Vice President (VP) Operations

Inspired to grow with your experience, learn and share with new colleagues?

Huhtamaki is a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions for consumers around the world, enabling wellbeing and convenience. Our innovative products protect on-the-go and on-the-shelf food and beverages, ensuring hygiene and safety, and help prevent food waste.

We are committed to protecting food, people and the planet and are on the lookout for passionate and consummate professionals to join our growing team to help us deliver on our ambitious 2030 Strategy. We look for colleagues who Care, Dare and Deliver.

Fiber Foodservice Europe-Asia-Oceania (EAO) business segment offers high quality molded fiber and paperboard packaging for fresh food and beverages across Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East and Africa. We serve quick service and fast casual restaurants, coffee shops and vending operators as well as egg, fruit and vegetable producers. The segment has a turnover of €1.4 billion (2023). The business has about 6,100 employees and 31 manufacturing sites across Europe, Asia, Oceania, Middle East and Africa.

VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS, FIBER FOODSERVICE EAO

Are you passionate about continuous improvement?

We are looking for an experienced Vice President, Operations to drive world-class operations across our 31 Manufacturing Sites in the segment. The position holder with his/her team works in matrix with our local Manufacturing Sites around the world to ensure running efficient supply chain, operations and continuous improvement.

The role reports directly to President, Fiber Foodservice EAO and is ideally based close to one of our Manufacturing Sites in Europe (UK, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic).

The role works in matrix with the Region (Europe, MEASA, APAC) and Market Unit leaders, and in close collaboration with colleagues in the Manufacturing Sites, global Segment Functions (including Strategic Projects and Transformation, Sourcing, Innovation & Technology) as well as Finance, HR, and Sustainability teams.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The purpose of the role is to drive and manage high performance, operational improvements, and key initiatives in our Manufacturing Sites focusing on Health & Safety, OEE, Waste, Quality and Compliance.

Safety

Driving safety of all employees, including managing existing and new safety programs and initiatives initiated locally and globally.

Quality

Driving the quality of products delivered to our customers, including monitoring quality trends, closing customer issues, driving improvement programs, and maintaining certification programs.

Operations leadership

Accountable for the development, implementation and communication of key strategies and objectives in the areas of manufacturing goals, capital planning, and engineering support aligned with the market demand. Facilitating knowledge sharing between Manufacturing Sites.

Business leadership

Communicating and implementing global and segment strategy, values, priorities, policies, and procedures. Developing the sustainability agenda driving improvements across each sites Sustainability scorecards, particularly focused on energy and waste reduction.

Developing the digitalization agenda advancing the goal of automation and improving the quality of communication and insights across the sites.

Cost controls and savings

Driving development, implementation and communication of key strategies and objectives in the areas of material savings, labor productivity improvements, on time delivery, site-based planning and scheduling, and warehousing across all sites.

Meeting cost constraint targets and implementing project management structures to support improvements using Six Sigma, LEAN and TPM disciplines.

Capital leadership

Managing capital expenditures per corporate guidelines and leading capital planning to align with longer-term strategy and mid-term plans.

Segment business leadership

Serves as a check and balance in product pricing strategies and tactics, working closely with Commercial team to establish strategic pricing guidelines that are consistent with profitable growth.

Leading the operations evaluation of any strategic organic or inorganic projects and footprint optimization.

Addressing future capacity issues and feeding into the supply reviews for Integrated Business Planning .

Global leadership

Interfacing with other global Huhtamaki operations leadership to coordinate best practices and technology transfer including safety, quality, and process solutions.

Building a high-performance culture grounded in the company values Care, Dare and Deliver

KEY SUCCESS FACTORS AND QUALIFICATIONS

This role requires strong operational experience, as well as leadership and change management skills.

Minimum 15 years of operations management and manufacturing experience including multiple manufacturing sites in packaging or similar industry

Degree in Engineering or Production Management

Direct experience in managing large capital programs including site construction and asset realignment

Direct experience in continuous improvement programs

Knowledge of ERP systems and S&OP processes

Financial acumen and technical expertise

Comfortable working in a matrix environment with strong stakeholder management skills

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Self-starter; resourceful, highly organized

Courage to challenge the existing way of operating and drive for change and improvements

Leadership skills in building high performance teams

Alignment with Huhtamaki’s values and passion for caring about food, people, and the planet

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

The opportunity to run Operations Management and continuous improvement in close collaboration with various Manufacturing Sites in a transforming business with sustainability in the core of the strategy. You will get to work with experienced, high-quality colleagues and stakeholders, in an international environment.

Join us to shape the future together!

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