COO

The organisation

Umincorp was established in 2012 for the further development and marketing of its unique and patented MDS (Magnetic Density Separation) technology. MDS is a technology developed by the Resources & Recycling Group at Delft University of Technology that makes the recycling of mixed plastic waste streams considerably more efficient.

After the successful application and further development of this MDS technology in a pilot plant, this separation technology is now operational on an industrial scale in the Plastic Recycling Amsterdam plant, a joint venture between Umincorp and waste collector Milieu Service Nederland.

This first modular expandable factory was set-up at the end of 2019 and is ramping up to process the household plastic packaging waste of approximately 1 million Dutch inhabitants which are circulated back into high-quality products.

Upon a successful capital-raise in April 2021, more focus on strengthening senior management, improving operational and commercial performance, further build-up of processes and structuring of the business is demanded. To manage and realise this Umincorp is looking for a Chief Operating Officer (COO).

The position

The Chief Operations Officer will implement, upgrade and streamline plastic recycling & compounding Operations and Commercial management organization, among others.

In this position you will have the opportunity to contribute to and leave a mark on the upscaling and (international) growth of Umincorp and the circular plastic economy.

During the past years Umincorp has organically grown and developed into a technology development company as well as a business development and sales operation for post-consumer rigid plastic recyclates, ferro-fluid and MDS spare-parts. The still relatively small organization is so far made-up predominantly by multi-disciplinary teams of technical and R&D experts. The group is now ready to take major steps and is looking to grow, optimize the proprietary plastic sorting process, implement an in-house compounding operation, professionalize the ferrofluid production operation and increase polymer sales.

To manage and realize this, the CEO, who is also a co-founder of Umincorp, is looking for an experienced COO to join him on the two-member Management Board of the company. In this role you are the figurehead of Umincorp for Production, Supply Chain, Polymer Sales, Maintenance, HSE and Quality. The COO will be P&L responsible for all established revenue-generating activities within Umincorp. With state-of-the-art production equipment, efficient processes and a well-oiled team, you will ensure that quality plastic polymer products are manufactured that meet the highest standards in the industry.

Tasks & responsibilities

• Strategic partner to the key leadership team with regard to developing and translating strategic choices into an operationally functioning organization (people, assets, systems and processes);
• Providing the leadership and management necessary to ensure that the company is ready to scale faster and has the proper team structure, personnel, operational controls, processes, and workflows in place to meet Umincorp’s and its client's ambitious growth plans;
• Execute and professionalize commercial management of recurring and existing plastic polymer sales relationships
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on improving supplier performance, improving manufacturing and product quality, optimizing material flow, reducing production costs;
• Actively developing and managing KPI’s regarding cost and quality drivers;
• Ensure smooth and high-availability operation of internal production units and supply chain, including monitoring operations of Umincorp’s plastic recycling joint ventures.
• Realizing and guarding a safe working environment that complies with statutory safety and environmental instructions and regulations;
• Deliver meaningful information and providing (strategic) recommendations to the CEO, the shareholders, the management team and the operational teams;
• Provide a leadership role to the business, through effective communication and demonstrating a willingness to live, breathe and contribute to the values of the organisation;
• Contribute to a successful transition and implementation of new production units and the further optimization of existing processes within Operations, including a solid financial substantiation.

Candidate profile

You are a down to earth, experienced and hands-on leader of manufacturing operations in a plastic waste and/or international polymer production and sales environment. Someone who knows what it means to establish and be end-responsible for commerce, manufacturing, logistics and QA/QC departments. In addition, commercial aptitude experience (preferably in the plastic production/compounding sector) to successfully sell polymer products is a must-have.

You (preferably) are trained in a tightly organized business environment and have subsequently gained experience in professionalizing operations, and are comfortable operating in less organizationally optimized but continuously progressing scale-up setting. A perfect role for a self-motivated manager who wants to thrive in a rapidly changing environment.

You have excellent communication skills in Dutch and English and understand that collaborating with internal and partnership stakeholders is key to address continuous improvement and innovations. You are comfortable working in a fast-paced, innovative environment with a focus on long-term, measurable environmental impact and participation in the business.

Main selection criteria:

• Academic level of education in Engineering and/or Technical Business Administration or similar;
• Proven commercial and operations leader with 15+ years of experience in a fast paced (international) environment, preferably in the waste and/or plastic production/recycling/compounding sector;
• Experience in initiating and guiding (technological) innovations and transformations within B2B Commerce and Operations;
• Able to improve, professionalize and standardize business processes and a structural manner based on Lean methodologies;
• Up-to-date knowledge of innovations within manufacturing and the initiation and implementation of technological developments within (business) processes;
• Intrinsic motivation to contribute constructively to the sustainability of our society;
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work well in a team environment;
• Experience working at a manufacturer or technology & project management company;
• Experience working with many different stakeholders who may have competing objectives to achieve goals;
• Fluent in Dutch and English;
• Predominantly available to work in office and plant in Rotterdam

Your personal competences / characteristics:

• Pragmatic, enterprising and environmentally aware;
• Proactive, team-driven and decisive;
• Solution-oriented, creative and structured;
• Convincing, result- and people oriented.

The offer

You will be part of an energetic, enthusiastic and driven team with several professionals and specialists who want to contribute to the sustainability of our environment through technological innovations and by taking the lead in the transition to a circular economy for plastics. You can also count on an excellent package of benefits that depends on your knowledge and experience, including ESOP /Participation plan with shares in the company. Umincorp offers flexibility in planning working hours through the week and understands the need to provide for working from home from time to time.

Interested?

You are invited to apply for this position by following the link below. For more information, please contact Johan Fekken at +31 (0)6 53 49 86 07.