Operations Performance Lead (all genders) in the Netherlands

Do you want to play a key role in further developing our production organization and ensuring that improvements are actually anchored in daily practice? At FrieslandCampina Lutjewinkel, we are looking for an Operations Performance Lead who, as a connecting link between team leaders, staff departments, and management, will take our plant's performance to a higher level. In this role, you will combine the daily dynamics of production with the realization of structural improvements that contribute to a safe, efficient, and future-proof organization.

• HBO/WO working and thinking level, supplemented with several years of experience within a production environment, preferably in the food or process industry;
• Ambition and potential to grow into operational leadership, combined with a hands-on and visible leadership style on the shop floor;
• Experience with or a strong affinity for Continuous Improvement methodologies, such as Lean, TPM, or similar improvement programs;
• Strong analytical ability, with the skill to translate operational challenges into structural improvements and sustainable solutions;
• Excellent communication skills, organizational sensitivity, and the ability to connect people, departments, and processes. Additionally, you have an affinity for production planning and a good command of the Dutch language.

As Operations Performance Lead, you are the connecting link within the production organization of our location in Lutjewinkel. You work closely with the Production Manager, Team Leaders, and supporting departments to continuously improve performance. In this role, you are involved in both the daily operation of the plant and responsible for initiating and implementing improvement projects. Through your visibility on the shop floor and connecting approach, you ensure that improvements lead to lasting results.

Responsibilities:

• Acting as a connecting link between the Production Manager, Team Leaders, and supporting departments;
• Supporting daily operations and contributing to a stable and efficient production;
• Identifying, initiating, and implementing improvement projects focused on safety, quality, delivery, and cost;
• Supporting Team Leaders in the further professionalization of daily management and collaboration;
• Facilitating root cause analyses and stimulating a fact-based way of working;
• Improving processes such as shift handovers, communication, breakdown analyses, and follow-up of actions;
• Translating operational data and observations into concrete improvement initiatives;
• Contributing to the further development of the OWOW program at the location;
• Collaborating with Maintenance, Quality, Planning, and Technology to realize chain-wide improvements;
• Ensuring the continuity of production planning in the absence of the Production Planner;
• Assuming the operational responsibilities of the Production Manager in their absence.

You will be part of the production organization in Lutjewinkel and work closely with the Production Manager, Team Leaders, and various staff departments. You report to the Production Manager. From your role, you connect the different shifts and disciplines and make an important contribution to the further development of our location. The Lutjewinkel location: Our cheesery in Lutjewinkel has been making unique North Holland cheese for more than 100 years. With a close-knit team of approximately 100 colleagues, we process more than a million liters of milk daily into high-quality cheeses that are appreciated worldwide. We continuously invest in technology, sustainability, and the development of our people to remain a leader in the future.