop customer-centric service solutions
  • Is comfortable with extensive UK travel (field-based) while maintaining 1-2 days weekly at Milton Keynes HQ

📝 Tips for Applying to GEA

1

Quantify your service leadership achievements specifically in food industry contexts - include metrics like team growth, budget increases, or customer satisfaction improvements

2

Highlight your engineering background and how it informs your service strategy approach for capital equipment

3

Demonstrate your ability to work across departments by providing examples of collaborative service solution development

4

Address the travel requirements directly in your application, showing enthusiasm for the field-based nature of the role

5

Research GEA's specific food processing technologies and reference how your experience aligns with their equipment portfolio

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your specific experience leading service teams in food processing or related capital equipment industries', "Examples of how you've developed and executed service strategies that drove commercial growth", "Your engineering background and how it enables you to understand GEA's technical solutions", 'Your approach to balancing field-based leadership with strategic headquarters collaboration']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → GEA's specific food processing technologies and equipment in their Food & Healthcare division
  • → The company's sustainability initiatives and how they integrate with service operations
  • → Recent news about GEA's UK operations and service expansion
  • → The competitive landscape for industrial service providers in the food processing sector

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you develop GEA's service strategy for the Food & Healthcare Technologies division over the next 3 years?
2 Describe your experience managing service teams for capital equipment and how you've driven budget growth
3 How do you collaborate across departments to create customer-focused service solutions?
4 What specific benchmarks would you establish to measure service team performance in this role?
5 How would you handle the balance between extensive UK travel and headquarters responsibilities?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Applying with generic service management experience without food industry or capital equipment specifics
  • Failing to address the travel requirements or showing reluctance about the field-based nature
  • Submitting a generic cover letter that doesn't reference GEA's specific technologies or service ethos

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to GEA!

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