Operational Excellence Transformation Leader

At Arla Foods Deutschland GmbH, we strive to maintain a high level of operational excellence and are seeking an Operational Excellence Manager to lead this journey. This role is crucial in ensuring that our processes, standards, and operational excellence culture continue to evolve and meet the highest industry standards.

How You Will Make an Impact

As an Operational Excellence Manager, you will take an active ownership of our operational excellence journey and be in a leading role to develop, anchor, and role-model a world-class operational excellence mindset and culture throughout all functions at site. You will be at the forefront of leading continuous improvement efforts, overseeing the site's operational excellence (OpEx) projects and initiatives, and ensuring that all OpEx activities are aligned with the overall strategic goals of the company.

Your primary responsibilities will include defining, planning, and implementing our Arla Performance System (APS) at the site, in alignment with the global rollout. You will work closely with the Site Leadership Team, providing expert guidance, and acting as a key point of contact for support functions. Furthermore, by promoting a Lean and Continuous Improvement culture, you will drive significant improvements across Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Motivation, and Planet (SQCDMP).

Your Key Responsibilities

1. Own, plan, and execute the site's Operational Excellence journey, including the strategic alignment and implementation of APS standards and ways of working, to drive continuous improvements.
2. Oversee all site Operational Excellence projects, from planning and coordination to follow-up, ensuring they align with business goals and performance metrics.
3. Establish, develop, and foster a market Community of Practice (CoP) together with Senior OpEx Managers and participate in centrally led global pilots.
4. Identify opportunities for automation and digitalization at the site and execute implementation of relevant digital tools.
5. Facilitate workshops, conduct training, and provide coaching to site teams and leaders on OpEx tools and methodologies, empowering them to drive performance improvement and sustain results.
6. Promote the use of balanced scorecards and KPIs to manage site performance, fostering a performance-driven problem-solving culture and preventative mindset.
7. Nurture a culture of continuous improvement by challenging the status quo, leading lean initiatives, and encouraging the use of digital tools to accelerate data-driven decision-making and shop floor visualization.

What Will Make You Successful

You are a results-driven professional with a proven track record of driving operational excellence initiatives. Your strong communication and leadership skills enable you to engage stakeholders across all levels of the organization, from shopfloor employees to senior management.

You are familiar with implementing Lean or Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) frameworks, and you have a strategic mindset that allows you to manage complex projects while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Experience with digital transformation and Industry 4.0 tools is highly valued in this role.

Further Requirements

1. 8+ years of experience in engineering, dairy production, or supply chain management.
2. Solid experience as an operational front-line leader in a mature manufacturing environment.
3. Formal qualification/education in production, supply chain, or a related field is beneficial.
4. Proven experience in leading operational excellence projects, including Lean and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
5. Strong communication, project management, and stakeholder management skills.
6. Proven experience with implementation of mature standard work processes within an operational excellence environment as both an operational leader and implementation support team member.
7. Experience with digital tools, financial acumen, and working within a matrixed organization.
8. Demonstrated ability to mentor and coach teams, with a get-it-done attitude that drives results.

About Us

We offer a collaborative, dynamic environment where you will have a key role in shaping the future of our site's operations. We value passionate colleagues who are committed to delivering excellence, and we offer a competitive salary, benefits package, and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

A Purpose for Good

We strive to unlock the highest potential in each other while working together to create a sustainable future of dairy. Our purpose is anchored in our commitment to respecting human rights, increasing access to healthy dairy nutrition, inspiring good food habits, and improving the environment for future generations. In order to succeed, we need to hire people with a sustainable mindset.