Senior Director of Operations
FMCG
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
FMCG
THE LOCATION: Romania
THE COMPANY
Our client is a top player in the FMCG industry, market leader on its products segments, known for delivering high-quality products and creating meaningful connections with customers as a trusted partner for Modern Trade, Traditional Trade, distributors, and wholesalers. Their culture is rooted in continuous improvement, safety, and teamwork, making this an exciting opportunity for a proven operations leader to drive strategic and operational excellence across multiple manufacturing sites.
The company is undergoing a transformation to enhance its manufacturing and supply chain operations, ensuring long-term growth and competitiveness.
THE ROLE
As Director of Operations, you will be responsible for overseeing the performance and operations of multiple manufacturing plants within your assigned region. Your primary goal will be to enhance productivity, improve efficiency, and ensure the delivery of high-quality baked goods while meeting financial targets.
Reporting directly to the Regional Vice President Operations, you will lead a team of Plant Managers and other key stakeholders across production, maintenance, engineering, and primary logistics to implement Lean, Kaizen, and other continuous improvement initiatives. You will also be responsible for driving a culture of change and operational excellence, influencing plants leadership to align with corporate goals and ensuring long-term sustainable growth
MAIN OBJECTIVE
The primary focus of this role is to drive manufacturing efficiency, ensure best-in-class quality standards, implement operational improvements, and lead cultural transformation within the plants. The Operations Director will be instrumental in aligning local operations with global performance benchmarks while ensuring profitability and long-term sustainability.
Key Responsibilities:
- Strategic Leadership: Define and execute a long-term operational strategy focused on cost reductions, efficiency improvements, and quality enhancements across all manufacturing sites. Ensure that regional operations align with global corporate objectives and contribute to the company’s overall growth and competitiveness.
- Operational Excellence: Develop and implement key performance metrics (KPIs) that cascade from corporate goals down to plant-level operations, ensuring alignment with business objectives. Drive continuous improvement initiatives to optimize production processes and increase operational efficiency.
- Lean and Kaizen Implementation: Lead the adoption of Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, and other continuous improvement methodologies, ensuring measurable improvements in productivity, waste reduction, and cost efficiency. Establish a culture of systematic problem-solving and operational discipline.
- Change Management: Influence and mentor Plant Managers and operations teams to embrace change, adopt best practices, and drive transformation initiatives. Foster a high-performance culture by setting clear expectations, providing strategic direction, and encouraging innovation.
- Financial Oversight: Manage budgets, financial reporting, and cost-control measures, ensuring profitability targets are met or exceeded. Oversee cost structures at plant and regional levels, identifying areas for financial optimization and increased efficiency.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with key departments in matrix organizations, including Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality Assurance, R&D, Sales, Human Relations, Finance, and other business functions, to coordinate all phases of operations. Work closely with internal stakeholders to streamline processes and enhance service delivery.
- Safety and Compliance: Enforce safety protocols and regulatory compliance in line with industry standards, including OSHA, FDA, HACCP, and other relevant regulations. Foster a zero-injury workplace culture, ensuring that all plants operate with the highest safety and quality standards.
- People Development: Mentor and develop plant leadership teams, with a focus on succession planning, talent development, and building a strong leadership pipeline. Drive engagement and performance at all levels by coaching Plant Managers and instilling a culture of accountability and continuous learning.
- Customer Focus: Ensure that production schedules and plant operations align with customer demands, maintaining high service levels, superior product quality, and timely delivery. Drive a customer-centric mindset across the operations function to enhance competitiveness and market responsiveness.
THE CANDIDATE
The successful candidate will be a people-oriented manager with in-depth knowledge of operational processes, strategic planning, and change management. They will possess strong analytical skills to drive business improvements and efficiency through data-driven decision-making and benchmarking against industry standards. This leader will be adept at fostering a collaborative team environment, encouraging continuous learning and development. The ideal person will have:
- 12+ years of progressive leadership experience in manufacturing, with at least 5 years in the food, beverages or pharma industries.
- 8+ years of direct management experience, preferably overseeing multiple plants.
- Prior experience as a Plant Manager in the food industry is required.
- Strong understanding of TPM, Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, and other continuous improvement methodologies.
- Proven ability to lead large, cross-functional teams and implement performance-driven KPIs.
- Demonstrated experience managing budgets, financial reporting, and cost control in a manufacturing setting.
- Strong leadership and influencing skills, with a track record of driving change and building high-performing teams.
- Excellent communication skills in English; ability to work effectively across teams, functions, and businesses.
- Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Business, Engineering, or a related technical field; MBA or Master’s degree preferred.
ATTRACTIVE ASPECTS
- Opportunity to lead a high-impact, multi-site operations team within a leading food manufacturing company.
- A highly visible leadership role with direct influence on operational strategy, efficiency, and cost savings.
- Ability to develop and mentor plant leaders while shaping the culture and performance of a major manufacturing network.
- Competitive compensation and benefits package, with significant opportunities for career growth.
- Chance to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where innovation and operational excellence are key drivers of success.
APPLICATION PROCESS
If this role aligns with your experience and aspirations, please APPLY by submitting your CV. Ensure that your CV accurately reflects your background, as any misrepresentation may impact the selection process.
If this opportunity is not a match for you but you know someone who would be a great fit, feel free to share this ad with them.
We appreciate all applications, but only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Pendl & Piswanger offers HR and management advisory services in the last 40 years in CEE. As members of InterSearch, a worldwide executive search firm with more than 100 offices in 50 countries, we are amongst the top search firms globally and operate across all major industry sectors. We are experienced, innovative, and totally committed to our clients who gain competitive advantage by hiring great people. For more information, please visit www.ro.intersearch.org.