Director, Process Excellence

Division:  

Job title: 

Director Process Excellence   

Function: 

​​Operations​ 

Percent of travel: 

​​30%​ 

Location:                          

(City, State and /or  

Country) 

​​Venlo, Netherlands​ 

People manager: 

Yes (Leader of People) 

Reports to: 

Vice President Logistics Operations EMEA 

Job Mission / Purpose:  

The Director of Process Excellence is fully responsible for the development and leadership of the continuous improvement and logistics engineering organization within Europe ELogistics Operations. 

The main objectives are to provide clear leadership and strategic direction for a team of logistics engineers, process analysts, etc to set standards for “best in class“  excellence in warehouse, VAS, and Kiting operations across Europe CDC and LRDs  

Drive a reputation of excellence by leading the team developing the standards and implementing a culture of daily improvement to improve customer satisfaction / experience, manage and reduce costs, enhance and develop processes, and support the creation and optimization of an end-to-end supply chain.  

This role will promote teamwork and collaboration, quality performance standards, professionalism and integrity to ensure that results are delivered in accordance with the strategic plans, objectives of the overall EPLO organization. 

Key Activities & Responsibilities 

Setting Direction: 

• Lead a process excellence organization devoted to driving best in class capabilities and standardization for warehousing, kitting and value added services across Europe Logistics Operations. 

• Set direction and standards for excellence in warehouse, kitting, and distribution within Europe Logistics organization which includes both the Europe CDC but also numerous kitting and LRD locations across Europe.  

• Drive implementation of MDI ( Managing Daily Improvement) and a culture of continuous improvement thru training and coaching on root cause problem solving and lean methodologies.  

• Own technical and logistical analyses necessary to support cost reduction and service enhancement including the ability to communicate and influence stakeholder buy in on needed change and potential investment.    

• Partner in the development, modification and improvement of the overall Stryker distribution network, the Europe physical footprint, procedures, policies, processes and the development of new services to increase external and internal customer satisfaction and lower overall costs. This in close collaboration / cooperation with other (relevant) functions. 

• Partner in the development of current and future 3PL activities to drive improved service at reduced cost while meeting stryker’s requirements for quality and sustainability compliance.  

• Active participation in the Europe Logistics Operations Leadership team and in the development and execution of the both Europe and global strategy for logistics. 

• Drives a culture of continuous improvement, accountability and performance throughout the Europe logistics operations organization thru coaching and value stream mapping.  

• Identifies logistics needs to support growth of the business while developing and implementing new logistics models. 

• Partners with EPLO Finance to develop metrics that promote continued cost reduction. 

• Identifies best practices and trends in the marketplace, leading to the implementation of innovative ideas that drive progress and continuous improvement. 

• Promotes compliance with Stryker values and ethics. 

Building Organizational Capability: 

• Provide required support and input in Mergers & Acquisition and business integration projects if needed 

• Build organizational capability that will advance Europe CDC distribution processes through the use of appropriate automation solutions focused on warehouse and business transactional activities.    

Developing Talent: 

• Build and develop a strong and stable Process Excellence Team with team members who have capability to further grow and develop. 

• Pursue engaged and committed teams. 

• Strategic oversight for implementing effective performance evaluations and for recommending the appropriate talent development strategy.  

• Ensure all activities related to employee engagement, talent reviews and periodic employee reviews are conducted across area of responsibility.  

• Promote and support a culture of engagement and continuous improvement across Europe Logistics Operations that results in increased performance, cost savings, safety, quality and productivity improvements. 

• Responsible for building leadership competencies with direct reports and team leaders to ensure that they are engaging employees to exceed their targets in safety, quality, service and cost.  

• Coach, develop and mentor Europe Process Excellence staff to ensure ongoing career development, growth and continuous improvement. 

Delivering Results: 

• Ensure “Right Product, in the Right Quantity, with the Right Quality, at the Right Place, at the Right Time”. 

• Develop and implement appropriate and agreed upon KPI’s to measure the performance and enable improvement programs across Euruope logistics operations 

• Manage a system of controls to ensure that quality, service levels, freight and operational performance goals are met within prescribed cost parameters and meet or exceed divisional and customer needs.  

• Monitor operational KPI’s to proactively identify possible bottlenecks or disruptions that can jeopardize the flow of goods. 

