Plant Director

EMEA Recruitment; Eindhoven; On-site; EUR 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The Plant Director position at the client company in the Netherlands requires a seasoned leader to drive a large, energy-intensive production site. The role carries full site accountability for safety, production, maintenance, people and financial performance, with responsibility for sustainability and stakeholder management.

Successful candidates will strengthen operational performance, improve competitiveness and shape the site’s long-term development, leading a senior leadership team and

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in large-scale industrial or continuous-process environments.
• Experience in metallurgy, mining or chemical industries.
• Proven track record of leading complex operations and delivering performance improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the site with a focus on safety, operational excellence and performance.
• Take full accountability for production, costs, asset reliability and continuity.
• Lead and develop a senior, multi-disciplinary leadership team.
• Drive continuous improvement and efficiency initiatives.
• Oversee maintenance programs and capital projects.
• Represent the site at senior corporate level and contribute to strategic decisions.

Skills

Senior leadership

Operational excellence

Stakeholder management

Multi-disciplinary teams

Financial acumen

Education

Engineering/Metallurgy/Chemistry degree

Job description

We are supporting a leading international industrial organization in the search for a Plant Director to lead a large-scale, energy-intensive production site in the Netherlands.

This is a highly visible leadership role with full site accountability, covering safety, production, maintenance, people, financial performance, compliance, sustainability and stakeholder management.

The successful candidate will play a key role in strengthening operational performance, improving competitiveness and shaping the site's long-term development.

Key responsibilities of the Plant Director:

• Lead the site with a strong focus on safety, operational excellence and performance
• Take full accountability for production, costs, asset reliability and operational continuity
• Lead and develop a senior, multi-disciplinary leadership team
• Drive continuous improvement, operational transformation and efficiency initiatives
• Manage energy-intensive operations and support the site's long-term competitiveness
• Oversee major maintenance programs and capital projects
• Build strong relationships with employees, regulators, local communities and other key stakeholders
• Represent the site at senior corporate level and contribute to broader strategic decision-making

Requirements:

• Senior leadership experience within a large-scale industrial, manufacturing or continuous-process environment
• Track record of successes in a similar role in metallurgy, mining or chemical industry
• Proven track record of leading complex operations and delivering transformation or performance improvement
• Strong operational, commercial and financial understanding
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and engaging with senior stakeholders, regulators and employee representatives
• Engineering, metallurgy, chemistry, process technology or related technical degree preferred
• English is essential; Dutch is desirable
• A visible, pragmatic and resilient leader who is comfortable operating both on the plant floor and at board level

This is an opportunity to take full ownership of a strategically important industrial operation and have a significant impact on its future performance and competitiveness.

EMEA Recruitment is committed to promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the workplace. We act as a neutral third party in the recruitment process, basing our candidate searches on skills and experience. We welcome all applications regardless of age, gender, sex, relationship status, disability, race, religion/beliefs, or sexual orientation