Operational excellencce specialist

Panda International; Leiden; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Panda International is seeking an Operational Excellence Specialist to support a Leiden manufacturing plant on a 12-month contract. The role focuses on Lean Six Sigma, coaching, and continuous improvement to embed Lean into day-to-day processes.

You will coach teams in practical Lean Six Sigma implementation, lead Kaizen initiatives, and drive a culture of continuous improvement within a highly regulated manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Approximately 3 years of Lean experience.
• Strong practical Lean Six Sigma experience.
• Black Belt certification is preferred; strong practical Lean Six Sigma experience can compensate.
• Manufacturing experience is essential.
• Pharma experience is preferred.
• Experience in a highly regulated environment is highly relevant; experience from other regulated industries will also be considered.
• Strong hands-on experience applying Lean Six Sigma tools in real processes.
• Proven ability to coach and support teams in implementing Lean methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Coach specialists and teams in Lean Six Sigma methodologies, including Yellow and Green Belt concepts.
• Lead Kaizen and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support teams with diagnosis and analysis of operational processes.
• Develop implementation plans for Lean tools and methodologies.
• Help teams apply Lean Six Sigma tools directly within their current processes.
• Work with operational and improvement systems to support analysis and improvement.
• Coach and support stakeholders in effectively implementing Lean practices.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement across the manufacturing environment.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

Coaching

Kaizen

Process analysis

Education

Black Belt certification

Tools

Value stream mapping

5S

Root cause analysis

Job description

We are looking for an Operational Excellence Specialist to support a manufacturing plant in Leiden on a 12-month contract.

This is a specialist Lean Six Sigma and Continuous Improvement position. You will work closely with teams and specialists to coach them in the practical implementation of Lean tools and methodologies within their day-to-day processes.

The role is focused on Operational Excellence rather than operational production, with a strong emphasis on coaching, continuous improvement and embedding Lean Six Sigma into the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Coach specialists and teams in Lean Six Sigma methodologies, including Yellow and Green Belt concepts.
• Lead Kaizen and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support teams with diagnosis and analysis of operational processes.
• Develop implementation plans for Lean tools and methodologies.
• Help teams apply Lean Six Sigma tools directly within their current processes.
• Work with operational and improvement systems to support analysis and improvement.
• Coach and support stakeholders in effectively implementing Lean practices.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement across the manufacturing environment.

Your Experience

• Approximately 3 years of specific Lean experience.
• Strong practical experience with Lean Six Sigma.
• Black Belt certification is preferred, although strong practical Lean Six Sigma experience can compensate.
• Manufacturing experience is essential.
• Pharma experience is preferred.
• Experience within a highly regulated environment is highly relevant; experience from other regulated industries will also be considered.
• Strong hands‑on experience applying Lean Six Sigma tools in real processes.
• Proven ability to coach and support teams in implementing Lean methodologies.

The Ideal Candidate

You are someone who understands that Lean Six Sigma is not simply about knowing the tools — you know how to implement them practically and coach others to use them effectively.

You enjoy working with teams, analysing processes, identifying opportunities for improvement and helping people turn Lean concepts into sustainable improvements.

• 12‑month contract
• Mainly onsite in Leiden
• Start date ideally around November.
• Extension may be possible, but this is not currently confirmed
• There may potentially be an additional opportunity following the assignment, but this is not confirmed
• Relocation can be considered depending on the candidate