Director of Operational Excellence (Manufacturing, EMEA)

Job summary

This role involves leading a team dedicated to optimizing plant processes and technology within the manufacturing sector. The focus is on driving operational excellence through best practices, enhancing efficiency, and ensuring compliance with global standards across all regional plants.

Qualifications

• At least 10 years of progressive experience in process and productivity optimization.
• Educational background in Mechanical Engineering.
• Proficiency in Lean principles and methodologies.
• Strong leadership abilities and experience managing cross-cultural teams.
• In-depth knowledge of predictive and preventative maintenance practices.
• Excellent project management skills with a focus on budgetary control.
• Effective communication and relationship management skills with suppliers and internal teams.
• Familiarity with Capital Project Development, Cost Estimation, and Project Management.
• Fluency in English.

Responsibilities

• Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Implement and audit Operational Excellence Pillars across all plants.
• Own and track KPI performance, ensuring timely reporting and follow-up.
• Train plant teams in alignment with the global training strategy.
• Define and govern global process and maintenance standards for various products.
• Act as the escalation point for complex technical issues, coordinating problem-solving efforts.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and identify capital investment opportunities.
• Lead the technical strategy for engineering and CapEx projects, ensuring global optimization.
• Ensure compliance with quality standards, customer requirements, and regulatory guidelines.
• Manage supplier relationships for equipment and tooling, focusing on standardization and performance.
• Optimize capacity and assets, improving utilization and throughput.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in spoilage reduction and performance analysis.
• Lead data management and analytics to support operational decision-making.
• Oversee PMO, industrialization, and change management activities for new technologies and processes.

Skills

• Strong leadership and cross-cultural team management.
• Proficient in Lean methodologies and project management.
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills.

Education

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.

Tools

• Familiarity with data management and analytics tools for operational decision-making.