Production Manager

About Umicore

Powering the cars of today and tomorrow. Reducing harmful emissions. Giving unique properties to high-end applications. Giving new life to used metals. As a global advanced materials and recycling group, we develop, produce, and recycle materials for a better life.

About Precious Metals Refining

The world’s resources are scarce. Umicore’s refining and recycling technology gives used metals a new lease of life. We are experts in treating the most complex materials from around the world. Our processes help bring value to the circular economy and reduce environmental impacts. To recover more metal from different types of material we cannot stand still. We need to find new ways to do things, discover new solutions and develop new processes. Which is where you come in.

As Production Manager for the Specialty Metals Unit within Precious Metals Refining at our site in Antwerp/Hoboken, you lead the daily operations of the unit and translate operational priorities into safe, reliable and cost-effective execution. In this function you will focus on delivering results through people, clear operational governance, continuous improvement and strong collaboration across production, maintenance, process, logistics, quality, safety and environmental stakeholders.

Your Key Accountabilities

• You lead the day-to-day operations of the Specialty Metals Unit and are accountable for delivering agreed performance targets in safety, environment, quality, productivity, cost, reliability and people engagement.
• You translate production priorities into short- and mid-term operational plans, ensuring clear objectives, effective resource allocation and disciplined follow-up of actions and KPIs.
• You monitor process performance and changing input conditions, intervene when required and ensure timely escalation, decision-making and corrective actions.
• You embed safe ways of working, risk awareness, environmental discipline, quality standards and compliance with internal governance and legal requirements.
• You lead, coach and develop the operational team, including managers, supervisors, white-collar and blue-collar employees, by setting expectations, giving feedback and supporting competence development.
• You build and safeguard metallurgical, chemical and operational knowledge within the unit to improve process understanding, product quality, flexibility towards supply and long-term performance.
• You coordinate communication and alignment with maintenance, process engineering, administration, operations, sampling, logistics and other relevant stakeholders to ensure reliable execution.
• You drive continuous improvement, standardization and digital/data-enabled performance management, translating insights into concrete operational improvements.
• You initiate and support technical and operational improvement initiatives, investment requests, equipment start-ups and process changes in close collaboration with engineering, maintenance, R&D and other partners.
• You are accountable for asset availability and technical capability within your scope, improving reliability, reducing failures and optimizing maintenance costs in collaboration with maintenance.
• You organize and lead the yearly shutdown within your area, ensuring safe preparation, execution, restart and learning capture.
• You contribute to site-wide operational continuity by taking up Engineer on Duty responsibilities when required.

Who we are looking for

• You hold a master’s degree in chemical engineering, metallurgy, chemistry or a related technical discipline, or have built equivalent expertise through relevant experience.
• You have minimum 5 years’ solid operational experience in a complex industrial, chemical, metallurgical or refining environment.
• You combine strong process understanding with practical leadership in safety, environmental performance, quality, reliability and cost management.
• You are familiar with production management, production planning, resource allocation, continuous improvement, budgeting, safety compliance and business process management.
• You use data and structured problem solving to understand performance, identify risks, make decisions and drive sustainable improvements.
• You communicate clearly and credibly with different levels of the organization and can align stakeholders around priorities, decisions and actions.
• You are a natural people manager and a strong leader, with several years of experience leading teams with clarity, ownership and respect.
• You can create an environment where employees understand expectations, receive feedback, and are encouraged to continuously to develop.
• You are resilient, pragmatic and results-oriented, while maintaining a strong focus on safe and sustainable performance.
• You are fluent in Dutch and English (both spoken and written)

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?