Senior Operational Excellence Manager - Arla, Germany

CoreSearch A / S; Köln; Vor Ort; EUR 80.000 - 110.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A leading dairy company is seeking a Senior Operational Excellence Manager in Germany. The role involves leading operational excellence implementation, driving the Arla Performance System (APS), and optimizing performance across multiple sites. Candidates should have at least 10 years of manufacturing and leadership experience, and be fluent in German and English. This position offers the chance to shape long-term operational strategy and drive significant improvement initiatives.

Leistungen

Professional development opportunities

Collaborative culture

Impactful role in sustainability

Qualifikationen

• At least 10 years of relevant experience in manufacturing, leadership, and operational excellence.
• Deep understanding of Lean, TPM, and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Proven track record in complex matrixed organizations.

Aufgaben

• Drive and lead the implementation of APS across multiple site regions.
• Function as a key sparring partner in operational excellence and balanced scorecard progress.
• Use site visits to drive APS program forward and build APS communities.
• Standardize processes across multiple production sites.
• Facilitate workshops and coaching to develop capabilities.

Kenntnisse

Interpersonal and coaching skills

Driving large-scale improvement initiatives

Leading in different situations

Digital transformation experience

Fluency in German and English

Ausbildung

Degree in engineering, dairy science, economics or supply chain management

Jobbeschreibung

Senior Operational Excellence Manager - Germany

Arla is dedicated to achieving world‑class standards in operational excellence, and they are now seeking a Senior Operational Excellence Manager in Germany to join their central Operational Excellence and Digital team.

As Senior Operational Excellence Manager, you will be part of the Market VP Leadership Team, leading the Operational Excellence journey and driving the regional Arla Performance System (APS) strategy and implementation across Arla’s sites in the German market, playing a key role in moving Arla’s production towards the vision of ZERO losses, ONE team, and 100% engagement.

How you will make an impact

As Senior Operational Excellence Manager, you will take a leading role in the operational excellence implementation and in shaping a culture of continuous improvement across your market. You will own and lead the global development and governance of specific APS methodologies and work practices, acting as the subject matter expert within your area.

Through regular site visits, you will provide hands‑on coaching, assess progress, support site management teams, and ensure that operationel excellence initiatives are successfully implemented and sustained. You will manage pilot implementations and support capability‑building initiatives that enable sites to sustain their own improvements and expand APS according to well‑developed roll‑out plans. You will also initiate and foster strong operational excellence communities within and across key production markets and spearhead efforts to digitalize and automate processes where relevant, supporting a zero‑loss culture.

As part of the Market VP Production area, a Lighthouse site and structured roll‑out approach have already been defined. You will ensure that operational excellence practices and standards are first implemented at the Lighthouse site. As part of the structured roll‑out, you will oversee the design, support structure, and pace of APS and digital transformation expansion to subsequent waves of sites, ensuring strong adherence to global standards. To enable this, you will collaborate closely with Lighthouse sites in other regions and nurture “in‑market” communities that accelerate best‑practice sharing, capability development, and programme expansion.

Your key responsibilities will be to :

• Drive and lead the implementation of APS, leveraging TPM and Lean methodologies to optimize performance across multiple site regions, including Lighthouses and expansion to other sites
• Function as a key sparring partner in driving the operational excellence and balanced scorecard (SQCDMP) progress and results in the market
• Use regular site visits to drive the OpEx agenda and APS program forward and partner with Senior OpEx Managers across regions to build APS and digital communities
• Develop and implement world‑class operational excellence ways of working and drive the standardization of processes across multiple production sites, fostering communities and collaboration across Lighthouse sites and within regions
• Facilitate workshops, training sessions, and on‑the‑job coaching in developing capability at all levels to sustain a site and market operational excellence program
• Fully support, enable, and champion the automation and digital transformation implementation across sites in the market

What will make you successful?

To thrive in this role, you should have a degree in engineering, dairy science, economics, or supply chain management, and at least 10 years of relevant experience in manufacturing, leadership, and operational excellence. You have a deep understanding of Lean, TPM, and Continuous Improvement methodologies, and a proven track record of leading large‑scale improvement initiatives in a complex, matrixed organization.

Further, to successfully deliver on key priorities, we believe that you have :

• Strong interpersonal and coaching skills, with the ability to engage and inspire stakeholders at all levels
• Proven track record of driving large‑scale improvement initiatives and achieving measurable results
• Ability to lead in different situations, balancing operational, performance, and strategic needs, and people development
• Experience in digital transformation, including automation and Industry 4.0 technologies, is highly valued
• A passion for inspiring and developing manufacturing teams towards world‑class operational excellence
• Fluency in German and English is required
• Expectation of up to 35 % of travelling

What Arla offers?

At Arla, you will be part of a forward‑thinking organization that is committed to pushing the boundaries of operational excellence. In this role, you will have the opportunity to make a significant impact by leading critical improvement initiatives across multiple sites and shaping our long‑term operational strategy. Arla is committed to professional development and has a positive and collaborative culture. You will work alongside passionate and skilled colleagues who are dedicated to delivering high‑quality products and driving continuous improvement across all aspects of our operations.

At Arla, they strive to unlock the highest potential in each other while working together to create a sustainable future of dairy. They call it Stronger People, Stronger Planet, and it is deeply anchored in their organisation and founded on our commitment to respecting human rights, increasing access to healthy dairy nutrition, inspiring good food habits, and improving the environment for future generations. In order to succeed we need to hire people with a sustainable mindset. Could this be you?

Would you like to join Arla?

If you are ready to take the next step in your career and drive operational excellence at Arla, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch with CoreSearch at [phone] or send us an email at [e-mail]