Group Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement Director

About the role

The Group Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement Director will lead the global manufacturing standards and performance across all plants, ensuring consistent KPIs, standardisation and continuous improvement. Reporting to the COO, the role drives industrial transformation through data‑based decision making and clear implementation plans.

Key responsibilities

• Define and execute the global manufacturing strategy in line with COO directives and local General Managers.
• Monitor, analyse and report core manufacturing KPIs (productivity, efficiency, scrap, OEE, industrial costs, process standardisation) and identify gaps.
• Prioritise improvement opportunities and lead execution plans with plant teams, initially focusing on the NAFTA region.
• Ensure consistency of production processes, KPIs and methodologies across all global plants.
• Support plants with operational excellence initiatives, recovery plans and cross‑functional projects on quality, productivity, cost optimisation and global harmonisation.
• Deploy structured continuous‑improvement programmes using data analytics, process mapping and standardised reporting.
• Maintain a strong on‑site presence, travelling up to 50 % of the time to reinforce operational discipline.

Required profile

• Proven experience in multinational industrial companies, preferably from a corporate or headquarters role.
• Solid background in discrete manufacturing with exposure to assembly, stamping, moulding and highly verticalised production environments.
• Hands‑on, execution‑focused leadership style with the ability to influence teams across multiple plants and countries.
• High analytical, data‑driven mindset and strong ability to translate insights into actionable plans.
• Willingness to travel frequently and work in high‑priority regions.

Required skills

• Injection mold construction
• Plastic molding
• Ultrasonic and radio‑frequency welding
• Advanced automation
• Vision inspection systems
• Pleating of non‑woven or paper materials
• Supplier Quality Engineering (SQE) knowledge
• Manufacturing analytics and KPI systems
• Lean manufacturing, Operational Excellence and TPM methodologies
• Data analytics, process mapping and standardized reporting