CI Specialist (Dutch and English)

Kerry Group; Zwijndrecht; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

25 days annual leave

Group insurance discounts

Professional environment

Development opportunities

Job summary

Kerry is seeking a Continuous Improvement Specialist to lead cross-functional process enhancements across operations, manufacturing, and logistics. You will use Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and 5S to drive efficiency, quality, safety and customer satisfaction while coaching teams and tracking ROI.

The role emphasizes KPI-driven improvements, Kaizen facilitation, and collaboration with stakeholders to implement sustainable changes in a global manufacturing setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in CI, operational excellence, or process improvement.
• Strong knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and 5S; proficient with Excel and Power BI.

Responsibilities

• Lead CI projects across operations, manufacturing, logistics, or business processes.
• Analyze current processes to identify waste, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, workshops, and problem-solving sessions.
• Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and root cause analysis tools to improve performance.
• Develop and monitor KPIs to measure process effectiveness and improvement results.
• Support standardization of processes, procedures, and best practices.
• Train and coach employees on continuous improvement methodologies.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Kaizen

Project Management

Process Mapping

Data Analysis

Excel

Power BI

Stakeholder Management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, Supply Chain, or related field

Tools

ERP Systems

Process Mapping Tools

Job description

Requisition ID: 66917
Position Type: PT Permanent
Workplace Arrangement: #LI-Onsite

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

Our Safety purpose:At Kerry, we work together in a caring culture where everybody goes home safe every day. We are committed to providing a safe working environment and ensuring that all safety protocols are strictly followed. Join us in creating a workplace where safety is everyone's responsibility

About the role

The Continuous Improvement (CI) Specialist is responsible for identifying, developing, and implementing process improvement initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, quality, safety, and customer satisfaction. The role partners with cross-functional teams to drive a culture of continuous improvement using Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and other improvement methodologies.

Key responsibilities

• Lead continuous improvement projects across operations, manufacturing, logistics, or business processes.
• Analyze current processes to identify waste, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities.
• Facilitate Kaizen events, workshops, and problem-solving sessions.
• Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and root cause analysis tools to improve performance.
• Develop and monitor KPIs to measure process effectiveness and improvement results.
• Support standardization of processes, procedures, and best practices.
• Train and coach employees on continuous improvement methodologies.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to implement sustainable process changes.
• Conduct process mapping, value stream mapping, and workflow analysis.
• Track project benefits, cost savings, productivity improvements, and ROI.
• Ensure compliance with quality, safety, and operational standards.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and employee engagement.

Qualifications and skills

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, Supply Chain, or related field.
• 3+ years of experience in continuous improvement, operational excellence, or process improvement.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and 5S methodologies.
• Experience in project management and change management.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Power BI, and process mapping tools.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Very good Dutch and fluent English

Preferred Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Experience in manufacturing, logistics, automotive, pharmaceutical, or industrial environments.
• Knowledge of ERP systems and data analysis tools.
• Data Analysis and Decision Making
• Project Management
• Process Optimization
• Change Management
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Leadership and Coaching

What we offer

• Competitive salary with excellent benefits, including a company-funded pension, travel allowance, and cycle-to-work scheme.
• 25 days of annual leave.
• Group discount on individual insurance policies.
• A professional yet informal working environment with short communication lines and a strong collaborative culture.
• Opportunities for personal and professional development, as well as career progression within Kerry.
• The opportunity to contribute to sustainable, safe, and future-focused manufacturing processes.

Please note: We do not accept CVs or candidate profiles from recruitment agencies where terms of business have not been signed. Additionally, we will not consider or agree to payment of any recruiter fee under these circumstances. This also applies to CVs or candidate profiles sent directly to any Kerry Hiring Managers. In the event that speculative CVs or candidate profiles are submitted by recruitment agencies, we reserve the right to contact these candidates directly and consider them for current or future vacancies without any financial obligation to the recruitment agency.