Head of Lean & Process Improvement

ThermoFisher Scientific; Linz; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company pension plan

Career development opportunities

Global exposure

Job summary

Thermo Fisher Scientific in Linz, Austria, is seeking a Head of Practical Process Improvement to drive transformational change and implement the PPI Business System. You will lead Lean deployment, coach leaders, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to eliminate waste and deliver measurable improvements across quality and productivity.

The role requires senior experience in Operations/Project Management, a strong Lean background, and the ability to influence stakeholders while fostering a

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, operations, business or a related field.
• A master’s degree is preferred.
• At least five years of experience in Operations or Project Management, including at least two years of hands-on experience in Operational Excellence, Lean or Continuous Improvement in a complex operational or manufacturing environment.
• A track record of delivering measurable year-over-year business results, such as cost savings, throughput or yield improvements, debottlenecking, or working-capital benefits.
• Strong experience with Lean Management Systems, Tier Management, strategy deployment, Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen, Gemba and structured problem-solving.
• Leadership experience and the ability to lead, influence and engage cross-functional teams and stakeholders at different levels of the organization.
• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech or another regulated manufacturing environment is preferred. CDMO experience is a plus.
• English and German language
• Black Belt certification is a plus.
• PMP certification is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Drive transformational change and continuous improvement across the organization.
• Lead the implementation of the Practical Process Improvement (PPI) Business System and collaborate with business leaders to advance Lean management practices.
• Provide strategic deployment, coaching and hands-on facilitation of improvement initiatives to build a culture of structured problem‑solving.
• Partner with cross‑functional teams to simplify processes, eliminate waste and deliver measurable improvements in quality, productivity and customer satisfaction.
• Support profitable growth and strengthen employee engagement through operational excellence.

Skills

Operations management

Project Management

Lean / Continuous Improvement

Change management

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem-solving

English/German

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, operations, business or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Thermo Fisher Scientific in Linz, Austria, is seeking a Head of Practical Process Improvement to drive transformational change and implement the PPI Business System. You will lead Lean deployment, coach leaders, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to eliminate waste and deliver measurable improvements across quality and productivity.

The role requires senior experience in Operations/Project Management, a strong Lean background, and the ability to influence stakeholders while fostering a