Professional Operational Excellence

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 a Professional Operational Excellence (previously known as PIM, Process Improvement Manager), you support and execute improvements of operational performance. You apply Lean methodologies and data-driven analysis to identify improvement opportunities; support problem solving and contribute to measurable performance improvements. You address known or moderately complex operational challenges, using available data, visualizations and performance indicators to understand trends, losses and deviations. You translate findings into practical improvement actions that support more stable, efficient and reliable operations. You work closely with operational teams and stakeholders to facilitate implementation, follow up actions and embed improvements in day-to-day ways of working.

Your Key Accountabilities

• Analyze operational and process performance within defined processes, areas, or departments, identifying trends and improvement opportunities
• Apply Operational Excellence methodologies and tools to solve operational problems and support process improvements
• Support the development and use of performance metrics and KPIs for monitoring local process performance
• Translate analysis into practical improvement actions and support operational teams during implementation
• Facilitate continuous improvement activities such as workshops, PDCA boards, and root cause analyses
• Manage improvement projects within a defined scope and with local impact
• Support Continuous Improvement deployment by contributing to defined initiatives and improvement programs
• Deliver training and contribute to capability building within the organization

Who we are looking for

• You hold a master’s degree in engineering, Applied/Industrial Sciences, or a related field.
• You have experience in an operational or industrial environment – preferably in a metallurgical context.
• You have a good understanding of Operational Excellence frameworks and tools (Lean, Six Sigma, continuous improvement).
• You have experience with process mapping, KPI follow-up, and structured problem solving.
• You can apply methodologies to analyze data, identify improvement opportunities, and support decision making.
• You demonstrate solid analytical skills and can translate data and observations into practical actions.
• You contribute to knowledge sharing and collaborate effectively with operational teams and stakeholders.
• You are fluent in English (Dutch is a strong asset).

You are an Operational Excellence Professional who supports the execution of improvement initiatives within defined processes, areas or departments. You apply Operational Excellence methodologies to analyze performance; support problem solving and facilitate implementation with operational teams. Your strength lies in translating data and observations into practical actions that deliver incremental, sustainable improvements within your scope, while further developing your expertise in Operational Excellence.

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?