Operational Excellence Manager

NOVENCO Building & Industry; Næstved; On-site; DKK 1,100,000 - 1,450,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

25 days annual leave

Pension scheme

Healthcare scheme

Professional development

Job summary

NOVENCO Building & Industry seeks an Operational Excellence Manager to lead a small team and shape future manufacturing strategy at its Næstved site. You will drive Lean initiatives, optimize production lines and collaborate across Production, Engineering and Quality to deliver scalable improvements.

You will build capabilities, develop standardised work, and coach teams to sustain performance gains while aligning with new product introductions and industrialisation plans.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of experience in Operational Excellence or continuous improvement.
• Proven track record designing or optimizing production lines in manufacturing.
• Strong knowledge of Lean methodologies (Kaizen, VSM, root-cause analysis).
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and coaching teams.
• Structured, analytical problem-solving with hands-on production work.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement new production lines and layouts to improve flow, safety, quality and scalability.
• Lead Lean and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce waste and boost performance.
• Drive cross-functional projects across Production, Engineering, Quality and other functions.
• Develop and mentor a small team of Production Technicians and Engineers.
• Integrate manufacturing needs into new product development and industrialisation.

Skills

Operational Excellence

Lean Manufacturing

Kaizen

Value Stream Mapping

Root Cause Analysis

Process Standardisation

Cross-functional Leadership

Coaching & Facilitation

Project Management

People Leadership

Job description

Building scalable manufacturing operations requires more than improving individual processes. It requires production systems designed for flow, teams capable of sustaining change, and a continuous improvement culture that turns operational challenges into measurable business results.

As our Operational Excellence Manager, you will play a key role in NOVENCO’s future manufacturing strategy. You will lead a small team of Production Technicians and Engineers, develop and optimise production systems, introduce new production lines, and drive Lean and continuous improvement initiatives across the organisation.

Your Impact

• Design and implement new production lines and manufacturing layouts, improving flow, efficiency, safety, quality and scalability while supporting NOVENCO’s future production requirements.
• Lead Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement initiatives using Lean methodologies including Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, root cause analysis and standardisation to reduce waste and improve operational performance.
• Drive cross-functional improvement and transformation projects, working across Production, Engineering, Quality and other functions to improve productivity, lead time and manufacturing effectiveness.
• Lead and develop a small team of Production Technicians and Engineers, building a highly engaged and high-performing team capable of delivering operational improvements and supporting production development.
• Integrate manufacturing requirements into new product development and industrialisation, ensuring new products and processes are designed with efficient and scalable production in mind.
• Support the introduction and ramp-up of new production lines, developing operational standards, work instructions and training materials while ensuring employees are prepared for new processes and ways of working.
• Build Lean and Continuous Improvement capabilities across the organisation, coaching employees and leaders and facilitating workshops that enable teams to identify and implement sustainable improvements themselves.
• Measure and sustain improvement initiatives, ensuring projects translate into tangible improvements in productivity, quality, lead time and overall operational efficiency.

What Drives Success

You combine strong manufacturing knowledge with the ability to turn improvement opportunities into practical, sustainable change.

You will likely bring:

• At least 5 years of relevant experience within Operational Excellence, Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering or a comparable manufacturing improvement role.
• Proven experience designing, implementing or optimising production lines within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong practical knowledge of Lean manufacturing and Continuous Improvement methodologies, including Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, root cause analysis and process standardisation.
• Experience leading cross-functional improvement projects, workshops and transformation initiatives from identification through implementation.
• The ability to influence change across an organisation, working effectively with operators, specialists, engineers, managers and senior leadership.
• Strong coaching and facilitation capabilities, with experience developing Lean and Continuous Improvement capabilities in others.
• A structured and analytical approach to problem-solving combined with a willingness to work hands-on with production teams.
• Strong project management and organisational capabilities, with the ability to manage multiple improvement initiatives simultaneously.
• Experience leading or developing technical employees and creating an engaged, performance-oriented team environment.

Real Impact

Imagine a new production line is being introduced to support NOVENCO’s future manufacturing requirements.

Rather than simply installing equipment and adapting processes afterwards, you bring Production, Engineering, Quality and other stakeholders together early. You map the value stream, challenge unnecessary process steps, optimise material and operator flow, establish standardised ways of working and prepare the production team for launch.

Once production begins, you monitor performance, identify bottlenecks and lead targeted improvement activities.

The result is a production line that reaches its performance targets faster, with stronger productivity, quality and operational stability - while leaving the organisation with the knowledge and capabilities to continue improving it.

What We Offer

• A central role in shaping NOVENCO’s future manufacturing and Operational Excellence strategy.
• The opportunity to design and implement new production systems rather than simply optimise existing processes.
• Direct influence on productivity, quality, lead time and operational performance across our manufacturing organisation.
• Leadership responsibility for a small team of Production Technicians and Engineers.
• Close collaboration across Production, Engineering, Quality and other functions.
• The opportunity to build Lean and Continuous Improvement capabilities across the organisation and create sustainable operational change.
• Competitive salary and employee benefits in line with company policy.
• 25 days’ annual leave plus 5 days Feriefri after the qualifying period.
• Standard auto-enrolment pension scheme and access to a healthcare scheme.
• Professional development and training through NOVENCollege.

Context

The CI Project Manager / Operational Excellence Expert is based at NOVENCO Building & Industry’s headquarters and manufacturing facility in Næstved, Denmark, and reports directly to the Plant Manager.

This is an on‑site manufacturing role requiring close collaboration with production teams and other functions across the organisation.

The position combines Continuous Improvement, Lean Manufacturing, production development, project leadership and people leadership, with responsibility for creating both immediate operational improvements and sustainable long-term capabilities.

NOVENCO Building & Industry is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds.