Operational Excellence Director

Cartamundi; Turnhout; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Global exposure

Growth opportunities

Impactful projects

Job summary

Cartamundi Turnhout site leads in Collectibles & Trading Card Games and is experiencing dynamic growth. As Operational Excellence Director, you will drive the cultural transformation toward structured CI, defining and implementing a site-wide strategy for continuous improvement across Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, HR and Finance.

You will create and monitor KPIs, build a frontline CI road map with tools like 5S and dashboards, and lead a team to deliver sustained cost reductions while

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in engineering or business-related field.
• Extensive experience in a manufacturing environment, including significant leadership.
• Broad operational background beyond CI/OpEx, with exposure to Supply Chain and/or Quality.
• Proven experience with mature OpEx systems (TPM, IWS, WCM, Lean) and transformational/greenfield implementations.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt is a strong asset (training can be provided).

Responsibilities

• Develop a long-term Operational Excellence strategy aligned with global guidelines and business objectives.
• Identify improvement opportunities and define KPIs to monitor performance.
• Create and implement a roadmap for basic CI tools at frontline level (5S, team boards, daily direction).
• Optimize end-to-end processes to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance quality.
• Develop and track a pipeline of improvement initiatives with Finance.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement across all departments and guide teams through change.
• Collaborate with senior management to implement initiatives and report progress to the executive team.
• Use data analysis to identify trends and implement dashboards for performance monitoring.
• Build, coach and lead an Operational Excellence team with Lean, Six Sigma training.
• Strengthen organizational capability through data-driven standards and training initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Manufacturing experience

Change management

Lean Six Sigma

Strategy

Stakeholder management

Data analytics

Dutch & English

Education

Master’s degree in engineering or business

Job description

Cartamundi is the worldwide leader in “play” solutions, such as playing cards, card & board games and collectibles & trading card games. Its team of nearly 3,000 people is united in providing every person the possibility to “Live Different, Play Different.” To achieve this, the family-owned company, headquartered in Belgium, operates a global network of design and sales offices and manufacturing facilities, stretching from the US, over Latin America and Europe, to Japan.

The company houses a global brand portfolio that includes a suite of heritage brands such as Bicycle®, Bee®, Copag®, Shuffle® and many locally loved brands. At the same time, Cartamundi is a trusted manufacturing and distribution solutions partner for leading toy and entertainment companies.

Given the Cartamundi printing presses have been running since 1765, the company draws on a rich tradition, whilst at the same time stimulating innovation in digital and hybrid experiences to stay relevant today and tomorrow.

Cartamundi pursues a strategy of sustainable and profitable growth whilst preserving our planet and the company in excellent condition for generations to come.

Learn more about what we do at https://www.cartamundi.com and follow us on LinkedIn via www.linkedin.com/company/cartamundi

Operational Excellence Director

The Turnhout site specializes in the successful niche of Collectibles & Trading Card Games and is experiencing dynamic growth: continuous investments are being made in new machinery, technologies and processes to elevate production capacity and quality. As Operational Excellence Director, you will play a key role in driving this growth and transformation.

Your Mission:

You are the driving force behind the cultural transformation toward structured, integrated Operational Excellence. You will define and implement a site-wide strategy for continuous improvement. Your scope is cross-functional and spans Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, HR and Finance.

What will you do?

• Develop a long-term Operational Excellence strategy aligned with global guidelines and business objectives.
• Identify improvement opportunities and define KPIs to monitor performance and progress.
• Create and implement a roadmap for basic continuous improvement (CI) tools at the frontline level, including zoning/5S, initial cleaning, team boards, daily direction setting and equipment maintenance, with strong engagement from management.
• Optimize end-to-end processes to improve efficiency, reduce costs and enhance quality, collaborating closely with operational leaders and cross-functional teams.
• Develop and track a pipeline of improvement initiatives, measuring financial savings against targets in partnership with the Finance Director.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement across all departments and guide teams through change to ensure sustainable adoption.
• Support the hierarchical line, starting with team leaders, to successfully manage change initiatives.
• Collaborate with senior management, department heads and external partners to implement improvement initiatives and report progress to the executive team.
• Use data analysis to identify trends, bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement and implement dashboards and reporting tools for performance monitoring.
• Build, coach and lead an Operational Excellence team, providing training and development in Lean, Six Sigma and other improvement methodologies.
• Strengthen organizational capability through data-driven process standards, dashboards, digital tools and targeted training initiatives.

Who are you?

We are looking for a senior leader who combines strong operational credibility with the ability to drive cultural change.

• Master’s degree in engineering or a business-related field.
• Extensive experience in a manufacturing environment, including significant leadership.
• Broad operational background: beyond pure CI/OpEx, with experience in operational management and preferably exposure to areas such as Supply Chain and/or Quality.
• Proven experience with mature OpEx systems (e.g. TPM, IWS, WCM, Lean) and a track record of implementing them in a transformational or greenfield context.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt is a strong asset (training can be provided).
• Strategic and conceptual thinker with a hands-on, pragmatic and results-driven mindset.
• Strong change leader with excellent stakeholder management skills and the ability to build trust at all levels.
• Analytical, resilient and comfortable in a fast-growing, high-demand environment.
• Ambition and potential to grow within the organization.
• Fluent in Dutch and English.

Our offer

We invite you into a varied position with an attractive package and the possibilities for personal and professional growth.

• A dynamic international environment with opportunities to grow, innovate and thrive alongside colleagues from around the world.
• The chance to co-shape global communications by contributing to impactful projects that influence how our story is told across borders.
• A role where your creativity and organizational skills matter, where you can make a tangible difference in shaping messages, channels and projects that resonate.

Contact

Cartamundi Job Team t.a.v Nathalie Oeyen

[e-mail]

Visbeekstraat 22 - 2300 Turnhout - Tel.: [phone]