Director of Operations and Supply Chain

Director of Operations & Supply Chain
(internal job title: Head of Cluster Supply Chain & Operations)

International Cluster (Poland/Belgium/Spain) | Leadership
Operations & Supply Chain Performance

What the role is about
As Director Operations and Supply Chain, you hold full operational responsibility for three production sites in Spain, Poland and Belgium (±250 permanent employees across the cluster, scaling to 650+ in peak season).

Operating at international cluster level, you are a key member of the SVZ Management Team in Breda. You report to both senior SVZ leadership and Operations Lead in the Doehler Board.

You lead manufacturing, quality, maintenance and logistics across the cluster, driving operational excellence, service performance and cost competitiveness. In close collaboration with Cluster and Regional Demand & Supply Planning as well as Procurement, you contribute to continuous supply chain improvement and actively support digitalisation and process harmonisation initiatives across the region.

Combining strategic oversight with strong people leadership, this role requires a leader who understands our business and supply chain volatility, engages and mobilises teams, and drives sustainable performance through clear direction and strong execution.

Key Responsibilities
- Full operational responsibility for the SVZ cluster (Spain, Poland, Belgium).
- Leadership and development of the Heads of Plant and their management teams, building a high-performance culture focused on accountability and continuous improvement.
- Driving performance across production, maintenance, quality, safety and logistics.
- Ensuring strong alignment with Planning and Procurement to secure service performance and inventory transparency.
- Optimizing capacity, yield, service levels and overall cost competitiveness.
- Leading harmonisation, digitalisation and automation initiatives across the cluster.
- Steering capital investments in line with growth ambitions.
- Acting as a strategic operations partner within SVZ and the Döhler Group matrix organisation.

Who we are looking for
We are looking for a senior, internationally experienced operations leader with strong manufacturing depth. You are comfortable in complex, multi-site and matrix environments and combine strategic thinking with pragmatic execution.

You balance short-term operational performance with strategic development and know how to build structure, discipline and transparency without losing agility.

Your profile
- Master's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations Management or related field.
- Proven experience in senior operations or multi-site leadership roles in an international agri-food environment.
- Strong understanding of operational supply chain dynamics within process, food or beverage industries (seasonal/agricultural supply chains are a must).
- Strong track record in operational excellence and continuous improvement.
- Understanding the dynamics of matrix organisations and being able to prioritise both the BU as well as the Group ambitions and targets.
- Strong cross-cultural leadership capabilities.
- Experience with ERP systems (e.g. SAP).
- Fluent in English; additional European languages are an advantage.

- A highly strategic executive position within an international and growing organisation.
- Direct impact on operational performance and strategic investment decisions.
- A culture that values ownership, sustainability and entrepreneurial thinking.
- Close collaboration with the SVZ Management Team in Breda and colleagues across Europe.
- A dynamic international environment where your leadership makes a visible difference.

For more info or direct application reach out to Marcel de Jong, Managing Partner

+31 6 519 06 244 / mj@excellentum.nl