Project Lead

Randstad - Netherlands; Cuijk; Hybrid; EUR 50,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary €4,500–€5,000 gross/month

20+ vacation days? Wait we need exact:

Pension plan

Travel allowance or NS Business Card

Randstad Academy training

Hybrid work: 4 days on-site, 1 day at

Uren 32–40 per week

Hybride: 4 dagen op locatie in Haps, 1

Job summary

Danone is seeking a Project Lead to own the HVAC and utilities scope for a major megaproject in Haps. You will be responsible for design, commissioning, and delivering a high-standard safety culture across all activities, coordinating with engineering teams, contractors, and regulators.

The role requires strong H&S qualifications, hands-on leadership on large-scale industrial projects, and excellent English (Dutch advantageous).

Qualifications

• Bachelor's/Master's level with safety management qualification.
• Minimum 5–8 years in engineering and H&S on large industrial projects.
• Proven track record leading safety investigations and audits.

Responsibilities

• Own HVAC, steam, compressed air and cooling design, tendering, commissioning and handover.
• Ensure cleanroom and aseptic zone compliance per quality/export standards.
• Draft technical specs, select suppliers, and manage purchase orders.

Skills

MS Project

English

Dutch

Leadership

H&S Management

Education

Bachelor's/Master's in Engineering or related

NEBOSH Diploma / CSP or similar safety certification

Tools

MS Project

Job description

Are you an experienced engineering and safety leader ready to own the HVAC/Utilities scope and drive world-class H&S across a major industrial megaproject?

Our production facility in Haps is the absolute number one out of our 167 global locations in terms of revenue and value positioning. To comply with stricter export regulations and drastically increase our capacity, we are executing a large-scale investment program.

This includes, among other things, an automated warehouse, a third canning line, a fresh milk reception unit, strict zoning between infant and medical nutrition, and the recommissioning of a major powder dryer. For this multidisciplinary megaproject, we are looking for a Project Lead. In this combined key role, you will be technically responsible for the design and commissioning of the HVAC and utility systems, as well as ultimately responsible for ensuring a high-standard safety culture, regulatory compliance, and H&S standards across all project activities.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• End-to-End Realization: Responsible for HVAC, steam, compressed air, and cooling systems from basic design and tendering through to commissioning and handover.
• Controlled Environments: Designing and ensuring compliance with cleanroom requirements, aseptic areas, and high-care zoning in line with applicable quality and export standards.
• Contracts & Procurement: Drafting technical client specifications, selecting suppliers/installers, and managing purchase orders.
• Project Control: Actively managing schedules, milestones (MS Project), and budgets for the assigned utilities work package.
• Policy & Compliance: Translating corporate H&S guidelines and occupational health and safety legislation into practical, project-specific procedures and work instructions.
• Risk Management: Leading RI&E (Risk Assessment & Evaluation), TRA (Task Risk Analysis), and HAZOP studies; ensuring execution of High Risk Safety Programs (e.g., LOTO, ATEX, Working at Height, and Confined Spaces).
• Visible Leadership: Maintaining an active shop-floor presence for safety walks, behavioral observations, toolbox talks, and exercising direct intervention (stop-work authority) in cases of acute danger.
• Incidents & Auditing: Conducting incident analyses (Root Cause Analysis), scheduling safety audits, and following up on corrective action plans.
• Internal & External Coordination: Liaising with project leadership, engineering teams, contractors, certifying bodies, and regulatory inspectors.
• Continuous Improvement: Sharing lessons learned between the new construction (project organization) and the existing operational plant.

Functie-eisen

• Bachelor's/Master's level of working and thinking (HBO/WO level), supplemented by a relevant higher safety management qualification (e.g., NEBOSH Diploma, CSP, or an equivalent higher safety engineering certification).
• Minimum of 5 to 8 years of experience in a combined or closely related role covering engineering and H&S within major industrial projects. Exception: A minimum of 3 years of experience is acceptable if gained within the Food & Beverage industry.
• Demonstrated work experience as an H&S Specialist or Lead within complex, large-scale (industrial) projects.
• In-depth knowledge of laws and regulations, H&S management systems, and critical safety programs (such as LOTO, ATEX, working at heights, and confined spaces). Solid experience with MS Project.
• Experience in leading incident investigations, audits, and root cause analyses (RCA).
• Excellent communication skills in English (and Dutch) to effectively liaise between project teams, contractors, and regulatory bodies.
• Fluent in English (official working language); Dutch is an advantage/pre.

Competenties

• Persuasion & Influence: Inspires and aligns employees, project managers, and contractors at all levels with standards, moving beyond a simple reliance on rules and regulations.
• Communication Agility: Effortlessly shifts between a hands-on toolbox talk on-site, discussions with contractors, and strategic reporting to the project directorate.
• Culture Builder & Coach: Fosters an open, proactive safety culture and coaches team members and stakeholders to take ownership of their responsibilities.
• Flexibility & Adaptability: Navigates changing frameworks or regulations with ease and handles change requests pragmatically.
• Pragmatic & Solution-Oriented: Translates complex requirements and legislation into feasible, workable solutions for daily site operations.
• Decisiveness Under Pressure: Remains steadfast and makes decisive calls when safety or quality is at stake, even under tight project deadlines.
• Stakeholder Management: Builds and maintains effective working relationships with contractors, suppliers, regulatory bodies, and internal project teams within a matrix organization

Arbeidsvoorwaarden

• Salary: A market-competitive salary matching your experience and level, ranging between €4,500 and €5,000 gross per month based on a 40-hour work week.
• Holidays: 25 vacation days per year for full-time employment, with the option to accrue or purchase additional days.
• Pension Scheme: An excellent pension plan from day one through the VvDN pension fund.
• Mobility: A choice between a travel allowance of €0.23 per kilometer or an NS Business Card for business travel.
• Development: Unlimited access to training courses and education via the Randstad Academy to continuously expand your expertise.
• Uren: 32 tot 40 uur per week (40 uur heeft lichte voorkeur)
• Hybride: 4 dagen op locatie in Haps, 1 dag thuiswerken mogelijk

Bedrijfsinformatie

Working at Danone is a unique experience. It is fast-paced and complex, offering you a rewarding challenge. We provide plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. You will be working for the producer of some of the world's most well-known brands, including Evian, Alpro, Nutricia, Activia, and Nutrilon. We are proud to be a certified B-Corp. This means we meet the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability in everything we do. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. As an equal opportunity employer, we base our hiring decisions on merit, job requirements, and business needs.