Key Skills

Job Description

Your Future in the World of Fruit & Vegetables SVZ supplies the world’s leading food and beverage manufacturers with high-quality, sustainable fruit and vegetable ingredients. With production sites across Europe and close partnerships with growers, we combine decades of expertise in natural ingredients with an unwavering commitment to quality and sustainability. Our people are passionate about turning nature’s best into ingredients that inspire healthy and delicious products enjoyed by millions of consumers worldwide. Let us be part of your future. Head of Cluster - Supply Chain Operations International | Leadership | Manufacturing & Operational Excellence What The Role Is About As Head of Cluster – Supply Chain Operations, 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 senior SVZ leadership, with a dotted-line into the Döhler matrix organization. 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 digitalization and process harmonization 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 mobilizes 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 harmonization, digitalization 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 organization. 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 environment. Strong understanding of operational supply chain dynamics within process, food or beverage industries (seasonal/agricultural supply chains are a plus). Strong track record in operational excellence and continuous improvement. Experience within matrix organizations and strong cross-cultural leadership capabilities. Experience with ERP systems (e.g. SAP). Fluent in English; additional European languages are an advantage. What We Offer A highly strategic executive position within an international and growing organization. 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.

Core Responsibilities

Lead the full operations of three production sites in Spain, Poland, and Belgium, overseeing manufacturing, quality, maintenance, safety, and logistics while developing plant leaders and their teams. Improve service, capacity, yield, inventory transparency, and cost performance, and lead cluster-wide harmonization, digitalization, automation, and capital investment initiatives.

Requirements

Requires a master's degree in engineering, supply chain, operations management, or a related field, along with senior international operations or multi-site leadership experience. Candidates should bring manufacturing and supply chain expertise, a record of operational excellence, matrix and cross-cultural leadership experience, ERP familiarity such as SAP, and fluency in English.