NL - Analyst 3, Business Relationship Mgmt

Panda International; Leiden; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Panda International is seeking a Lean Business Excellence Specialist to drive continuous improvement within a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment in Leiden/Netherlands. This on-site, 12-month contract role requires hands-on Lean Six Sigma expertise and the ability to coach cross-functional teams to deliver measurable improvements.

You will lead Kaizen events, analyse performance data, and develop pragmatic action plans with Operations and Quality to embed sustainable improvements on the

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years hands-on Lean Six Sigma / Continuous Improvement experience.

Responsibilities

• Drive Lean Six Sigma and Continuous Improvement initiatives within a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
• Coach operational teams on Lean methodologies, structured problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Lead and facilitate Kaizen events across Operations, Quality and other site functions.
• Support teams in diagnosing operational challenges, analysing root causes and identifying improvement opportunities.
• Develop practical implementation plans with operational stakeholders and support teams through execution.
• Apply Lean Six Sigma methodologies and tools to improve manufacturing processes, efficiency and operational performance.
• Perform trend and data analysis to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Support the deployment of structured Business Excellence / Operating System programmes across the manufacturing site.
• Work directly with cross-functional teams on the shop floor to embed sustainable improvements.
• Support multiple operational departments as a Business Excellence subject matter expert.
• Help develop Lean capabilities within teams through coaching and knowledge sharing.
• Track improvement initiatives and ensure actions deliver measurable and sustainable results.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

Continuous Improvement

Kaizen events

Stakeholder management

Coaching teams

Data analysis

Job description

Lean Business Excellence Specialist

Location: Leiden / Sassenheim, Netherlands

Contract Length: 12 months

Hours: 40 hours per week

Experience Required: Minimum 3 years of hands-on Lean Six Sigma / Continuous Improvement experience

Work Mode: Fully on-site, 5 days per week

Start Date: September / October 2026

Key Responsibilities

• Drive Lean Six Sigma and Continuous Improvement initiatives within a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
• Coach operational teams on Lean methodologies, structured problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Lead and facilitate Kaizen events across Operations, Quality and other site functions.
• Support teams in diagnosing operational challenges, analysing root causes and identifying improvement opportunities.
• Develop practical implementation plans together with operational stakeholders and support teams through execution.
• Apply Lean Six Sigma methodologies and tools to improve manufacturing processes, efficiency and operational performance.
• Perform trend and data analysis to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Support the deployment of structured Business Excellence / Operating System programmes across the manufacturing site.
• Work directly with cross-functional teams on the shop floor to embed sustainable improvements.
• Support multiple operational departments as a Business Excellence subject matter expert.
• Help develop Lean capabilities within teams through coaching and knowledge sharing.
• Track improvement initiatives and ensure actions deliver measurable and sustainable results.

Essential Requirements

• Minimum 3 years of hands-on Lean Six Sigma / Continuous Improvement experience.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt OR Green Belt with significant practical field experience delivering Lean Six Sigma projects.
• Strong practical experience applying Lean methodologies rather than certification alone.
• Demonstrated experience leading or facilitating Kaizen / Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Experience with structured problem-solving, root cause analysis and process improvement.
• Ability to analyse operational performance and translate findings into practical improvement plans.
• Experience coaching teams and stakeholders on Lean / Continuous Improvement methodologies.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Experience working within a structured manufacturing or operational environment.
• Fluent English.
• Comfortable working fully on-site, 5 days per week in a manufacturing environment.

Preferred Requirements

• Previous experience within pharmaceutical, biotechnology or life sciences manufacturing.
• Experience working within a GMP-regulated environment.
• Experience from another highly regulated or complex operational environment such as food manufacturing, chemicals, energy, aviation or comparable industries.
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification.
• Experience deploying structured operational excellence or business excellence programmes across multiple teams.
• Experience working directly with manufacturing, Operations and Quality teams.
• Experience supporting Lean transformation programmes within multinational organisations.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing performance, operational excellence and continuous improvement principles.