Site Director
Probat B.V.

PROBAT is a full-service provider in the food processing industry. The company develops and manufactures turnkey production systems featuring intelligent control technologies. It is the global market leader in the development and production of coffee roasters, as well as machines for processing cocoa, chocolate, nuts and seeds. With an annual turnover of approximately € 300 million and around 1100 employees, PROBAT operates in more than 40 countries. The company offers its customers comprehensive solutions, excellent service and in-depth industry knowledge worldwide from a single source.

PROBAT has a production facility in Koog aan de Zaan, the Netherlands (Probat BV), where approximately 160 dedicated employees develop and manufacture industrial installations for cocoa and chocolate processing for customers worldwide. The site also houses an on-site Technology Centre, a specialised facility for innovation, testing and training.

Main goal of the position 
As Site Director, you report directly to the CEO of PROBAT, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the COO and CTO. You lead a team of approximately 95 employees, with six direct reports across Production, Engineering, the Planning Office, Automation, Procurement and Quality. In this role, you are ultimately responsible for the Koog aan de Zaan site and for developing and expanding the operational strategy to ensure that customer expectations are consistently met.

The position 
As Site Director, you are the driving force behind the optimal operation of the Koog aan de Zaan factory and responsible for translating (long-term) strategy into concrete, results-driven operational plans through to execution. You also act as a figurehead and connector to other PROBAT sites, ensuring close interaction and collaboration with fellow Site Directors and the Global Leadership Team to develop the PROBAT’s operations strategy and actively engage your team in this journey. You successfully initiate and implement change programmes, building broad support throughout the organisation. With a strong focus on quality, effectiveness and productivity, you articulate a clear vision for preventive maintenance of machinery and equipment, translating this into concrete improvement actions on the shop floor.
We are looking for a strong and inspiring Site Director to firmly anchor the organisation, providing calm, direction, structure and support. You develop a culture of ownership, trust and leadership by example. As a connecting leader, you naturally strengthen collaboration between departments and stakeholders, and you know how to get things moving. You combine strategic insight with a hands-on approach and continuously switch between the two.

The profile 

• a completed bachelor’s degree in a technical or business-related field;
• at least seven years of proven experience in a comparable leadership position within the process and or manufacturing industry;
• experience in internationally oriented industrial environments; experience in a matrix organisation is a clear advantage;
• extensive knowledge of production and logistics processes within the manufacturing or process industry;
• in-depth knowledge of and experience with supply chain and integrated solutions across engineering, production and logistics;
• strong strategic insight, with the ability to translate operational and commercial strategies into executable action plans;
• proven experience with continuous improvement techniques such as Lean Manufacturing and Value Stream Engineering;
• an entrepreneurial leadership style based on clarity and consistency, strong teamwork, ownership and a people-oriented approach, with the ability to inspire and develop individuals;
• excellent communication skills as a situational leader, from the production floor to the boardroom;
• other competencies include reliability, energy, determination, pragmatism, positivity and leading by example;
• excellent command of Dutch and English; knowledge of German is a significant advantage.

Procedure
The selection process will consist of several interview rounds, initially with Lodiers & Partners and subsequently with our client. As part of the process, candidates will be asked to complete a personality questionnaire (Lumina).

Contact
For further information or to apply, please contact Maurice Oomens via oomens@lodiersenpartners or by telephone on +31 (0) 6 – 23 90 74 46.