Operations Lead

CHEP; Tiel; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

CHEP is seeking an experienced Operations Lead to join the Tiel plant in the Netherlands. You will head daily manufacturing and supporting activities for up to 85 employees, reporting to the Plant Manager.

You will drive safety, performance, and continuous improvement while developing leadership across the site. The role emphasizes Zero Harm, KPI-driven performance, and close collaboration with senior leaders to deliver operational excellence in a global organisation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• NEBOSH qualification or equivalent Health & Safety certification.
• Additional qualifications in Production Management, Lean Manufacturing, Quality Management, or Operational Excellence are advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily manufacturing and operational activities with 5 direct reports and up to 85 staff.
• Act as deputy to the Plant Manager and support site leadership and performance.
• Drive performance via KPIs, data analysis, and performance management processes.
• Champion Zero Harm through safety leadership, investigations, and risk assessments.
• Develop and coach leaders, build capability, and plan succession.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, quality and efficiency.
• Foster accountability, engagement, collaboration and operational excellence.
• Ensure Health & Safety, quality and operational standards compliance.

Skills

Leadership

People development

Production processes

Continuous improvement

Health & Safety

Communication

Problem solving

English fluency

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

NEBOSH qualification

Lean / Production Management

Quality Management

Job description

Lead a high-performing manufacturing operation and help drive safety, performance, and continuous improvement.

CHEP is looking for an experienced Operations Lead to join our Tiel plant in the Netherlands. Reporting to the Plant Manager, you'll lead a team of 5 direct reports with overall responsibility for up to 85 employees across the operation, playing a key role in driving site performance, developing people, and delivering operational excellence.

This is a highly visible leadership role where you'll act as the right hand to the Plant Manager, combining strong people leadership with operational expertise. You'll be responsible for driving a Zero Harm culture, improving operational performance, developing leadership capability within your team, and championing continuous improvement across the plant.

If you're passionate about leading teams, improving manufacturing performance, and making a visible impact within a global organisation, we'd love to hear from you.

What We're Looking For

• Proven leadership experience within a manufacturing, production, distribution, or operational environment.
• Experience leading and developing supervisors, team leaders, or frontline managers in a blue-collar environment.
• Strong understanding of production processes, quality standards, operational KPIs, and performance management.
• Experience driving continuous improvement initiatives and operational efficiency programmes.
• Strong Health & Safety background with experience leading Zero Harm, conducting investigations, and developing risk assessments.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage employees, senior leaders, and key stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving capability with a track record of identifying issues and implementing effective solutions.
• Fluent English language skills; Dutch, German, or other European languages would be advantageous.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily manufacturing and operational activities through a team of 5 direct reports and up to 85 employees.
• Act as deputy to the Plant Manager and support the overall leadership and performance of the site.
• Drive operational performance through effective use of KPIs, data analysis, and performance management processes.
• Champion a Zero Harm culture through proactive safety leadership, investigations, risk assessments, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and coach leaders across the operation, building capability and supporting succession planning.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, quality, efficiency, and operational performance.
• Foster a culture of accountability, engagement, collaboration, and operational excellence.
• Ensure compliance with all Health & Safety, quality, and operational standards.

What We're Looking For

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• NEBOSH qualification or equivalent Health & Safety certification.
• Additional qualifications in Production Management, Lean Manufacturing, Quality Management, or Operational Excellence are advantageous.

Why Join CHEP?

• Opportunity to play a key leadership role within a strategically important manufacturing operation.
• Significant influence over site performance, culture, safety, and continuous improvement.
• High visibility and close partnership with the Plant Manager and wider leadership team.
• Opportunity to lead and develop a large operational workforce.
• Career development opportunities within a global market-leading organisation.