Operational Excellence Specialist (all genders) in the Netherlands

• Minimum HBO (Higher Professional Education) working & thinking level;
• Demonstrable experience within Continuous Improvement, preferably within a Supply Chain environment;
• Knowledge and expertise in the field of Lean/sixsigma methodologies;
• Data driven and analytical skills;
• Result-oriented go-getter;
• Strong communication skills.

What we offer
At FrieslandCampina, you work on strong and beloved brands used daily by millions, such as Friso, Campina, Chocomel and Frisian Flag. As a cooperative of dairy farmers, we combine an international working environment with a clear focus on sustainability. We support your growth with training, coaching and internal career opportunities. With confidence and autonomy, you can truly make an impact. Employment conditions:

• Salary between €3,900 and €5,300 gross per month (full-time), depending on experience and suitability for the role;
• A working week of 32 to 38 hours, 5% end-of-year bonus, 10% bonus (based on company results), 8% holiday allowance and a pension scheme;
• A train pass and/or €0.23 per km (max. 30 km one way);
• 200 hours of leave per year, with the possibility to buy or sell up to 40 extra hours;
• A laptop and phone;
• Attention to wellbeing and inclusion, with initiatives such as health support, employee assistance programs and diversity initiatives.

As an OPEX Specialist, you will be part of the multi-site Technology & Operational Excellence team for the Balkbrug, Marum and Steenderen locations.

In this role, you play a key role in strengthening and anchoring the continuous improvement culture within our production location in Steenderen. You enable teams and managers to independently identify, implement and secure improvements. You coach employees and managers in applying Operational Excellence methodologies and support the organization in achieving objectives regarding safety, quality, operational performance, costs and technical performance. Additionally, you support daily operations by facilitating Root Cause Analyses (RCAs) during deviations and losses. You help teams to identify the underlying causes of problems and translate them into effective and sustainable improvement actions.

Your responsibilities

• Coaching and training employees and managers in the field of continuous improvement.
• Developing and strengthening a culture of ownership, continuous improvement and performance-oriented working, in which Our Way of Working (OWOW) and Operational Excellence principles are applied daily.
• Supporting teams in realizing operational objectives and KPIs.
• Facilitating Root Cause Analyses (RCAs) and securing a structured problem-solving approach.
• Monitoring and analyzing operational performance and losses.
• Supporting the development of improvement competencies within the organization. In this role, you work intensively with Operations, Maintenance, QESH and Technology. You support and challenge teams to realize structural improvements, solve problems at the source and take ownership of performance and results.

You are part of the Multisite Technology & Operational Excellence team for the production locations Balkbrug, Marum and Steenderen. Within this team, you work closely with colleagues from the various locations to exchange knowledge and best practices, standardize successful ways of working and collectively shape the further development of Operational Excellence within the organization.
Discover the cheesery in Steenderen

Do you want to help teams perform better every day? As an OPEX Specialist at our location in Steenderen, you coach, train and facilitate the organization in continuous improvement. You support managers and teams in achieving operational objectives, strengthen improvement competencies within the factory and facilitate Root Cause Analyses to solve problems sustainably.