Manufacturing Manager

Passionate people create exceptional things

Did you know that the solutions we develop are a key part of most industries? Electronics, medical research, renewable energy, food production, infrastructure and many more.

We´re everywhere! Working with us means working with the latest technologies and groundbreaking, sustainable innovations. With our inclusive and caring environment, you get the support and inspiration you need to grow.

Here, your ideas are embraced, and you never stop learning. Interested in being part of our team?

Join us on our journey for a better tomorrow.

The Role
We are looking for a Manufacturing Manager for Industrial Air product company in Antwerp.

In this position, you will report to the Vice President Operations, and you will represent product company (API) Antwerp - Manufacturing in the different Airpower councils and meetings.

You are a vital member of the API product company management team.

It will be your mission to develop our manufacturing operation towards a benchmark in industry in terms of delivery performance, product quality and productivity by improving processes, eliminating wastes and optimizing flow across our extended value stream.

Inspire and align our employees on our Operational Excellence operating principles, practices, and philosophies. You develop a culture of innovation and continuous improvement and align leadership to accelerate lean progress.

It is your responsibility to:

• Embrace the "Safety First" culture and implement 5S leading practices in order to improve further the performance of the product company, striving for zero work related accidents;
• Assure an efficient production based on quality and short lead times right when the customer needs it;
• Ensure by strategy deployment that the strategic goals of the company drive progress and action at every level of the manufacturing organization;
• Develop and implement assembly and logistic processes supporting the continuous improvement goal for quality improvements, lead time and cost reduction;
• Embrace and facilitate a Kaizen event culture to drive continuous improvement in the area of safety, productivity, delivery, quality, cost, asset utilization;
• Define and implement the best-fit lean manufacturing setup for the Industrial Air production plant in Antwerp in order to change for the better;
• Control and monitor the order and procurement of material with minimum inventory and maximum availability. Continuously improve costs by proper setup of in- and outbound logistics;
• Safeguard that the implemented production processes and systems are standardized and as simple as possible. Secure regular benchmarking and alignment with industry best practices;
• Control the manufacturing operational budget and implement cost reduction projects to minimize overhead costs;
• Measure, evaluate and improve agility & flexibility of the manufacturing operations. Agility = time needed to adjust our capacity to the market demand in a cost-efficient way.
• Support engineering in developing products that can be assembled in the leanest and most efficient way;
• Ensure guidance and presence of committed and competent manufacturing resources in cross-functional project teams & Kaizen Events in order to provide On Time In Full manufacturing project deliverables;
• Provide effective leadership by kata coaching to support continuous improvement projects (Kaizen events);
• Develop and lead a successful and cohesive team of competent, committed and result oriented people. Secure you have the right person on the right position.

Extra focus should be given to establish and maintain the right organizational structure to:

Put strong focus on people development (training & competence development), encourage diversity and inclusion in line with our corporate core values.

Develop and support a spirit of open communication, fairness and respect for the individual in all areas of operation; apply a Growth Mindset and encourage and challenge your team to grow and develop themselves.

Network with other manufacturing departments within the Compressor Technique product companies and the Group in a constructive and productive way that supports benchmarking and best practice sharing.

To succeed, you will need

• Proven leadership skills
• Strong Lean manufacturing experience with knowledge of material planning systems, Kaizen events, advanced problem solving and cost reduction projects
• Experience in implementing an Operational Excellence strategy in an operational environment delivering improved sustainable results
• A solid knowledge of flow manufacturing processes and systems in a product company environment
• A good knowledge of our ERP system, IT manufacturing applications (MOMS) and an advanced competence of MS-Office applications (Excel, PowerPoint)
• The ability to identify applicable Lean tools in the given business environment
• A good understanding of "The Way we do things" and “Code of Conduct”
• Good knowledge of Dutch is required. If Dutch is not your mother tongue, it is prerequisite to rapidly become fluent in Dutch

Educational requirements

• Master degree with background in production engineering
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing techniques

Personality 

Leadership: inspire other people by acting as a role model and radiating the company’s vision and values. Motivate, engage and coach the team to create sustainable results.

Customer focus: offer an excellent service and establish a good relationship with your internal and your external customers.

Result driven: take action in a consequent manner, be goal oriented within the fixed deadlines.

Innovation & Solution: “There is always a better way.”, think broad, open to new ideas and experience; handle situations and problems with innovation and creativity. Drive continuous improvement in daily work. Think strategically, support and manage change.

Interaction: Relate well to people, collaborate resources effectively, use network to drive business results and manage conflict in a constructive way. Act as part of a team and take into account the effect of your actions on other departments.

Diverse by nature and inclusive by choice
Bright ideas come from all of us. The more unique perspectives we embrace, the more innovative we are. Together we build a culture where difference is valued and we share a deep sense of purpose and belonging.