Operational Excellence Director

About Umicore

Reducing harmful vehicle emissions. Giving new life to used metals. Powering the cars of the future. As a global materials and technology group, we apply our specialist knowledge to offer materials and solutions that are essential to everyday life. We aim to be a clear world leader in materials for clean mobility and recycling and have turned our sustainability approach into an even greater competitive advantage. With ambitions like this, imagine what you could do?

What you will be doing

We are currently looking for an Operational Excellence Director to join Umicore. Reporting to the VP Digitalization, in this role you are responsible for defining and driving the overall OE strategic direction at group level, in alignment with BU initiatives, building senior‑level OE capabilities, and ensuring consistent implementation of OE standards across all Business Units (BUs) and Enterprise functions. In this role you will support transformation programs, governs OE frameworks, and partner with senior leadership to foster a culture of continuous improvement aligned with Umicore’s ambitions.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and drive the strategic direction for Operational Excellence at Umicore at group level, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and long‑term business goals.
• Support and enable OE programs at the BU and Enterprise function levels, ensuring measurable, sustainable improvements across all operations.
• Support local OE programs, providing hands‑on guidance and ensuring consistent implementation.
• Create, implement, and safeguard global OE standards, methodologies, and governance frameworks.
• Develop and deliver OE training programs tailored for senior management.
• Lead cross‑functional process improvement initiatives using established OE, Lean, and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Establish, monitor, and manage enterprise-wide KPIs and performance measurement systems.
• Conduct operational reviews, audits, and maturity assessments to evaluate process performance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Provide strategic OE advisory support to senior executives and act as a subject matter expert for operational transformation.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 3 direct reports and connecting with OE projects owners across BUs and projects
• Collaborate with BU and SOF leadership to ensure OE initiatives support strategic objectives and drive operational scalability.
• Manage OE budgets, prioritize initiatives, and allocate resources to maximize overall organizational impact.

Who we are looking for

Requirements

• 8-12 years of experience in an operational or transformation-focused environment and role with strong emphasis on Operational Excellence projects and initiatives
• Strong knowledge and practical expertise in Operational Excellence methodologies and frameworks.
• Black Belt certification, equivalent advanced OE qualification or equivalent experience in OE, transformational function
• Proven track record leading large-scale cross‑functional improvement initiatives.
• Interest and drive to understand Umicore’s operations, organizational structure, and industrial processes to establish an extensive network within Umicore across functions and BUs
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills, including experience with root cause analysis and data‑driven decision making.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple complex initiatives simultaneously.
• Proficiency in OE tools, KPI frameworks, and systems.
• Fluent English (both written and spoken), and additional languages (especially German/Chinese/Dutch) are a plus
• Exceptional interpersonal and networking skills, with strengths in inspiration, influencing, and empathy.
• Strong communication and stakeholder‑management skills, capable of engaging executive audiences effectively.
• Ability to champion and maintain a company‑wide culture of continuous improvement and operational discipline.
• Ability to benchmark against industry best practices and integrate evolving OE standards into the organization.

What we offer

We aim to lead the way. Not just for our customers, but for our employees too. That is why we strive to create a collaborative environment in which we can all succeed, and a culture through which we can all share ideas, develop our expertise and advance our careers. We engage in building an inclusive work culture that offers equal opportunities for all employees irrespective of their diverse backgrounds. As you would expect from a world-leading organisation, we will also reward your contribution with a competitive salary and benefits. With all this and more, imagine what you could do?

IF OUR TECHNOLOGIES CAN TACKLE SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES, IMAGINE WHAT YOU COULD DO?