Associate Director, Manufacturing
Job Title: Associate Director, Manufacturing
City, Country: Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
The Associate Director, Manufacturing is in charge of operating the factory making best use of the existing resources and equipment. This includes production, maintenance, and some internal logistics activities. leads the production team while developing and ensuring sustainable manufacturing excellence measured through clearly defined objectives and targets in terms of SHE, quality, service, costs and asset utilization. He/she will develop a performance driven culture and ensure the highest level of cross-functional efficiency with other Operations departments and Enablers.
Your key responsibilities
- Safety & Compliance: Champion a zero-accident culture by enforcing health, safety, and environmental regulations, conducting audits, leading incident investigations, and ensuring full deployment of Life Saving Rules and SafeStart program.
- Quality Assurance: Ensure compliance with quality standards, collaborate with Quality teams to resolve deviations, and promote a zero-defect mindset across operations.
- Production Management: Lead daily manufacturing operations to meet targets, optimize resources and workforce planning, and drive continuous improvement using lean principles and IMPACT tools.
- Maintenance Oversight: Oversee preventive and corrective maintenance to ensure equipment reliability, support asset lifecycle management, and monitor KPIs for continuous improvement.
- Internal Logistics: Manage internal material flow and ensure efficient movement of goods across production lines while optimizing logistics to reduce waste and improve responsiveness.
- Performance & Strategy: Set and monitor KPIs, lead team development through coaching and reviews, define strategic roadmaps, and contribute to the site master plan
We offer
- Growth that keeps up with you – you join an industry leader that will develop your expertise and leadership
- A culture with values that lifts you up – with collaborative teams, shared wins, and people who cheer each other on.
- A community where your voice matters – it is essential to serve our customers well.
- A business with a clear roadmap to growth faster than competitors, impactig millions of consurmers everyday
- A factory being key in the growth roadmap of the category TTH
You bring
- French & English are a hard requirement
- Master of Science in Engineering or business
- Minimum 5 years of Manufacturing management experience
- Relevant experience within the food, beverage, chemical or allied industry, pharmaceutical or consumer goods industries
- Direct management experience of cost control responsibilities in manufacturing
- Experience in implementation of continuous improvement and lean methodologies
- Flexible working time to meet the night shift or during the weekend
About dsm-firmenich
At dsm-firmenich, we don’t just meet expectations – we go beyond them.
Join our global team powered by science, creativity, and a shared purpose: to bring progress to life.
From elevating health to making fortified food and sustainable skincare, the impact of your work here will be felt by millions – every single day. Whether it’s fragrance that helps you focus, alternative meat that’s better for the planet, or reducing sugar without losing flavor, this is where you help shape the future of nutrition, health, and beauty for everyone, everywhere.
And while you’re making a difference, we’ll make sure you’re growing too. With learning that never stops, a culture that lifts you up and the freedom to move across businesses, teams, and borders. Your voice matters here. And your ideas? They’re essential to our future.
Because real progress only happens when we go beyond, together.
Inclusion, belonging and equal opportunity statement
At dsm-firmenich, we believe being a force for good starts with the way we treat each other. When people feel supported, included, and free to be themselves, they do their best work – and that’s exactly the kind of culture we’re building. A place where opportunity is truly equal, authenticity is celebrated, and everyone has the chance to grow, contribute, and feel they belong.
We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we’re serious about making our hiring process as fair and inclusive as possible. From inclusive language and diverse interview panels to thoughtful sourcing, we’re committed to reflecting the world we serve.
We welcome candidates from all backgrounds — no matter your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or anything else that makes you, you.
And if you have a disability or need any support through the application process, we’re here to help – just let us know what you need, and we’ll do everything we can to make it work.
Agency statement
We’re managing this search directly at dsm-firmenich. If you’re applying as an individual, we’d love to hear from you. We’re not accepting agency submissions or proposals involving fees or commissions for this role.