Director, Engineering Global Cocoa

Barry Callebaut Group; Lebbeke; On-site; EUR 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Barry Callebaut Group seeks a Director Engineering Global Cocoa to lead the Cocoa Engineering Center of Expertise and oversee the engineering project execution across Europe and Africa. The role defines processing standards, drives major capital projects, and ensures safety, sustainability and asset performance across the cocoa manufacturing network.

You will collaborate with Operations, Sourcing, Quality, SHE and Finance to deliver on-time, on-budget projects and to advance engineering

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Chemical, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering (or related).
• 10+ years in engineering or related process industries.
• Experience leading engineering functions and large-scale capital projects.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes and cocoa/chocolate equipment.
• Advanced English; French a plus.
• Willingness to travel 30-50% globally.

Responsibilities

• Define process and asset standards and technical specs for cocoa manufacturing equipment and processes.
• Lead pre-investment projects and provide technical support during execution.
• Manage and develop a team of project engineers and technical experts.
• Lead footprint studies, masterplan development and basic process design for cocoa sites.
• Establish and align user requirements, specs and design reviews for CAPEX projects.
• Ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget and to standards.
• Provide functional leadership for project execution across cocoa sites in Europe and Africa.
• Oversee CAPEX investments from concept to commissioning across multiple disciplines.
• Partner with Technical Sourcing to procure equipment and services.
• Collaborate with Operations, Finance and Engineering for governance and budgeting.
• Promote continuous improvement and adherence to standards.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Engineering leadership

Stakeholder management

English communication

Education

Master's degree in Chemical/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

Job description

About The Role

The Director Engineering Global Cocoa, leads the Cocoa Engineering Center of Expertise and oversees engineering project execution across Europe and Africa. This role is responsible for defining and deploying cocoa processing standards, shaping the technical scope of major capital projects, and ensuring successful delivery of a significant project portfolio. Working closely with Operations, Engineering, Digitalization, Sourcing, Quality, SHE and Finance leaders, the role drives operational excellence, safety, sustainability and long-term asset performance across Barry Callebaut's cocoa manufacturing network.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Lead the global Cocoa Engineering Center of Expertise and define process standards, asset standards and technical specifications for cocoa manufacturing equipment and processes.
• Drive cocoa engineering projects during the pre-investment phase and provide technical support throughout project execution and implementation.
• Manage and develop a team of project engineers and technical experts while ensuring effective resource planning across global engineering teams.
• Lead engineering footprint studies, masterplan development and basic process design activities for cocoa manufacturing sites.
• Establish and align user requirements, technical specifications and design reviews for cocoa capital investment projects.
• Ensure all projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget and in accordance with Barry Callebaut engineering, quality and SHE standards.
• Provide functional leadership for project execution activities across cocoa sites in Europe and Africa.
• Oversee CAPEX investments from concept through commissioning, coordinating multidisciplinary engineering activities including process, mechanical, automation, civil, energy and digital disciplines.
• Partner with Technical Sourcing to develop strategic supplier relationships and ensure effective procurement of equipment and services.
• Collaborate with Operations, Finance and Engineering stakeholders to manage project governance, reporting, budgeting and cash flow.
• Promote continuous improvement, knowledge sharing and adherence to engineering standards, regulations and best practices across the organization.

About You

• Master's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of experience in engineering, food processing, consumer packaged goods or related process industries.
• Proven experience leading engineering functions, technical departments and large-scale capital projects in a multinational environment.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, factory flows, cocoa and/or chocolate processing equipment, and industrial infrastructure.
• Experience with process automation, technical sourcing and managing OEM partnerships.
• Solid financial acumen with experience developing business cases, feasibility studies, budgets and investment plans.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and effectively engage senior stakeholders, including Directors and Executive Leadership.
• Strong communication, negotiation, change management and team development skills.
• Advanced English is required; French is considered an advantage.
• Willingness to travel approximately 30-50% globally and operate effectively within a matrix organization

At Barry Callebaut, we are committed to Diversity & Inclusion. United by our strong values, we thrive on the diversity of who we are, where we come from, what we’ve experienced and how we think. We are committed to nurturing an inclusive environment where people can truly be themselves, grow to their full potential and feel they belong.

#oneBC - Diverse People, Sustainable Growth.