Business Process Expert - OE manager

Umicore; Województwo opolskie; On-site; PLN 180,000 - 290,000; Full time

Job summary

Umicore, a global advanced materials and recycling group, is seeking an experienced Operational Excellence professional for its Battery Materials Solutions site in Poland. You will define and implement the OE roadmap, drive continuous improvement and lead cross-functional projects to improve cost, quality and lead time.

The role requires an engineering degree, 5 years operational experience, and 2+ years in OE, plus Lean Six Sigma and Industry 4.0 tooling knowledge (PI, Azure, Power BI).

Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in an operational role in an industrial environment.
• 2+ years in an operational excellence role.
• Lean Six Sigma certification is a strong asset.
• Experience with Industry 4.0 tools (PI, Azure, Power BI) is advantageous.
• Experience in project leadership and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the site OE roadmap aligned with RBM strategy.
• Drive OE tools, methodologies and capability development across the site; provide training and coaching.
• Monitor and report KPI progress; ensure deployment across departments and shopfloor.
• Lead key OE projects delivering measurable improvements in cost, quality and lead time.
• Establish and monitor standardization of best practices; share solutions cross-site.
• Drive corrective actions and risk reduction via ACCE cards and related processes.
• Coordinate actions from customer audits and VOC feedback with site stakeholders.
• Support the implementation and continuous improvement of Safety, Environmental, Quality and EnergyManagement Systems.

Skills

OE knowledge

Project management

Change management

Intercultural experience

Education

Bachelor's or Master’s degree in engineering

Tools

PI

Azure

Power BI

Job description

About Umicore

Powering the cars of today and tomorrow. Reducing harmful emissions. Giving unique properties to high-end applications. Giving new life to used metals. As a global advanced materials and recycling group, we develop, produce, and recycle materials for a better life.

About Battery Materials Solutions

Umicore’s battery materials solutions are delivering the future of electric mobility. We improve safety, enable faster charging and boost the range and durability of batteries. But our innovation does not stop there.

We offer our customers industry leading battery recycling solutions for critical metals like cobalt, nickel, lithium and copper.

To deliver a circular and sustainable battery materials value chain, we cannot stand still. Solving complex mobility challenges demands ambitious thinking and continuous innovation. This is where you come in.

Your Key Accountabilities

• Operational Excellence Roadmap Development and Implementation
• Define and implement the site’s Operational Excellence (OE) roadmap in alignment with the overall RBM strategy, ensuring its integration into daily operations. Establish long-term and annual targets for key improvement programs, including cost improvement, dust reduction and contamination control. Identify, prioritize and coordinate end-to-end improvement projects, ensuring appropriate resource allocation.
• OE Tools, Methodologies and Capability Development Drive the implementation of OE tools and methodologies across the site, including 5S, TPM, Lean Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), ROCE, Layered Process Audits (LPA), predictive maintenance and visual management. Secure management engagement, provide training and coaching across all organizational levels, communicate transformation progress and challenges, identify opportunities for digital improvement tools, and develop internal OE capabilities through white‑collar and blue‑collar multipliers.
• Performance Management and KPI Monitoring Monitor and report on the progress and effectiveness of improvement projects against established program targets. Define, implement and track site performance indicators in line with ROCE principles, ensuring KPI deployment across all departments and organizational levels, including shopfloor operations.
• Improvement Project Management Lead key Operational Excellence projects as project manager, delivering measurable and sustainable improvements in cost efficiency, quality and lead time. Ensure effective project execution, stakeholder alignment and achievement of defined business objectives.
• Standardization and Best Practice Sharing Establish, implement and monitor the standardization of best operational and technical practices across the site, ensuring alignment with RBM standards. Promote the sharing and replication of proven solutions and best practices across the wider organization.
• Corrective Actions and Operational Risk Improvement Monitor and follow up on plant Change Requests (CRs), incident and accident reports from operational excellence and standardization perspectives. Drive the standardization and implementation of corrective and preventive solutions identified through ACCE cards, ensuring sustainable improvements and the prevention of recurring issues.
• Customer Audit and Voice of Customer Follow-up Monitor the implementation of agreed actions arising from customer audits and Voice of Customer (VOC) feedback. Collaborate with the RBM Domain Manager for Operational Excellence to ensure alignment and standardization of solutions, and support the Site Quality Manager in defining and implementing standardized operational practices where required.
• Integrated Management Systems Support Contribute to the effective implementation and continuous improvement of the site’s Safety, Environmental, Quality and Energy Management Systems, in accordance with the roles and responsibilities defined in the relevant supporting documentation.

Who we are looking for

• Bachelors or Master’s degree in engineering or other, with 5 years of experience in an operational role in an industrial environment
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in an operational excellence role.
• Good knowledge of a variety of systems & tools applied in operational excellence, practical experience in implementing continuous improvement at different levels.
• A lean six sigma certification is a strong asset.
• Project management experience with a minimum of 2 years of experience in a project leadership role
• Experience with Industry 4.0 and specific tools PI, Azure, Power BI, etc. is a strong asset.
• Good practical technical / technological background
• Experience with change management
• Experience in working in an intercultural environment

What We Offer

We aim to lead the way. Not just for our customers, but for our employees too. That is why we strive to create a collaborative environment in which we can all succeed, and a culture through which we can all share ideas, develop our expertise and advance our careers. We engage in building an inclusive work culture that offers equal opportunities for all employees irrespective of their diverse backgrounds. As you would expect from a world‑leading organisation, we will also reward your contribution with a competitive salary and benefits. With all this and more, imagine what you could do?