The Bel Group is a major player in the food industry through portions of dairy, fruit and plant-based products, and one of the world leaders in branded cheeses. Its portfolio of differentiated and internationally recognized brands includes The Laughing Cow®, Kiri®, Babybel®, Boursin® Nurishh®, Pom'Potes® and GoGo squeeZ®, as well as some 30 local brands. Together, these brands helped the Group generate sales of €3.74 billion in 2024.

Do you want to join a company with strong brands that puts consumers and responsibility at the heart of the decision-making process? Then Bel is made for you!

Are you bold, pragmatic, and determined? Do you want to contribute to the transformation of an international agri-food company? Them come join us and measure the impact of your talent and energy in realizing an ambitious and sustainable company project!
 

#IWorkForAllForGood

Job Purpose

Lead Autonomous Production Unit end to end to deliver the production plan safely, with required food safety and quality, at optimum cost and service. Build a capable and engaged organization, improve equipment and process performance, eliminate losses, and ensure the unit’s operational and technical readiness in line with the site Operations strategy and Bel Manufacturing Model.

 Main Accountabilities:

• Lead APU end to end by translating site Operations priorities into a clear unit master plan, daily execution priorities and accountable action plans.
• Deliver the production plan and customer-service requirements through disciplined planning, resource allocation, material readiness, shift handovers and rapid escalation of constraints.
• Own unit performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People, using daily management, PCS routines, visual management and fact-based corrective decisions.
• Ensure employee safety, food safety, product quality and legal compliance through risk control, standards adherence, hygiene, sanitation, audit readiness and effective CAPA closure.
• Build a competent, engaged and flexible production organization through workforce planning, skills matrices, succession, coaching, performance management and Learning Teams deployment.
• Improve OEE, productivity, yield, waste, rework, changeover and labor efficiency by applying the Bel Manufacturing Model, Lean methods and structured root-cause problem solving.
• Partner with Maintenance to improve asset reliability, preventive-maintenance execution, defect elimination, MTBF and MTTR while securing safe equipment handover and start-up.
• Lead Autonomous Maintenance deployment across the APU by building operator ownership of equipment, implementing cleaning-inspection-lubrication standards, developing basic maintenance skills, tagging and eliminating abnormalities, and sustaining AM step audits with Maintenance.
• Embed Lean Manufacturing as the unit’s operating system by developing leaders and teams in daily management, 5S, standard work, visual management, Kaizen and structured problem solving to eliminate losses and sustain measurable improvements in flow, quality, delivery and cost.
• Control the  APU cost base by managing conversion cost, consumables, overtime, labor deployment, variances and productivity actions within approved limits.
• Ensure robust production governance through accurate SAP and shop-floor data, standard work, tiered reviews, shift communication, escalation rules and disciplined action follow-up.
• Lead industrial trials, product launches, capacity changes, automation, digital initiatives and CAPEX implementation within the unit, ensuring operational readiness and benefit realization.
• Coordinate priorities and decisions with Fabrication, Quality, Maintenance, Supply Chain, Planning, Engineering, Safety, Industrial Performance, HR, Finance and central functions.
• Advise the Head of Operations on APU performance, risks, resource requirements and improvement opportunities, supported by clear scenarios and recommendations.
  
  

Education, Experience and Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Mechanical, Electrical or Industrial Engineering major
• Minimum 8–10 years of progressive experience in food manufacturing, preferably dairy or processed cheese, including significant leadership responsibility for a production unit or multi-shift operation.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP, GMP, hygiene, process control and production management in a regulated food environment.
• Demonstrated capability in multi-shift leadership, workforce planning, talent development, performance management and employee engagement.
• Strong command of OEE, loss analysis, Lean Manufacturing, Bel Manufacturing Model routines, structured problem solving and continuous improvement.
• Sound financial understanding of conversion cost, labor productivity, waste, consumables, overtime and operating-budget control.
• Ability to lead cross-functional execution with Maintenance, Quality, Supply Chain, Safety, Engineering and Industrial Performance.
• Working knowledge of SAP or another ERP/MES environment and confidence using shop-floor data for decisions.

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