Chief Operations Officer (COO)

The organisation

Our client is a globally renowned producer for a range of industries and provides specialist applications for, amongst others, the packaging industry. It develops and realises unique custom solutions. Our client strives for perfection every day by consistently investing in both its employees and in state-of-art means of production. With both its head office and branches in the Netherlands as well as production sites the United States and a sales office in Asia, customers are supplied and supported across the whole world. 

For a newly created function in the head office in the Netherlands, we are looking for a Chief Operations Officer (COO).

The position

• Responsible for the whole operational organisation (production, planning, procurement and logistics) for all businesses in the organisation;
• Reports to and supports the CEO, forms the Board of Directors together with the CEO and the CFO, who together lead the Management Team;
• In the day-to-day collaboration with the CEO you are sparring partner in solving strategic, often technical, but also financial and commercial issues;
• You provide, across all businesses, indirect leadership to some 240 employees and together build a motivated and competent Management Team;
• You regularly initiate meetings / rapport with the Supervisory Board;
• Focus areas are increasing the operational excellence/supply chain in production, the further professionalisation of project management and structuring the organisation for further growth and maintaining global coverage;
• Translating strategic objectives through (long-term)planning and budgeting, including the related strategy and projects;
• Introduces efficiency, cost and process improvements, improves and challenges existing production techniques;
• Focuses on being ‘in control’ – provides insight into (financial) developments and draws attention to deviations from forecasts and planning.

Candidate profile

• Completed bachelor and/or academic education in a relevant technical field;
• Successful and broad management experience in a technical environment and/or highly project-oriented production organisation;
• You have proved that you can take an organisation to the next level and can demonstrate how to do it;
• At least 15 years’ successful experience in, for example, machine construction or in a comparable industry and affinity with/knowledge of precision engineering;
• Successful experience with direct and indirect management and large groups of employees;
• Proven results through the application of, amongst others, lean manufacturing, strategic sourcing, Supply Chain and Operations Performance Management;
• You complement your outstanding technical knowledge with a sound financial and commercial insight;
• Natural, charismatic and driven leader (no nonsense), who feels very strongly about innovation, efficiency and modernisation;
• Inspiring, decisive and energetic COO, who creates support with his/her dynamic and business-like, stimulating character, overcomes resistance and further develops the organisation in all its facets;
• Ambitious, sensitive and empathic engineer with strongly developed social skills and people management skills;
• You recognise yourself in the following terms: technical expertise (production/innovation), affinity with the ‘family business’, commercial, enthusiastic and energetic, profit-driven, transparent and level-headed;
• Good knowledge of ERP systems and their possibilities;
• Outstanding verbal and written skills in Dutch, English and preferably also in German;
• Prepared to travel internationally.

Terms & conditions

• A newly created function with a successful, financially healthy and modern business with a good technical infrastructure;
• A strategic function in a pragmatic organisation with plenty of opportunities for development and growth;
• Broad strategic and operational responsibilities within a technology-driven organisational context and an international environment;
• A hands-on informal business culture;
• Good terms and conditions, appropriate to the function.

Interested?

You can apply to this position by using the form below. For more information you can contact Michel de Krieger, +31 6 46146606.

Your application will be dealt with in the strictest confidence and you can of course contact us outside office hours / request further information about the function and/or the process.