EU Plant Operations Director/Leader (VCO)

Core Responsibilities:

• Lead and drive the European transformation workstream, optimizing performance across three plants in Europe.
• Champion Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma) to enhance efficiency, reduce scrap, improve product quality, and optimize inventory and working capital.
• Identify and implement process improvements, workflow optimizations, and best-practice standardization across sites.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, operations, quality, and supply chain to align initiatives with overall business transformation goals.
• Utilize key manufacturing KPIs (e.g., cycle time, throughput, defect rates) to measure and track the success of improvement efforts.
• Coach and mentor site General Managers (GMs), CI leaders, and frontline employees, building a culture of operational excellence.
• Develop and implement formal capability-building programs, such as a Continuous Improvement (CI) Academy, to upskill teams and embed best practices.
• Work cross-functionally in a fast-paced, multinational environment, ensuring alignment with Barnes’ global operations strategy.

Qualifications:

• 15+ years of experience leading operational transformation and change management in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong background in Lean, Six Sigma, and Continuous Improvement methodologies (Lean Six Sigma Black Belt preferred).
• Expertise in manufacturing performance optimization, waste reduction, and process standardization.
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing KPIs and analytics, using data-driven approaches to drive improvements.
• Exceptional leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence, train, and inspire teams at all levels.
• Experience in coaching and upskilling teams, from frontline workers to senior leadership.
• Ability to work effectively in a multinational, matrixed organization, balancing global best practices with local plant needs.
• Industry experience in automotive or a related sector is preferred.
• Fluent English required; German or other European languages are a plus.

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business, or a related field.

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