About the company
This is a Danish-owned international company with more than 100 years of experience in developing and manufacturing sustainable food packaging solutions.
We combine strong craftsmanship, operational know-how and sustainability ambitions to deliver high-quality solutions to customers across Europe.
At our production site in Genk, Belgium, we are looking for a hands-on and people-oriented Operations Manager who can lead daily operations while driving continuous improvements and collaboration across the organization.
The Operations Manager reports to Group Operations Director and is part of the leadership team.
The Role
As Operations Manager, you are responsible for the daily management and performance of production and warehouse operations in Genk.
You ensure that production runs safely, efficiently and according to plan while maintaining high standards within quality, delivery performance and employee engagement.
You are a visible leader who spends time in the production environment, follow up on operations closely and work proactively together with foremen, diesetters, packers, warehouse and maintenance to solve challenges and improve performance – we call it One Factory and purpose is to secure stable operations and high delivery reliability.
You combine operational discipline with a collaborative leadership style and are comfortable balancing daily operational issues with longer-term improvement initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
Daily operations & performance
* Ensure safe and stable daily production operations
* Follow up on production plans, output, downtime, waste and operational KPI’s
* Conduct and follow up on daily operational meetings and shift coordination
* Secure efficient collaboration between production, warehouse, maintenance, tooling and supply chain
* Ensure compliance with safety, quality and environmental standards
Leadership & employee engagement
* Be a visible, approachable and motivating leader in daily operations
* Be able to drive activities supporting a good well-being and engagement level
* Lead and support foremen and employees through clear communication and follow-up
* Create structure, accountability and teamwork across shifts and departments
* Conduct employee dialogues and support employee development
* Ensure employee involvement and ownership in operational improvements
* Support a positive and respectful working environment
* Collaborate constructively with employee representatives and local stakeholders in accordance with Belgian labor practices
We are looking for a leader who naturally involves employees, listens actively, and creates commitment through presence and dialogue.
Continuous improvement & operational development
* Drive continuous improvement initiatives within production processes and workflows
* Identify opportunities for optimization within operations, automation and digital tools
* Work actively with lean principles and structured problem-solving
* Use operational data and KPI’s to improve efficiency and performance
* Support implementation of new processes and ways of working
* Ensure follow-up and execution of agreed improvement actions
The role requires a pragmatic mindset with focus on execution and creating improvements that work in daily operations.
Support functions & matrix collaboration
* The Genk site operates with local operational responsibility supported by group functions in Denmark
* The Operations Manager collaborates closely with central support functions and works in a matrix structure with dotted-line collaboration towards Tooling, Maintenance and Facility Management functions at group level
* The Operations Manager will be working closely together with quality on resolving customer claims
* The role requires the ability to balance local operational needs with group standards, technical priorities and cross-site initiatives
* Contribute to knowledge sharing and best practice exchange across all sites
* Support a strong “One Team” mindset locally and across the group
We are looking for someone who is curious and has a strong willingness to learn from others. A person who respects the past and at the same time applying insights, experience and motivation can create results across teams and sites.
Profile & qualifications
We are looking for an experienced production leader with a strong operational mindset and solid people skills.
Preferred qualifications:
* Several years of experience in a Production/Operations Manager or similar operational leadership role
* Experience from a manufacturing or industrial production environment
* Strong understanding of production flow, warehouse operations and technical dependencies
* Experience leading employees in a shift-based production environment
* Hands-on experience with continuous improvement and lean tools
* Comfortable working with KPI’s, operational follow-up and performance management
* Very good communication and collaboration skills across all organizational levels
* Experience in working in an ISO 9001, ISO14001 and BRCGS certified environment will be an advantage
* Experience working within Belgian labor conditions and culture is key
* Technical or engineering background is preferred
Language skills:
* Fluent in Dutch and English, French is an advantage
Personal characteristics
You are:
* A hands-on and visible leader who leads by example
* Capable of and have a strong willingness to learn from others and apply insights and experience to drive continuous improvement and future development.
* Calm and structured in a busy operational environment
* Good at building relationships and creating trust
* Clear and direct in your communication
* Solution-oriented and pragmatic
* Comfortable taking ownership and making decisions and at the same time not afraid to ask for help
* Interested in improving both people, processes and collaboration
* Team-oriented with a strong focus on involvement and cooperation
Why Join?
You become part of an international company with strong values, skilled colleagues and ambitious goals for operational excellence and sustainability.
We offer:
* A key leadership role with direct impact on daily operations
* A collaborative and informal working environment
* Opportunities for professional and personal development
* Cross-functional and international cooperation within the Group
* A workplace focused on engagement, teamwork and continuous improvement