Lean Manufacturing Expert (Henkel Production System)

Henkel; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work scheme

Hybrid work model

Global growth opportunities

Health and wellbeing programs

Parental leave

Employee Share Plan

Pension Fund

Disability Insurance

Health Insurance discount

Canteen discount

Job summary

Henkel is seeking a Lean Manufacturing Expert to lead the deployment and continuous improvement of the Henkel Production System across its global manufacturing network.

You will partner with regional and site leadership to drive value stream optimization, eliminate waste, and build a sustainable culture of continuous improvement.

This role requires 5+ years in manufacturing, deep Lean expertise, change leadership, and willingness to travel internationally to support sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• 5+ years in manufacturing with Lean transformation leadership.
• Deep expertise in Lean, TPM, Daily Management, Standard Work, Visual Management, and CI.
• Experience facilitating Kaizen events and coaching teams.
• Strong analytical, project management, and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of TPS/DBS/HPS or similar systems.
• Willingness to travel globally.

Responsibilities

• Lead deployment and evolution of HPS across global sites.
• Conduct assessments, identify gaps, and develop improvement roadmaps.
• Drive Lean initiatives (Daily Management, Visual Management, Standard Work, 5S, Kaizen).
• Facilitate value stream optimization to improve material flow and productivity.
• Lead OEE improvement programs and structured problem-solving.
• Develop and standardize HPS methodologies, tools, and training.
• Collaborate with regional/site leadership to share best practices.
• Train, coach, and mentor site leaders and Lean practitioners.
• Support KPI analysis, governance, and strategic roadmaps.
• Partner with Digital/IT to leverage data analytics and real-time tools.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

TPM

Daily Management

Standard Work

Visual Management

Kaizen

Problem Solving

Change Leadership

KPI Management

Willingness to Travel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Manufacturing/Operations Management or related discipline

Job description

About this Position

As a Lean Manufacturing Expert (Henkel Production System), you will play a critical role in driving operational excellence across Henkel's global manufacturing network. You will lead the deployment and continuous improvement of the Henkel Production System (HPS), partnering with regional and site leadership teams to enhance productivity, eliminate waste, optimize processes, and build a sustainable culture of continuous improvement. Through your expertise in Lean Manufacturing and change management, you will enable sites to achieve world-class operational performance and support Henkel's long-term growth ambitions.

What you´ll do

• Lead the deployment, governance, and continuous evolution of the Henkel Production System (HPS) across global manufacturing sites.
• Conduct operational assessments, identify performance gaps, and develop improvement roadmaps aligned with HPS standards and business objectives.
• Drive Lean transformation initiatives through the implementation of Daily Management, Visual Management, Standard Work, 5S, Kaizen, and performance management systems.
• Facilitate value stream optimization initiatives to improve material flow, reduce waste and inventory, and increase operational productivity.
• Lead OEE improvement programs and structured problem-solving activities to eliminate losses and improve manufacturing performance.
• Develop, standardize, and continuously enhance HPS methodologies, tools, training materials, and implementation guidelines to ensure global consistency.
• Collaborate with regional and site leadership teams to deploy best practices, strengthen Lean maturity, and accelerate operational excellence.
• Train, coach, and mentor site leaders, operators, and Lean practitioners to build long-term continuous improvement capabilities.
• Support the Operational Excellence framework through KPI analysis, performance reviews, governance processes, and strategic roadmap development.
• Partner with Digital and IT teams to leverage data analytics, digital solutions, and real-time performance management tools that accelerate business results.

What makes you a good fit

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, Supply Chain, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in manufacturing environments, with a proven track record of leading Lean transformation and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Deep expertise in Lean Manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Daily Management Systems, Standard Work, Visual Management, Continuous Improvement methodologies, and Structured Problem Solving.
• Experience facilitating Kaizen events, workshops, and capability-building programs while coaching manufacturing teams and site leadership.
• Strong analytical, project management, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate operational challenges into sustainable improvements.
• Experience driving performance improvements through operational excellence tools, KPI management, and loss elimination methodologies.
• Knowledge of production system deployments such as Toyota Production System (TPS), Danaher Business System (DBS), Henkel Production System (HPS), Unilever Manufacturing System (UMS), or similar frameworks.
• Experience working within multinational manufacturing organizations; exposure to digital manufacturing and Industry 4.0 technologies is considered an advantage.
• Demonstrated change leadership, strong facilitation skills, shop-floor credibility, and the ability to influence stakeholders across functions and organizational levels.
• Willingness to travel extensively globally and ability to collaborate effectively across cultures and diverse manufacturing environments.

Some perks of joining Henkel

• Flexible work scheme with flexible hours, hybrid work model, and work from anywhere policy for up to 30 days per year
• Diverse national and international growth opportunities
• Global wellbeing standards with health and preventive care programs
• Gender-neutral parental leave for a minimum of 8 weeks
• Employee Share Plan with voluntary investment and Henkel matching shares
• Pension Fund
• Disability Insurance
• Health Insurance discount
• Canteen discount

At Henkel, we come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences.

We believe the uniqueness of all our employees is the power in us.

Become part of the team and bring your uniqueness to us!

We welcome all applications across different genders, origins, cultures, religions, sexual orientations, disabilities, and generations.