Head of Optimization for Cheese Processing Plants (m/f/d)

In this role you drive product and process optimization across four cheese production plants, leading a dedicated optimization organization and setting strategic priorities. You will scale proven improvements across sites, leveraging cross-plant synergies and coordinating with R&D, Quality, Procurement, SCM, and Engineering. You are the primary feasibility partner for new product variants and play a key role in standardization and escalation support. You’ll travel Europe-wide to implement transformative initiatives.

• Oversee product and process optimization across four plants and their vegan alternatives
• Build and lead an optimization organization with five functional leads and teams
• Define strategic priorities and drive major optimization and scale-up initiatives
• Deliver measurable improvements in cost, quality, yield, and efficiency
• Leverage best practices and cross-plant synergies to scale solutions
• Serve as the first contact for assessing feasibility of new products/variants on sites
• Collaborate with R&D, Quality, Procurement, SCM, and Engineering to enable innovation, standardization, and escalation support

• Leadership experience in multi-site production environments
• Expertise in dairy technology, especially processed cheese
• Proven track record in transformation and performance improvement
• Strong stakeholder management at corporate and plant levels
• Fluent English for effective communication across the organization
• Willingness to travel up to 25% within Europe
• Strategic thinking, execution capability, and sound decision-making
• Business acumen and experience in organizational development to drive transformation

• leadership
• stakeholder management
• cross-functional collaboration
• dairy technology
• processed cheese
• production optimization