Continuous Improvement Manager

McCain Foods; Rilland; Hybrid; EUR 54,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 vacation days

15 ATV days

3% year-end bonus

Commuting allowance

Discount on health insurance

Professional development

Job summary

McCain Foods is seeking a Continuous Improvement Manager to drive operational excellence across our Rilland and Kruiningen sites. You will lead the CI program, develop the McCain Driving Impact standards, and partner with multiple departments to deliver sustainable improvements and data-driven decisions.

You will manage change, coach teams, and work within a hybrid model with remote work options. A strong background in Lean, SAP, and ERP systems is essential to optimize costs and performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelors or Masters in Food Technology, Engineering, Technical Business Administration or related field.
• Experience in Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement in manufacturing environment.
• Strong analytical skills and data-driven decision making.
• ERP/SAP experience including SAP S/4HANA
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead CI strategy for Rilland and Kruiningen sites.
• Lead the implementation and sustainment of MDI standards and methodologies.
• Identify, prioritize, and execute improvement initiatives to boost efficiency, productivity, and cost performance.
• Coach plant teams in CI methods and problem-solving.
• Define, monitor, and analyze KPIs to support data-driven decisions.
• Collaborate with Production, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, HR, and Finance to implement sustainable improvements.
• Lead change management for new processes and ways of working.
• Deliver cost-advantage initiatives through identified opportunities.
• Provide regular reporting to senior stakeholders on progress and outcomes.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Operational Excellence

Continuous Improvement

Project leadership

SAP

Fluent Dutch & English

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in relevant field

Tools

SAP

SAP S/4HANA

Job description

Position Title: Continuous Improvement Manager

Position Type: Regular - Full-Time

Requisition ID: 44257

In every role

McCainers are ambitious, curious, and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences - together. With a customer-first mindset, we make doing business with McCain easy.

About The Role

As a Continuous Improvement Manager, you will play a key role in driving operational excellence across our manufacturing sites in Rilland and Kruiningen. You will lead the implementation and continuous development of McCain Driving Impact (MDI) and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, operational excellence, and data-driven decision-making.

You will work closely with plant leadership and various teams across the organization. You will identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance performance. In addition, you will support strategic initiatives such as the sustainment and optimization of SAP S/4HANA.

What will you do?

• Develop and lead the Continuous Improvement strategy for the manufacturing sites in Rilland and Kruiningen.
• Lead the implementation, sustainment, and further development of McCain Driving Impact (MDI) standards and methodologies.
• Identify, prioritize, and execute improvement initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, productivity, quality, and cost performance.
• Coach and develop plant teams in continuous improvement, problem-solving techniques, and operational excellence practices.
• Define, monitor, and analyze KPIs to support data-driven decision-making across the organization.
• Partner with Production, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, HR, and Finance teams to deliver sustainable improvements across the organization.
• Lead change management activities to ensure the successful implementation and adoption of new processes and ways of working.
• Deliver Sustainable Cost Advantage initiatives by identifying and implementing cost-saving opportunities.
• Act as the Make-to-Deploy Process Lead and Super User for Production Execution within SAP S/4HANA sustainment and optimization activities.
• Provide regular reporting and insights to senior stakeholders on performance, project progress, and improvement outcomes.

What will you bring?

• A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Food Technology, Engineering, Technical Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 3 to 5 years of experience in Lean Manufacturing, Operational Excellence, or Continuous Improvement within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience within the food manufacturing industry is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies, change management, and structured problem-solving techniques.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to interpret data and translate insights into concrete actions.
• Systems affinity and experience working with ERP platforms such as SAP.
• Proven experience leading projects and influencing stakeholders at different levels within an organization.
• Excellent communication, presentation, coaching, and facilitation skills.
• Fluent in Dutch and English.

About The Team

You will report directly to the Plant Manager and work across both manufacturing sites in Rilland and Kruiningen.

In this role, you will have direct leadership responsibility for two Technical Trainers and work closely with the Production, Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and HR teams, as well as external partners.

As a key member of the plant leadership network, you will help create a culture focused on high performance, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

Employment Conditions

• A salary starting from €5.300,- gross per month, depending on relevant work experience.
• 25 vacation days and 15 ATV days, which you can take flexibly.
• A 3% year-end bonus according to the collective labour agreement (CAO).
• A commuting allowance of €0.23 per kilometer, up to a maximum of 100 km per day (round trip).
• A clean working environment.
• Discount on CZ health insurance, also available for family members.
• Opportunities for personal development and career growth through training and courses.

Leadership principles

At McCain, our leadership principles guide how we engage with customers, collaborate as a team, and achieve success. We focus on understanding customer needs, driving innovation, empowering people, and taking ownership to clear obstacles and deliver results.

AI & Digital Capabilities

At McCain, AI and digital capabilities are part of how we work and innovate. We value curiosity toward emerging technologies and the thoughtful and responsible use of AI-enabled tools to improve outcomes. This is part of our future-ready culture.

The McCain Experience

We are McCain.

This statement is a testament to our collective strength and the value of every individual. Your contribution plays an important role in our success. Our winning culture is rooted in authenticity and trust, empowering us to bring out the best in one another.

At McCain, you will have opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Join us and experience why we are better together.

Our purpose is grounded in building meaningful relationships. We are strong believers in the power of working together in person. It helps us stay connected, collaborate more effectively, and grow as a team.

At the same time, we recognize the importance of flexibility. Most office-based roles follow a hybrid working model, with the option to work remotely two days a week. There may be exceptions depending on the role and location, so we encourage you to speak with your recruiter for more details.

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.

Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us, you agree this will be handled in accordance with McCain’s Global Privacy Policy and Global Employee Privacy Policy, as applicable. McCain leverages AI in the hiring process, though all final decisions are made by humans. You can understand our approach to AI and how your personal information is being handled here.

Job Family: Manufacturing

Location(s): NL - Netherlands : Zeeland : Rilland

Company: McCain Foods Holland B.V.