Manager Operational Excellence & Process Optimization (Food) - (m/f/d) | Region: Eastern Switzerland

A manufacturing company in Eastern Switzerland is laying a new foundation for its operational performance – and is looking for the first person to establish and expand OPEX in the plant. The role is newly created, reporting directly to C-level.

Tasks

What it's about

• You will gain a precise picture of where performance and efficiency are lost in the plant – in production as well as in the upstream and downstream areas – and derive a robust roadmap from this.
• You will drive improvement initiatives independently: from analysis and implementation to lasting, measurable integration into daily operations.
• As a link between production, engineering, quality, and supply chain, you will ensure that processes are not thought of in silos, but rather considered and improved across the entire chain.
• Directly on the line, you will be a sparring partner for the teams: you will stabilize processes, remove recurring disturbances, and ensure a reliable pace.
• You will define the key performance indicators (KPIs) from which operational performance can be read, and shape them into a management tool that makes decisions faster and fact-based.
• Through training, coaching, and leading by example, you will bring Lean thinking and structured problem-solving into the company – so that improvement does not remain your individual project, but becomes the organization's mindset.

Qualification

What you bring

• A technical or business-technical background – such as a degree in engineering, industrial engineering, or an equivalent qualification.
• Several years of responsibility for Operational Excellence or continuous improvement in production – ideally in food manufacturing, alternatively in a similarly regulated environment such as pharmaceuticals or FMCG.
• Lean, TPM, and KVP are not just vocabulary for you, but tools – a Six Sigma certification is welcome, a Black Belt is a clear plus.
• You manage with numbers, but you are at home on the shop floor: you know the daily routine on the line and translate it into meaningful KPIs.
• You lead projects and change processes confidently – even where you need to win over people for new things without having direct disciplinary authority.
• Your working method is structured, analytical, and solution-oriented, your nature is hands-on – you don't stay at your desk, but go where value is created.
• You communicate clearly, have a convincing presence, and have the talent to win people over for change and to bring them along.

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