Senior Production Leader – Lean + Safety Excellence (Italy)

Vestas; Puglia; On-site; EUR 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Vestas Taranto site in Italy seeks an experienced Production Manager to lead manufacturing operations with a focus on safety, quality, delivery, and cost. You will drive Lean initiatives, develop teams, and ensure continuous improvement across the production area.

Successful candidates will have a strong background in industrial operations, 5+ years of leadership, and Lean Six Sigma certifications. The role offers an international, performance-driven environment and opportunities for career

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Engineering or a related technical field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in manufacturing or industrial operations.
• Demonstrated experience in people leadership and team management within a production environment.
• Experience managing operational performance, productivity, quality, and cost targets.
• Solid understanding of Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Experience working in a complex industrial or multinational manufacturing environment.
• Formal leadership or people management training.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification; Green Belt certification with demonstrated delivery is also valued.

Responsibilities

• Lead production operations to ensure delivery according to the production plan while meeting Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost (SQDC) objectives and defined KPIs.
• Manage, coach, and develop production teams in line with the Vestas Leadership Model, building a collaborative and engaged culture.
• Promote operational excellence through Lean manufacturing tools, including Value Stream Mapping (VSM), Kaizen activities, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with all Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) requirements, promoting safety leadership, 5S standards, permit compliance, and incident escalation when required.
• Optimize workforce planning, competency development, and qualification matrix management to ensure adequate staffing and operational capability.
• Oversee performance management activities, including KPI reviews, cost control, escalation processes, and budget accountability within the production area.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Quality, Engineering, and other stakeholders to mitigate operational risks, support special projects, and ensure production continuity.
• Represent the company in work council discussions and support overall factory leadership, including acting as part of the site management team when the Factory Manager is absent

Skills

People leadership

Lean Manufacturing

HSE awareness

KPI management

Budget management

Continuous improvement

Stakeholder management

Education

Master's degree in Engineering

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Tools

Kaizen

Job description

Vestas Taranto site in Italy seeks an experienced Production Manager to lead manufacturing operations with a focus on safety, quality, delivery, and cost. You will drive Lean initiatives, develop teams, and ensure continuous improvement across the production area.

Successful candidates will have a strong background in industrial operations, 5+ years of leadership, and Lean Six Sigma certifications. The role offers an international, performance-driven environment and opportunities for career