• Lead reporting and periodic highlights on all key metrics related to service levels, total costs, freight costs, trade compliance etc. to all relevant stakeholders across Europe Logistics Operations 

• Support of divisional and customer requirements and standards.  

Inspiring Others: 

• Interact with and leverage opportunities to demonstrate Logistics Solutions’ value proposition with the Stryker divisions, customers and other key groups and constituents within region of responsibility 

Education 

Essential: 

• A minimum of a Bachelor's / graduate degree in Business Administration, Materials Management, Life Sciences, Engineering, or equivalent is required. 

• Formal training in (and experience with) Lean, Process Excellence, Six Sigma tools, etc. is required. 

Desired: 

• A post-graduate qualification in Engineering, warehousing, Logistics or Operations would be strongly preferred 

• APICS certification is highly preferred.  

Experience 

Proven track record in Engineering or Continuous Improvement leadership within a multinational organization including: 

Essential: 

• 10+ years of experience in Supply Chain management, Engineering, Logistics, Operations or related fields are required. 

• 5+ years of experience in multi-shift, automated and labor-intensive distribution, logistics, manufacturing and/or supply chain operations. 

• 10+ years’ experience in a people management role with proven organizational development and planning expertise necessary to lead teams thru continual changes while demonstrating high levels of engagement  

• Prior experience in influencing multiple teams and groups across an international organization. 

• Prior experience in working in a multi-national and -cultural environment.  

• Must have strong understanding of end-to-end supply chain interactions and interdependencies and warehousing in terms of set-up, capacity planning and optimization. 

• High sense of customer service orientation. 

• Well versed in Microsoft Office tools including Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, Visio or other flow charting software and/or Microsoft Project (or similar). 

• Experience with International Standards (e.g. ISO / FDA). 

• Experience in leadership roles with responsibility for multiple operational functions, systems, and analytics platforms 

• Demonstrated ability to build relationships that help achieve results and influence employees/managers at every level of the organization. 

• Fluency in English. 

Desirable 

• Leading within a decentralized, matrix organization. 

• Medical device standards and regulatory needs. 

• Leading and managing multiple projects. 

• Business Process Analysis. 

• Strong knowledge of IT systems & tools and their implications for business processes (Oracle and SAP preferred). 

• Fluency in a second (European) language is a plus. 

Competencies & Behaviors  

Sets Direction 

• Provides clarity on expectations through exceptional communication skills (both verbal and written). 

• Makes sounds decisions and selects effective approaches to solving issues. 

• Demonstrates agility and desire to learn and adjust priorities. 

Builds Organizational Capability 

• Demonstrated success in building, managing, motivating and developing strong engineering and continuous improvement teams.  

• Proven ability to recruit, develop and engage high performing teams. 

• Builds and maintains successful relationships with key internal and external stakeholders and customers. 

• Is innovative and supports new ideas. 

Delivers Results 

• Results focused and executes with a hands-on leadership style. 

• Strong ability to analyze complex situations, and develop and recommend solutions. 

• Strong results orientation with a track record for delivering and achieving exceptional results. 

• Aligns performance for success in a high-performance environment by setting clear goals and expectations. 

• Sets high goals for personal and team achievement and holds people accountable for organizational success. 

• Creates a culture of learning and problem solving, collaboratively establishing development plans, tracking performance, and effectively evaluating performance. 

• A self-starter who enjoys juggling multiple issues at one time, and has the ability to organize and direct diverse activities in a changing environment, often under time pressure. 

• Able to effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously and to meet deadlines. 

• Keen knowledge of how changes in any specific operational metric impacts overall performance. 

• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, and the ability to analyze financial results and develop an ROI. 

• Demonstrates a high degree of independent decision-making and initiative. 

Develops Talent 

• A proven track record of building highly talented teams and driving engagement. 

• Excellent people-manager who is effectively able to identify talent, develop, coach, mentor and reward people. 

• Able to provide organizational and individual direction, mentoring, and professional development for teams. 

Inspires Others 

• A team player who effectively connects, collaborates and fosters an inclusive environment. 

• Able to effectively inspire multi-cultural and diverse teams. 

• Proven ability to build positive relationships and a sense of teamwork collaborative networks internally and externally. 

• Has high integrity and holds self and others accountable to the highest standards – walks the talk. 

• Excellent communication and presentation skills with prior experience influencing and presenting to senior level executives.