Lean Business Excellence Specialist

Randstad; Leiden; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel allowance

Pension plan

Home office budget

Training budget & Randstad Academy

Networking events

Job summary

Randstad zoekt een Lean Business Excellence Specialist voor ons productielocatie in Sassenheim/Leiden. U werkt dicht op de shop floor en leidt Lean-initiatieven ter ondersteuning van de toekomstige commerciële productie en groei.

U coacht teams, voert Kaizen uit en bewaakt KPI-rhythmen voor langdurige verbetering. De rol vereist een HBO/Bachelor-diploma met minimaal 3 jaar aantoonbare ervaring in continu verbeteren en een Lean Black Belt of gelijkwaardige trajecten.

Qualifications

• HBO/Bachelor degree vereist met minimaal 3 jaar ervaring in continuous improvement.
• Lean Black Belt-certificering of aantoonbare vergelijkbare ervaring in Lean-projecten.
• Achtergrond in gereguleerde industrieën (GMP) is een pré.

Responsibilities

• Voer Lean-projecten en continue verbeterprogramma's uit ter ondersteuning van de Manufacturing Process Improvement-strategie.
• Voer end-to-end analyses uit via gemba-wandelingen en value stream mapping.
• Ontwikkel standaarden, kanban/visuele systemen en vaardigheidsmatrices samen met site-teams.
• Stroomlijn processen, voer Kaizens en Lean-verbeteringen uit en ontwikkel het Tier-managementsysteem verder.
• Zet een CI-pijplijn op en beheer deze op richting 2027.
• Begeleid shopfloor-medewerkers bij toepassing van Lean-tools en automatisering.

Skills

Lean

Lean Black Belt

Process Improvement

GMP

Change Leadership

Data Analysis

Gemba Walks

Team Coaching

Education

HBO/Bachelor degree

Job description

Job description

Our state-of-the-art site in Sassenheim (built approximately 2 years ago) produces lentivirus products that are supplied internally to our sister sites in Belgium (Ghent) and the US for the final production of innovative CAR-T cell therapies. With a team of around 300 employees, production operates 16 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The site is currently in a dynamic scaling phase toward commercial production. As a Lean Business Excellence Specialist, you will play a crucial role in managing growth pains, streamlining processes, and increasing process maturity. Due to the need to work closely with the shop floor, coach teams, and lead programs, you will primarily be physically present on-site.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Strategy Execution: Executing Lean projects, continuous improvement programs, and innovative initiatives to support the Manufacturing Process Improvement strategy at the location.
• Process Optimization & Mapping: Perform end-to-end analyses of manufacturing and transactional processes through gemba walks, direct observations, and value stream mapping.
• Lean Capacity Building: Develop standard work execution plans, work combination charts, visual management systems, and skills matrices together with the site teams.
• Process Optimization & Maturity: Streamline business processes, execute Kaizens and Lean improvements, and further develop the Tier management system to drive site performance.
• Build CI Pipeline: Establish and manage a structured Continuous Improvement (CI) project pipeline (focused on 2027).
• Coaching & Guidance: Guide shop floor employees and teams (such as downstream manufacturing) in applying practical Lean tools (including spaghetti diagrams, week-in-the-life-of analyses, workplace organization, and automation).
• Trend Analyses & Bottlenecks: Perform end-to-end analyses through gemba walks and value stream mapping to identify bottlenecks and non-value-added activities.
• Data-Driven Analysis & Governance: Conduct root-cause analyses, monitor KPI systems, and ensure governance rhythms to sustainably secure improvements.
• Quality & Compliance: Guide change controls and quality investigations (GMP) to support process adjustments.
• Credo Alignment: Understand and apply the Johnson & Johnson Credo and leadership imperatives in daily decisions and team interactions.

Functie-eisen

Job requirements

• Education & Experience: A relevant Higher Professional Education (HBO) / Bachelor's degree combined with a minimum of 3 years of practical experience leading continuous improvement initiatives.
• Certification: A Lean Black Belt certification (or a demonstrably equivalent track record in leading complex Lean interventions).
• Background / Industry: Pharmaceutical experience is not a strict requirement. Candidates from other regulated/quality-conscious industries (such as aerospace or food processing/Food) are a great fit, provided you have experience with strict documentation and regulations (GMP).

Competenties

Competencies

• Problem-Solving Ability: Strong analytical thinking; capable of navigating operational complexity, asking critical questions, uncovering root causes, and designing practical solutions.
• Change Leadership: Experience in leading or intensively supporting change controls and quality investigations.
• Soft Skills & Ownership: High sense of responsibility, a proactive attitude, and the resilience to remain calm and decisive amidst shifting priorities.
• Communication & Collaboration: Excellent feedback skills, an inclusive mindset, and the ability to build strong connections across all organizational levels.
• Mindset: A no-nonsense, hands-on 'can-do' mentality. You can switch gears quickly in the daily reality of production ("produce today, ship tomorrow") and excel at influencing stakeholders within a matrix organization.

Arbeidsvoorwaarden

Terms of employment:

• A contract for a year (with possibility of extention) for 32 to 40 hours per week
• A monthly project allowance 4% of your salary
• 25 holiday days.
• 8% Holiday Pay
• A travel allowance
• A good pension scheme
• Extra allowances for a home workplace budget
• A training budget, coaching, an onboarding program, and unlimited access to the Randstad Academy with over 3,000 courses and trainings
• Networking events and knowledge sessions,
• Requires 5 days on-site in Leiden for the first six months, transitioning into the possibility to work 4 days on-site and 1 day working from home thereafter.

Bedrijfsinformatie

Information about the company: