The short answer
A head of technical services brings together technical knowledge and management experience. Be clear about how much operational work, personnel responsibility and strategic scope the role involves.
What sets this profile apart
A Head of Technical Services leads a team of fitters or technicians, monitors the availability of machines and installations, and moves constantly between the shop floor and management. That demands something beyond technical expertise alone. Twenty years of excellent maintenance work does not automatically qualify someone to coordinate a team and manage budgets. The reverse holds just as firmly: a leader who no longer knows the technology up close loses authority on the floor.
The job profile is, for this reason, more sensitive than it is for operational technical roles. Small variations in wording draw an entirely different type of candidate. Write 'responsible for maintenance strategy' and you reach different people than when you write 'hands-on leadership of a team of four'.
Channel and reach: active versus passive
Most people with this profile are not actively looking. They work at a competitor, a supplier, or a client – content enough not to browse a job board, but open enough for the right story. Traditional job posting barely reaches this segment. Social recruitment works differently: the ad appears in the feed of someone who was not searching, and the story has to reach them anyway.
That places demands on the content. Not a list of responsibilities, but something that triggers recognition. Picture this: a Head of TD at a machine factory, wrestling daily with the balance between preventive and corrective maintenance – while management thinks in production schedules. If your ad names that tension, he stops scrolling. That is the threshold you have to clear: not showing the vacancy, but asking the right question.
Channel choice depends on where this profile spends its time. LinkedIn reaches managers who maintain their profile. Facebook and Instagram also reach those who never do – but scroll anyway. That choice follows your sector and the professional context of your target group, not a platform setting that will look different next month.
Defining selection criteria with precision
Before you start recruiting, it is worth drawing a clear line between what someone must know and what someone must be able to do. For a Head of TD, that means questions such as: what type of installations are in the factory, how many people will he manage, what level of education is genuinely required versus desirable, and what is the balance between presence on the plant floor and administrative responsibilities.
Those criteria determine not only who you invite, but also how the conversation unfolds. An AI recruiter that conducts conversations via WhatsApp 24/7 works from within that organisational context. It probes what candidates say about their current role, their leadership experience, and their technical background. It qualifies against the requirements you agreed in advance – and then delivers a complete picture: the conversation itself, the CV where available, a score, and suggested questions in the Cockpit.
That follow-up conversation is yours to lead. It is the moment you judge whether someone fits the culture of your organisation, the team he will manage, the way you work. That cannot be automated – and it should not be.
Step-by-step guide
- Define the role profile with hard criteria: technical domain, team size, reporting structure, and the boundary between desirable and required.
- Define the tone of your ad: do you address the problem this type of person faces daily, or do you describe the organisation from above?
- Choose your channel based on your target group – actively searching or passively reachable – and adapt the content accordingly.
- Activate social recruitment to reach even the candidate who is not looking.
- Let the AI recruiter qualify based on your criteria, via WhatsApp, at the moment the candidate has time.
- Review the candidate profiles in the Cockpit: conversation, CV, score, and suggested questions.
- Conduct the follow-up conversation yourself: test for leadership style, team dynamics, and the things that only become visible in a personal conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Head of TD always need a technical qualification?
That depends on your organisation and the installations involved. Some companies treat a technical qualification as an essential requirement. Others weigh proven experience more heavily. Work this out internally before you begin – so that the qualification criteria hold from the start.
What do I do if there is little response?
Low response is often a signal about the content or the channel – not about the availability of the profile. Adjust the message: name a recognisable problem rather than a list of duties. Or shift to a platform where your target group actually is.
How do I assess leadership style in an interview?
Ask situational questions based on scenarios that are realistic in your factory. Ask how someone responded to an unexpected breakdown, a conflict within their team, or a difference of opinion with management. Abstract management questions produce abstract answers. --- More on the broader context: Recruiting technical staff and Recruitment marketing or agency. Want to set up this process – from job profile to qualified candidates in your Cockpit? Red Rocket would be glad to think it through with you.
